2019 Lok Sabha polls: Pawar did not let Dawood surrender, alleges Prakash Ambedkar - Hindustan Times
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2019 Lok Sabha polls: Pawar did not let Dawood surrender, alleges Prakash Ambedkar

Hindustan Times | By, Mumbai
Mar 20, 2019 12:57 AM IST

The NCP, however, ridiculed the allegations saying that the same had been made earlier and Pawar had pointed out that condition put by Dawood was not acceptable.

Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar on Tuesday trained his guns on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, alleging that the latter ignored underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s offer to surrender and return to India. The NCP, however, ridiculed the allegations saying that the same had been made earlier and Pawar had pointed out that condition put by Dawood was not acceptable.

Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar(HT File Photo)
Vanchit Bahujan Aaghadi (VBA) chief Prakash Ambedkar(HT File Photo)

Ambedkar, who has decided not to join the Congress-NCP led Opposition coalition, said it was time Pawar comes clean on the issue. “Ram Jethmalani had told Pawar (then chief minister) that Dawood was ready to surrender and come back to India. Did Pawar apprise then then PM (PV Narsimha Rao) about this offer? Did he take this decision to disallow? If he had disallowed, then under which authority was it rejected?, questioned Ambedkar. In the past few months, Ambedkar has been constantly attacking Pawar. Even in his seat-sharing talks with the Congress, he asked them to cut ties with the NCP.

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The NCP has debunked Ambedkar’s claim, saying that Pawar had already made his stance clear. “Dawood wanted royal treatment, which was not acceptable to our law enforcement agencies. How can a man accused of engineering the 1993 bomb blast that killed around 300 innocent people dictate terms to us. Such accusations against Pawar are unfortunate,” said NCP legislator Jitendra Awhad.

Ambedkar also claimed the VBA will under no circumstances support the BJP-led alliance after the Lok Sabha polls. “We will rather sit in the opposition than support them,” he added.

Amnedkar has spurned the offer of alliance of Congress-NCP combine and has already announced candidates for 37 of the state’s 48 seats. In the initial round of talks, he wanted 12 seats, which was rejected as the combine were ready to concede two. After this, he upped his demand to 22 seats.

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