Sharad Pawar slams Centre over Jahangirpuri violence

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 18 (ANI): Following the violence in the national capital's Jahangirpuri during Mahavir Jayanti, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.
"We never heard of communal violence during Ram Navami. The reason behind this is the BJP and some of their organization. Delhi's law and order situation is not with Kejriwal. It comes under the Central government," Pawar told media persons here.
The NCP chief alleged that the BJP-led Centre is misusing central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in states to harass leaders of the opposition parties.
Asked about Opposition unity, Pawar said, "I recently had a conversation with Mamata Banerjee. She called for a non-BJP Chief Ministers' conference to bring secular forces together. We are holding discussions stage by stage to bring secular parties together. We cannot boycott Congress, we have to take Congress together."
On the issue of banning the Popular Front of India (PFI), the NCP leader said, "Any organisation apart from political parties which creates problems can create unrest and if any state government or central government wants to ban it (PFI), I will not say no."
A total of 22 people have been arrested and two juveniles apprehended in connection with an altercation between two groups that erupted during a religious procession in Delhi's Jahangirpuri on April 16 that left nine people injured including eight police personnel and a civilian. (ANI)