Pune, June 14 (PTI) The NCP on Friday slammed the rival NCP (SP) after the Sharad Pawar-led party’s newly elected MP, Nilesh Lanke, visited the house of known criminal Gajanan Marne here.
The Ahmednagar MP claimed that the meeting was “accidental” and he did not know Marne’s antecedents.
A video on social media showed Marne, named in several criminal cases, felicitating Lanke.
NCP leader Amol Mitkari criticised Lanke’s visit to Marne’s house, and questioned the “silence” of the NCP (SP) over the issue.
A few months ago, NCP president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s son Parth Pawar had sparked a controversy after he visited Marne’s house. Ajit Pawar had said his son should have avoided meeting a person with a criminal record.
“When Parth Pawar called on Marne, Ajit Pawar had expressed disappointment and said the meeting should have been avoided. But today, Nilesh Lanke is meeting Marne with great respect and accepting his congratulations,” Mitkari said.
Mitkari also wondered if the NCP (SP) took the help of criminals to win the Ahmednagar and Baramati Lok Sabha seats. “It should be probed if the NCP (SP) received Marne’s support in the elections,” he added.
While Lanke emerged as a `giant-killer’ by defeating the BJP’s incumbent MP Sujay Vikhe Patil, in Baramati Supriya Sule registered her fourth consecutive win by defeating Ajit Pawar’s wife and her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar.
Lanke later told reporters that he happened to be in the Kothrud area to pay a condolence visit to the family of an associate who recently died.
“As we were leaving, some people, including this person (Marne) waved at us and insisted we come over for tea. As I am active in social work, I decided to oblige. I went to his house, we had tea, and he then felicitated me. I was unaware of his background. After returning to Ahmednagar, I learned about his antecedents,” the MP claimed.
The meeting was “accidental”, Lanke added.
Earlier, NCP (SP) leader Vidya Chavan told a Marathi news channel that she would speak to Lanke to know what prompted his visit to Marne’s house. “What is wrong is wrong. Whether it’s Lanke or anyone else, no one is supporting this,” she said. PTI SPK MVG NR KRK
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