BJP denies allegations that it was behind ED’s raids on properties linked to Ajit Pawar
The Hindu
Devendra Fadnavis says the agency’s actions were based on the directions of the Bombay High Court
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has denied allegations that the action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the relatives of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was at the party’s behest. Former Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis said that the agency’s actions were based on the directions of the Bombay High Court. “The Bombay High Court directed to file an FIR against all the accused in the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank scam in August 2019. Based on that FIR, the ED filed an ECIR [Enforcement Case Information Report]. How can there be any political involvement? It would be wrong to say that the BJP is behind all this,” said Mr. Fadnavis.A crowd comprising farmers, researchers, professors, students, and horticulture enthusiasts thronged the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Hesaraghatta, Bengaluru, on Friday for the inaugural ceremony of the Triphal Diversity Show which showcased 300 mango, 100 jackfruit, and 100 banana genotypes in collaboration with ICAR-National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirappalli.
The State government on Friday constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by Additional Director-General of Police, Manish Kharbikar of the Economic Offences division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe the alleged multi-crore scam in the government-run Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation.