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Updated: Jul 05, 2020 01:07 IST

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday tweeted in support of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, who has been booked by the Enforcement Directorate in the alleged Rs 25,000-crore MSC Bank fraud case.

“Sharad Pawar Ji is the latest Opposition leader to be targeted by a vindictive Government. The timing of this action, a month before elections in Maharashtra, reeks of political opportunism,” the former Congress party chief said in his tweet.

Rahul Gandhi was referring to the assembly election which are to scheduled be held on October 21 in Maharashtra.

Sharad Pawar has also hinted that there was a political motive behind ED’ case and also said that he will not bow down before New Delhi.

However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has insisted that the action is being taken in accordance with the Bombay high court order and there was no politics involved.

Sharad Pawar will meet ED’s official later in the day to meet the central agency’s official after the agency booked him in a money-laundering case in the alleged MSC Bank fraud case.

MSC Bank is an apex body for all district central cooperative (DCC) banks in Maharashtra.

ED had also booked his nephew and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, along with leaders from various parties on Tuesday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The case pertains to loans to co-operative sugar factories (CSFs), spinning mills and other processing units.

Also read: All about MSC Bank scam

The case is likely to be played up during campaigning for the elections to 288-member Maharashtra assembly.