NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case has gone in "different direction".
Speaking to reporters in Pandharpur in Solapur district, Mr Pawar appeared questioning the progress made by the CBI in its investigation of the case, which was initially probed by the Mumbai Police.
He also ruled out any politics behind the much-talked meeting between Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis last week.
When asked about Union minister Ramdas Athawale's suggestion that Pawar join the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the event of the Shiv Sena not forging ties with former ally BJP, Mr Pawar said nobody takes the RPI (A) chief seriously inside as well as outside Parliament.
Speaking on Sushant Singh Rajput case, he said, "It could be because the Central government did not have trust in Mumbai Police that is why the probe in the case was given to another agency (CBI)."
"What light they (CBI) have shed on the case, we have not yet seen. Suicide (angle) aside, now strange things are coming to the fore. Now the investigation in the case has gone in different direction," he said, adding that things will become clear once the truth comes out.
The veteran politician was apparently referring the the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) wideninng its probe into alleged Bollywood-drug nexus arising out of the Rajput death case.
Asked about Mr Athawale's comments, Mr Pawar said, "Does his (Ramdas Athawale's) party have a single MLA or an MP? He speaks, gives advice, but nobody takes him seriously, neither in Parliament nor outside".
Mr Athawale had asked the Shiv Sena to reunite with the BJP to form a government in Maharashtra and also suggested a power-sharing formula between the two saffron parties.
Replying to a question on Fadnavis-Raut meeting, Mr Pawar, whose party is part of the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said, "If a reporter or an editor of a newspaper takes interview of leaders from different parties, it does not mean that he gets associated with that party".
"When Raut had interviewd me (for Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana'), he had announced that he would intrview Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Raut had also clarified that he would interview BJP leaders. I don't think there is any need to comment on that," he said.
Mr Pawar said the interview (of Fadnavis) will take place and get published, "but it will not have any effect on politics of the state".
Speaking about Maratha reservation, which was stayed by the supreme court recently, the NCP chief said the Central government and BJP are supporting Rajya Sabha MPs Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje and Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale, and "they should take lead in resolving this issue".
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
