This is an archive article published on June 25, 2021
Central agencies being misused to target political leaders, we will fight back: NCP
NCP chief Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule said the country has never seen such blatant misuse of central agencies as was being done by the BJP-led central government.
Even as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided the Mumbai and Nagpur residences of former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, NCP chief Sharad Pawar said this was a “new pattern of misusing central agencies to harass political opponents”.
“This is a new pattern of misusing central agencies to harass political leaders… Earlier, Anil Deshmukh’s family was harassed by central agencies… This is nothing new to us, central agencies have been used in the past too against our leaders. It is being done out of sheer frustration. We are not worried about this. Even people don’t take them seriously,” said Pawar in Pune on Friday.
His daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule said the country has never seen such blatant misuse of central agencies as was being done by the BJP-led central government.
– Stay updated with the latest Pune news. Follow Express Pune on Twitter here and on Facebook here. You can also join our Express Pune Telegram channel here.
“The BJP all the time accuses the Congress of committing excesses during the Emergency. What we are witnessing today has probably never been seen or heard. This is the first time I am witnessing this kind of misuse of central agencies against political opponents. This is the new SoP which the BJP has come up with, it seems to be the BJP’s style of operation,” Sule said in Pune on Friday, adding that the NCP will fight back.
Sule said Maharashtra has never experienced misuse of power to meet political ends. “Maharashtra has had a political culture… it does not involve harassing opponents for political gains,” she said.
The NCP leader said the country was facing one of its biggest challenges of tackling the Covid-19 pandemic but the BJP-led central government was busy in “vendetta politics”. “Instead of effectively tackling Covid-19 and focusing its attention on rising unemployment and healthcare issues, the central government is busy misusing central agencies and playing vendetta politics,” she said.
Story continues below this ad
State NCP chief Jayant Patil said, “The raids are being conducted because they could not find anything during the investigation. Now, they are trying to dig up some 10-year-old cases to frame Deshmukh.”
Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut said, “We have been saying repeatedly that the government is misusing central agencies to harass its opponents unnecessarily. If there is any fit case, the ED and CBI should investigate, such as the Ayodhya land scandal. In fact, the BJP national executive should pass a resolution recommending CBI probe into the Ayodhya land issue.”
Slamming the ED raids, State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “What is the ED is trying to search for while raiding the residence of Anil Deshmukh when no financial transaction has taken place? Both Param Bir Singh and Sachin Vaze never said money was given and therefore no financial transaction had taken place. Why are the central agencies not raiding Param Bir Singh? All the investigating agencies are being misused by the central government.”
BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, meanwhile, claimed that after the arrest of former police officer Sachin Waze, several skeletons had come out of the closet. “No one should give this a political colour. Even during the Congress’ regime, its leader Suresh Kalmadi was raided by CBI and subsequently arrested. Did anyone accuse the Congress of misusing central agencies… the central agencies should be allowed to do their work… they have been conducting investigation only after facts emerged,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
Pravin Darekar, opposition leader in the state Legislative Council, said, “These raids have nothing to do with the central government. They are part of the investigation. Such raids used to take place even during Congress regimes.”
Referring to protests by NCP workers in Nagpur, he said, “Holding protests is not an appropriate thing to do.”
Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis.
Professional Legacy
Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles.
Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change.
Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities.
Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees.
Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment.
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area:
1. Political Shifts & Alliances
"Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala.
"BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls.
"Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections.
"NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections.
2. Civic & Administrative Accountability
"PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions.
"93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads.
3. Social & Labor Issues
"As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra.
"Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse.
Signature Beat
Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport.
X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More
4 min read
