Sharad Pawar Critiques Misuse of PMLA by Current Government

Concerns Over PMLA Misapplication

Sharad Pawar, the president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), expressed his concerns on Saturday regarding the misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following the change in government. He noted that he had previously warned about the introduction of stringent provisions in the PMLA during the tenure of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

Speaking at the launch of the Marathi book 'Narakatla Swarg' (Heaven Inside Hell) by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, Pawar remarked that amendments to laws tend to occur whenever there is a shift in the central government.

The book details Raut's experiences while incarcerated after being arrested in an alleged money laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Pawar recalled that during the UPA era, when former Union Minister P. Chidambaram proposed amendments to the PMLA that placed the burden of proof on the arrested individual, he had cautioned against it as a cabinet member.

Pawar stated, 'Upon reading Chidambaram's proposal, I warned then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it was highly dangerous and we should not proceed with it... I strongly opposed it, stating that if the government changes, we would face the consequences. However, my advice was ignored.'

He further claimed, 'After the government changed, actions were taken against Chidambaram, leading to his arrest. This is a clear case of misuse of power.' Pawar accused the current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of utilizing the PMLA to 'decimate the entire opposition.'