I Had Warned Manmohan Singh About Misuse of PMLA: Sharad Pawar
In a shocking revelation, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has claimed that he had warned former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the potential misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) amendments brought in by former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram. Pawar’s statement comes at a time when the BJP government has been accused of using the same PMLA to send numerous opposition leaders to jail in fake cases.
In an interview with a leading news daily, Pawar recalled his concerns about the PMLA amendments and how he had expressed them to Manmohan Singh. “I told this to then PM Manmohan Singh, that this will be misused,” he said. Pawar’s warning seems to have fallen on deaf ears, as the amendments were passed in 2005 and have since been used by the government to crack down on opposition leaders and target their political opponents.
Pawar’s statement is significant, as it highlights the long-standing concerns about the misuse of the PMLA. The Act was originally designed to prevent money laundering and combat terrorist financing, but over the years, it has been amended to give the government sweeping powers to freeze assets and arrest individuals without evidence.
The BJP government’s use of the PMLA to target opposition leaders has been widely criticized, with many accusing the government of using the Act as a tool to silence political opponents. Several high-profile leaders, including former Union Minister P Chidambaram, have been arrested and charged under the PMLA for alleged financial irregularities.
Pawar’s warning to Manmohan Singh is a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and the importance of scrutinizing legislation before it becomes law. Pawar’s concern about the misuse of the PMLA was not limited to the amendments brought in by Chidambaram. He has consistently spoken out against the Act’s invasive powers and the lack of due process protections for individuals accused of money laundering.
In recent years, the PMLA has been used to target opposition leaders and silence dissenting voices. The Act’s provisions have been criticized for being vague and overbroad, allowing the government to arrest and detain individuals without evidence. The lack of due process protections has led to widespread abuse, with many individuals being denied bail and subjected to prolonged periods of detention without trial.
Pawar’s warning to Manmohan Singh is not the first time that concerns about the PMLA have been raised. In 2018, a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra criticized the Act’s provisions, saying that they were “arbitrary” and “unreasonable”. The Court also expressed concerns about the lack of transparency and accountability in the PMLA’s implementation.
Despite these concerns, the BJP government has continued to use the PMLA to target opposition leaders and silence dissenting voices. The Act’s provisions have been amended several times, giving the government even broader powers to arrest and detain individuals.
Pawar’s statement is a timely reminder of the importance of scrutinizing legislation and ensuring that it is not used to silence political opponents. The PMLA’s provisions are too vague and overbroad, and the lack of due process protections has led to widespread abuse. It is imperative that the government takes steps to reform the Act and ensure that it is used only to combat serious financial crimes, rather than as a tool to silence political opponents.
