Ajit Pawar's Praise For Sharad Pawar Amid NCP Reunification Buzz
Ajit Pawar praised Sharad Pawar at a time of political speculation over a possible rapprochement between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday praised his uncle and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar for his role in passing the Women’s Reservation Bill, crediting him for ensuring 33 per cent reservation for women in local bodies during his tenure as chief minister.
Speaking at an event in Pune, Ajit Pawar recalled that the bill was passed in the state legislature after a lengthy debate late into the night. “Saheb (Sharad Pawar) was chief minister at the time and it was my first term as MLA. He said the House should not be adjourned till the bill is passed. We passed the bill after debate at 3:30 am,” the Deputy CM said, as per news agency PTI.
He underlined the significance of women’s participation in governance, adding, “If a woman can manage her household and children, she can also manage a village or municipal council. That is the belief they have (in themselves). That is why such reservation was granted. Countries that respect women are the ones that progress.”
Highlighting the progress made by women, he said, “Girls are progressing in every field today without getting distracted by boys.” He also credited social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule for pioneering girls’ education in India, recalling how they started the first school for girls in Pune. “The journey that began then has brought us to where we are today,” he said.
Ajit Pawar added that the state government has taken over Bhide Wada, where the Phules began the school, and plans are underway to construct a large memorial in their honour.
His remarks come at a time of political speculation over a possible rapprochement between the two factions of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The party split in July 2023 when Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde-led government. The Election Commission later awarded the NCP name and symbol to Ajit Pawar’s faction, while Sharad Pawar’s group was designated as NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). Both factions have dismissed reunion talks as speculation.
Sharad Pawar Slams Misuse of PMLA
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar on Saturday criticised the alleged misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the ruling government at the Centre, claiming he had earlier warned against the stringent provisions of the law during the UPA era.
Speaking at the launch of Marathi book ‘Narkatla Swarg’ (Heaven inside Hell), written by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut based on his prison experience following arrest in a money laundering case, Pawar said, “When then Union minister P Chidambaram proposed an amendment to the PMLA during the UPA government which put the onus to prove innocence on an arrested person, I told (Prime Minister) Manmohan Singh it is very dangerous and we should not go ahead with it…. I strongly opposed it, saying if the government changes, we will also have to face consequences. But it (the advice) was not heeded.”
According to PTI, he referred to Chidambaram’s own arrest under the same law later, adding, “Power was misused.”
Pawar alleged that the PMLA is being used by the current BJP-led government to “destroy the entire opposition.” He noted that during the UPA regime, nine political leaders were charge-sheeted under PMLA but none were arrested. In contrast, during the NDA tenure, 19 leaders from parties including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, BJD, undivided Shiv Sena, NCP, RJD, BSP, AAP, TDP, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M), AIADMK, DMK, and TRS have faced action.
Notably, NCP leaders Anil Deshmukh, Chhagan Bhujbal, and Nawab Malik were arrested in money laundering cases and later released on bail.
“Whenever people in Maharashtra or in the country bring in a change (in the government), whatever amendments that have been made have to be changed (reversed),” Pawar asserted.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale, also present at the event, pointed out that under the PMLA, “an accused has to prove innocence rather than the investigating agency proving guilt.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray also voiced concerns, saying, “India is a federal country and the Centre and states have equal rights. If the Centre can use agencies like Enforcement Directorate, CBI and Income Tax and laws like the PMLA, then states too should be empowered to use them.”
Referring to the arrests of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, Thackeray questioned how state officials could function effectively “with strings being pulled by the Centre.”
He also criticised the Centre’s ‘One Nation One Election’ proposal, saying it “looks good on the face of it but lacks transparency.”
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