Pawar asks NCP workers not to gather near ED office on Friday

Set to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday asked party workers not to gather near the central agency's office here and ensure people are not inconvenienced.

Pawar on Wednesday said he would appear before the financial probe agency in a money laundering case filed against him in connection with the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank scam.

"As mentioned during my press conference yesterday, I will be visiting the Mumbai ED office at Ballard Estate tomorrow, Friday 27 September, at 14.00 hrs. @MumbaiPolice @NCPspeaks," Pawar tweeted.

"I appeal to all my NCP cadre and supporters not to gather near the ED office premises. Keeping our tradition to honour the constitution and respect for institutions, I request your co-operation to the police and other government agencies," he added.

The NCP patriarch has already said he would "voluntarily" visit the ED office in south Mumbai and co- operate with the probe agency given his faith in the Constitution.

The former Union minister, however, has also asserted he would not bow before the 'throne' of Delhi, apparently referring to the BJP-led government at the Centre.

The veteran leader has been maintaining he was not associated with the bank in any capacity and questioned the timing of the registration of the case which comes just weeks ahead of the October 21 Assembly polls in Maharashtra.

The ED has filed the money laundering case against Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar and others in connection with the scam.

An Enforcement Case Information Report, equivalent to a police FIR, has been registered by the central agency under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case is based on a Mumbai Police FIR which had named former chairmen of the bank, Ajit Pawar, an ex-deputy chief minister of the state, and 70 erstwhile functionaries of the cooperative lender.

The NCP has termed the ED case as politically motivated.

The registration of the case against Pawar had drawn angry reaction from the NCP whose workers staged protests in Aurangabad, Solapur, Beed, Thane, Nashik and his home turf Baramati in Pune district, among other parts of the state.

Police had imposed restrictions on assembly of people in the area where the ED office is located last month when MNS chief Raj Thackeray had appeared before agency officials in a separate money laundering case.