Opposition parties on Sunday backed NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar after his nephew and senior leader Ajit Pawar, along with substantial number of MLAs and leaders, switched sides, describing the episode as the BJP resuming its “washing machine” and “misusing” central agencies like Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the CBI against opponents.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee were among senior leaders who telephoned the senior Pawar to express their support and express their disagreement with the BJP over the developments. In a tweet, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal said the BJP’s dirty tricks department is working on overdrive in Maharashtra and the Shinde government is not a legitimately elected government, but one formed by an ED-facilitated power grab.
Emphasising that the Maharashtra government is a product of corruption and sin, he added, “On June 29, PM Modi had spoken about corruption. It appears he switched on the washing machine and these leaders are now squeaky clean after this oath taking ceremony.”