NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said he would not visit the Enforcement Directorate office in Mumbai after initially planning to be there at 2pm on Friday.
NCP said the ED had sent Pawar an e-mail saying there was “no need to come”.
Pawar spoke to reporters outside his residence and said he would refrain from visiting the ED office. He told reporters outside his residence that the Mumbai Commissioner of Police and Joint CP had requested him not to go so that law and order situation could remain under control. Prohibitory orders had been imposed in the area on Friday.
Pawar said, “I have never been a decision-maker of MSC bank in my life and yet my name was there in the FIR... I am willing to cooperate in this matter.”
Surrounded by NCP workers, party leader Nawab Malik had earlier addressed reporters and said that the ED had no case against Pawar. Malik accused the agency of acting on BJP’s orders.
NCP leader Jitendra Awhad said, “Mumbai Commissioner of Police and Joint CP have requested Sharad Pawar ji to not visit ED office as prohibitory orders are in place. Sharad Pawar ji will decide soon,” ANI quoted.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Pawar had said he would voluntarily appear before the ED after the agency filed a money laundering case against him, his nephew Ajit Pawar and others in connection with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam case.
The case just a month before state elections are due in Maharashtra.
“It’s a full toss and that too on the last ball of the match. We are going to hit it out of the stadium. Pawar sahab won’t mind even courting arrest on Friday. Now the entire election will be around Sharad Pawar,” a senior NCP leader told HuffPost India’s Pavan Dahat earlier.