Rohit Pawar, NCP supremo Sharad's grand nephew grilled by ED for 11 hours amid protests by party workers

Mumbai: Amid a massive show of strength by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP in the Ballard Estate area of Mumbai, Karjat Kamkhed MLA and Baramati Agro Ltd CEO Rohit Pawar was grilled for over 11 hours by the Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday in connection with investigations into an alleged money laundering case.

Rohit Pawar (38), a first-time MLA, is the grand-nephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and nephew of NCP working president Supriya Sule.

It may be mentioned that during the June-July 2023 NCP split, Rohit Pawar chose to remain with Pawar and Supriya Sule when his uncle Ajit Pawar, a seven-time Baramati MLA, walked out with a large chunk of MLAs to join the NDA camp and become the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

An influential youth leader, Rohit Pawar is currently the President of Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) and a a former President of the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA).

"I have extended full cooperation to the agency," Rohit Pawar said after emerging from the ED office, adding that whatever more information has been asked would be provided.

"Pawar Saheb is fighting for a cause, for the pride of Maharashtra, for its democracy," he said.

“The BJP is misusing ICE…which means Income Tax, Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate. Almost 95 per cent cases have been registered against political opponents,” Supriya Sule said.

Before Rohit Pawar walked into the ED office at Ballard Pier, he went to the NCP state headquarters located at a stone's throw away and sought blessings of Sharad Pawar by touching his feet.

Supriya Sule accompanied him till the Kaiser-I-Hind, which houses the ED office.

A massive crowd of party workers are camping at the Ballard Estate even as heavy police deployment has been made.

Sharad Pawar-led NCP’s alliance partners - Congress and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) rallied behind Rohit Pawar and launched a broadside against the Narendra Modi-government for targeting political opponents by misusing central agencies.

“The fear of BJP is surfacing because they have now called Rohit Pawar for questioning,” Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole said.

"The ED action against NCP MLA Rohit Pawar is politically motivated. Has ED, CBI arrested any BJP leader across the country?,” asked AICC general secretary Ramesh Chennithala.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut said that ED has become a branch of the BJP.

Yuva Sena leader and Worli MLA Aditya Thackeray said that there is no rule of law in the country and those who speak against the government are trapped in false cases, typical of an authoritarian regime.

“Are we in India or some place like Pakistan… We appeal to the judicial system to uphold the rule of the law,” he said.