Upset over Sharad Pawar's clean chit to PM Modi, NCP MP Anwar quits party, LS post

PATNA: Katihar MP Tariq Anwar has resigned from the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and from the Lok Sabha. He resigned following NCP leader Sharad Pawar's comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal.

"Our (NCP) national president Sharad Pawar indirectly gave a clean chit to PM, in a statement on Rafale deal. PM is completely involved in deal. Opposition is demanding constitution of JPC for probe in it. I'm upset with his statement," said Tariq Anwar after resigning.

NCP Spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Majeed Memon and party leader Nawab Malik confirmed Anwar`s resignation. 

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said people "do not have doubts" over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intentions. 

In an interview with a Marathi news channel, former Defence Minister Pawar also said the opposition's demand to share technical details relating to the fighter jet "made no sense". \

He, however, said there was no harm for the government to disclose prices of the aircraft.

Anwar was a Lok Sabha member from Katihar in Bihar. The Muslim leader was a prominent NCP face in Bihar.