Pawar hits out at PM Modi over CBI row


Team Udayavani, Oct 23, 2018, 3:07 PM IST

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar Tuesday said if the central government was “effective”, there would not have been bribery charges at the highest level in the CBI, and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to act over the matter.

He also attacked the BJP-led Centre over the Rafale jet deal and demanded a probe into it by a joint parliamentary committee.

Pawar was replying to queries during an interaction at the “Mumbai Manthan” conclave organised by television news channel Aaj Tak.

The feud between Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Director Alok Verma and his deputy Rakesh Asthana turned murkier with the arrest of a deputy superintendent of police in the Special Investigation Team headed by Asthana over bribery charges.

Asked about the Modi government’s performance, Pawar said people’s expectations from the present dispensation were not fulfilled.

“What was promised in 2014 is not seen on the ground after four years. (Former prime minister) Manmohan Singh tried his best to give a good government, intentions were best. That is not the situation today.

“If the present government was effective, there would not have been bribery charges at the highest level in the CBI. Still the prime minister is silent. He should act,” the former Union minister said.

Pawar said Modi was a strong leader for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but not the country.

“His ministerial team does not have the capacity to deliver. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is the most powerful. All decisions are taken there and the files are sent to the ministers to sign. The present government does only ‘man ki baat’ and does not listen to ‘jan ki baat’ (people’s voice),” he added.

Firing a fresh salvo over the Rafale fighter jet deal, Pawar said the Centre should clarify why the price of one aircraft increased from Rs 570 crore to Rs 1,600 crore.

“There is room for suspicion. So there should be a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe. If the BJP stalled Parliament for three weeks for a JPC probe in (the) Bofors (case), why should the BJP, now in power, oppose a JPC?,” he asked.

Asked if he felt there was corruption in the Rafale deal as alleged by Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Pawar said he had no information about it.

“I only know the aircraft is good. Rahul Gandhi may have more information than me about corruption,” he said.

Led by the Congress, the opposition parties have been attacking the Modi government, alleging that it is procuring 36 Rafale jets from France at an exorbitantly high cost.

The government has denied the allegations of irregularities in the Rafale deal and industrialist Anil Ambani has also dismissed the Congress’s charge that he got undue benefits under it. 

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

Kaup: Techies grow Kashmiri saffron in coastal land, Achieve initial success

Original East India Company wound up but new breed of monopolists is in its place: Rahul

Pune gangrape case: 2 arrested men gave false info about 3rd absconding accused, say police

A third of Ranthambore’s 75 tigers missing, say officials

‘This will be most important day in American history’: Trump

EC updates Maharashtra voter list; Shahada seat has 3 candidates in fray, Nanded North 33

Millions cast vote in historic US presidential election

Related Articles More

Original East India Company wound up but new breed of monopolists is in its place: Rahul

Pune gangrape case: 2 arrested men gave false info about 3rd absconding accused, say police

A third of Ranthambore’s 75 tigers missing, say officials

Bypoll: Tension prevails in Kerala’s Palakkad as police search hotel over black money suspicion

EC updates Maharashtra voter list; Shahada seat has 3 candidates in fray, Nanded North 33

MUST WATCH

Gho Pooja in Deepavali Festival

Melukote Deepavali

Ganapathi Co-operative Society Ltd

Udayavani Chinnara Banna 2024

Annapoorna Aahar | Food Places In Mysore


Latest Additions

David Warner says Cricket Australia ‘squashed’ ball change issue ‘as fast as they could’

Kundapura: Man gets 20-year sentence for assaulting minor girl

Bengaluru: Man, working as ward helper, arrested for secretly recording women in hospital restroom

Dairy farmers in K’taka border areas selling milk to Kerala for higher price!

Hassan: Policeman brutally killed near Dudda village; family dispute suspected

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.