Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday urged his 83-year-old uncle and NCP National President Sharad Pawar to “take rest,” a remark that was rebuked by senior party leader and Sharad Pawar’s daughter, Supriya Sule, who cited the accomplishments of successful octogenarians such as Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Ratan Tata.
Speaking at the meeting convened by him in suburban Bandra as a show of strength, Ajit Pawar said BJP leaders retire at 75 and asked the NCP supremo to step down stating “are you going to stop or not?”
“In BJP, leaders retire at 75. Give us blessings. If we are wrong, tell us our mistake. But who is this being done for? Why is this happening? Is it our mistake that we were not born to some people? Are you going to stop or not? You are 83,” he said.
Ajit Pawar, who is 63-year-old, said that his uncle had stated in a meeting that would resign and a committee would be made. It was then decided that his cousin sister Supriya Sule would be made a national president of the party, a decision that was soon redacted later, he charged.
“We were asked to make Supriya (Sule) national president. We agreed… Don’t know what happened in two days? We were told that the resignation was being taken back. Are we not capable to run the govt? If there is a list of capable leaders in Maharashtra, am I not one of them? Then why don’t I get blessings? I told Supriya, she should explain to him, but she said he is headstrong,” he said at the public meeting.
He further said even at a farmer’s household, the adult son is asked to takeover the farmland as the elderly step down as advisors. “Are we not capable of running a government? We are. In Maharashtra politics, among those four to five key leaders, doesn’t my name figure, even if it is at the end? Then, why are we not given the blessings? Even at a farmer’s home, a son who reaches the age of 25 is told to look after the farm, while the elderly steps back to the role of an adviser. This is the norm,” he added.
The remarks were refuted by senior party leader Supriya Sule who cited examples of working leaders including Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and pharma giant Serum Institute of India (SII) founder Cyrus Poonawalla.
Taking a strong note against Ajit Pawar’s remarks asking the NCP chief to retire, Sule said: “Pawar saheb in not only my father. He is the father of all NCP workers. Attack whoever you want but not my father,” adding, “Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute is 82 and still working… Amitabh Bachchan is 80 and still working.”
“Ratan Tata is three years older than Saheb and leading the country’s largest group,” she added.
Sule further charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called NCP – ‘Naturally Corrupt Party’.
“He said ‘na khaunga, na khaane dunga’. But when the there is a need, he will eat the entire NCP. It’s BJP that’s naturally corrupt”,” she said.
“I will stand with my father. I’m not scared of ED”, she declared.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar slammed the BJP and said there is no “democracy in the country” anymore. “There is unrest within the people of the state and the country. There is an effort to bring together all those who are not a part of ruling dispensation. This meeting is historic for NCP. We have to keep marching ahead despite the hurdles,’ he said addressing a public meeting.
Meanwhile, NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Chhagan Bhujbal earlier said their faction has teh backing of over 40 NCP MLAs. “More than 40 MLAs are here with us, some of them are stuck in traffic, some are in other states, but they have signed affidavits.” “It’s true that people will ask about (legal) action after this… We have taken all things into consideration before taking this step,” he said.
Sharad Pawar, responding to the “numbers” said there is “no need to worry” as he “won’t allow anyone to snatch NCP’s symbol.”
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