Holding CBI hostage disastrous for nation: Pawar

Pune : Charging the Modi government with holding the premier investigating agency CBI as 'hostage', Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar said here on Monday this could have disastrous consequences for the country.

Terming the Central Bureau of Investigation as an independent body for carrying out impartial probes, Pawar said that shunting out its top officials at the dead of the night portends ill for the nation.

"It is clear that the government wants everything should move as per its wishes in the direction it decides. That is the present scenario before us," said Pawar, addressing a NCP women's wing rally.

He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has "no faith in the Constitution, respect for judiciary or the law of the country or belief in gender equality".

"In the Sabarimala temple matter, after the Supreme Court ruled in favour of women, BJP President Amit Shah questioned how the apex court could give such a verdict. It is dangerous to hand over the reins of power to people with such thinking," Pawar said.

Pawar accused the BJP of not having respect for gender equality or honouring even the verdict of the highest court of the land.

"Even Maharashtra, which is in the grip of a severe water crisis, has not taken a single decision in public interest," he said.