Always knew that PMLA would be used against the Opposition: Sharad Pawar

Mumbai, May 17 Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday revealed that as a union minister, he had strongly expressed his opposition to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the amendments brought by former union finance minister P Chidambaram to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

"I was in the union cabinet. When the amendment was brought in the PMLA by Chidambaram, it put the onus of proving innocence on the accused. I opposed it. I told the then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that when the government changes, it will be misused. But my point was not accepted," said Pawar.

He reiterated that it was Chidambaram himself who fell victim to this amendment.

“I also doubted that this act would be used against the opposition,” said Pawar while speaking at the release of a book titled Narkatil Swarg (Heaven in Hell) written by the Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut, narrating his experience of 100 days in jail during his arrest under the PMLA Act. Raut was kept in Arthur Road Jail after he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging financial irregularities in the Patra Chawl redevelopment. He was later released on bail.

Pawar further added that after the change in the government, it was Chidambaram who was jailed under the PMLA Act.

The amendments brought to the original PMLA law in 2012 by the Manmohan Singh government enlarged the definition of money laundering by including activities such as concealment, acquisition, possession and use of proceeds of crime as criminal activities.

"The first thing we should do after the change in power at the state and Centre has to be changing these amendments in the PMLA Act used by ED, which are against the basic rights of individuals and political parties," said Pawar.

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, in his speech, said that the states should also be given the right to use the PMLA.

"We are the union of states. There have to be equal rights for all. Why can't states use the PMLA? The states should have the equal right to use the PMLA," he added.

Thackeray spoke about how attempts were made in history to destroy the Shiv Sena by putting its leaders in jail.

"We have fought many battles and have come forward by giving a fight. Many are ready to fight," he said, adding that it was time to fight and bring regime change.

On One Nation One Election, Thackeray said that the polls should be held with full transparency, and during these polls, the Prime Minister, who represents the country, should campaign for all political parties.

Raut said that he belongs to a clan which does not bow down. "Neither me, nor Saket (Gokhale), nor Sanjay Singh (of AAP), nor Anil Deshmukh (of NCP-SP). We decided that we will have to fight this tyrannical regime, but will not surrender...the country needs people like us now," he said.

Raut said that his book is a political book.

"Anyone who wants to work in opposition must read this. The one who wants to ally with the ruling side should avoid it. Dictators, too, have their limit and he gets buried one day or the other," he added.

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