Nationalist Congress Party boss Sharad Pawar who faces an inquiry by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in alleged irregularities in the Maharashtra state cooperative bank, will appear before the Central agency on Friday. Invoking Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, he said he would not surrender to the wishes of the Delhi throne.

The ED action has come ahead of the October 21 Assembly polls in which NCP would be a principal opposition party. Pawar and his party have accused the BJP of political vendetta saying that the unexpected response Pawar's state-wide tour has been receiving had become a cause of concern for the BJP which wants to rule the state single-handedly by routing potential opponents by hook or by crook. The FIR evoked a strong reaction from the Opposition with the NCP forcing a shutdown in Pawar's fiefdom Baramati on Wednesday. Protests were staged across the state. Party workers even marched to the ED's office in Mumbai where the police used force to control and arrest agitators.