Sharad Pawar to drop in at ED office

Mumbai : Back to his old fighting form, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar -- who has been named by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case -- said on Wednesday that he will suo moto 'present' himself at the ED office on Friday afternoon.

"I came to know about the ED case only yesterday (Tuesday). I shall fully cooperate with the investigating agency. I am prepared for any kind of 'hospitality' offered by them," Sharad Pawar told mediapersons here.

Pointing out that it is the probe agency's right to investigate the matter, the veteran politician said that he would go to the ED office in south Mumbai at 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

"I believe in the country's Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar... I was never a director in any of the banks. But I will fully cooperate with the ED and provide them with whatever information they require," the NCP chief said.

The development came a day after the ED lodged cases against Sharad Pawar, his nephew Ajit Pawar and other politicians and officials for their involvement in the alleged scam of Rs 25,000 crore in the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB).

The ED move, coming ahead of the October 21 Maharashtra Assembly elections, has caused political tremors in the state.