New Delhi, Jul 3 (IANS): Hours after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faced a split after Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar took oath as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, the Congress on Sunday took a swipe at the BJP saying "its washing machine has resumed operations" while reiterating its resolve to free Maharashtra from clutches of the saffron party.

Congress General Secretary, in charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said: "Clearly the BJP's washing machine has resumed its operations. A number of new entrants into the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra today had been facing serious corruption charges with ED, CBI and Income Tax authorities after them. Now they have all got a clean chit."

"The Congress will intensify its efforts to free Maharashtra from the clutches of the BJP," he added.

His remarks came after NCP chief Sharad Pawar, maintaining his cool over the surprise developments, "thanked" Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "blamed" the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Addressing media persons in Pune, Pawar, 83, said that just recently, Modi had hurled allegations of corruption against the Congress-NCP.

“Today, his party has joined hands and sworn-in (as Ministers) some people from the same (NCP) party against whom Modi had pointed fingers. This means that Modi’s allegations were baseless and we are now ‘absolved’ of all the charges. I am thankful to him for this… I am happy for those facing enquiries who have taken oath today,” he said.

He said that some of his party leaders were uneasy about the investigations by various probe agencies like ED, and after the PM’s accusations they got very uneasy, prompting them to take the move on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar, after taking oath, also staked claim over the NCP, which entered its Silver Jubilee year last month, and its symbol ‘clock’. Addressing a crowded media conference, Ajit Pawar, 64, who took oath as Deputy CM for the 5th time, said that the entire NCP is with him and he had blessings of everyone in the party.