Mumbai, Jan 30 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday deprecated as “inhuman” talks about the leadership of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) just after the tragic death of its president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
On Thursday, a day after Pawar’s death in a plane crash in Baramati in Pune district, voices emerged within the NCP for a state cabinet berth for his wife Sunetra with some leaders suggesting she should also lead the party, a constituent of the BJP-led ruling Mahayuti alliance.
“It is inhuman to talk on this (leadership) issue. If anyone has raised this issue then they have zero humanity. Be it ministers or MLAs. The woman (Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra) has lost her husband. Her (Sunetra Pawar) eyes are still welling,” Raut said.
Sunetra Pawar, who lost the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Baramati, is currently a Rajya Sabha MP. Ajit Pawar was the MLA from the Baramati assembly seat.
Ajit Pawar (66) died on Wednesday in an air crash, leaving behind a big void in his party and pushing the state politics into turmoil. Talks about possible merger of the NCP and its rival NCP (SP), led by veteran politician Sharad Pawar, have gained momentum after Ajit Pawar’s death.
Raut said his “request” is if the BJP really has any love for Ajit Pawar then it should withdraw the Rs 70,000 crore scam charges, linked to the irrigation department, levelled by the saffron party.
“The BJP should unconditionally withdraw the charges,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader demanded.
On Thursday, the BJP, an NCP ally, gave front page advertisements in several newspapers paying tribute to Pawar. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president Nitin Nabin, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, among others, also visited Baramati to attend the last rites of Pawar.
Speaking separately, Maharashtra BJP media in-charge Navnath Ban said there was no doubt that Pawar would be eventually cleared in the alleged irrigation scam.
The scam stemmed from allegations of irregularities in irrigation projects when Pawar was the water resources minister in the Congress-NCP coalition government (2009 and 2014). At that time, the BJP was in the Opposition in Maharashtra.
Ban said the matter related to the alleged scam was pending in court, and it was inappropriate to raise political questions at a time when the entire state was mourning Pawar’s untimely death.
“The case relating to the irrigation scam allegations is already in court. There is no doubt that Ajit Pawar will get justice and will be cleared of the charges against him,” Ban said.
The BJP leader questioned the timing of Raut’s remarks on the alleged scam, asking why the issue was raised soon after Pawar’s death. PTI PR ND NR RSY
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