Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday sparked controversy by defending his party, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), for awarding election tickets to individuals with criminal backgrounds for the upcoming civic polls. He asserted that a person should not be branded a criminal until proven guilty by a court of law.
Defending the Indefensible: Pawar's 'Innocent Until Proven Guilty' Stand
Pawar's remarks came as a direct response to criticism from Union Minister and BJP leader Murlidhar Mohol, who had slammed the NCP for nominating candidates with alleged links to criminal activities. "Everyone knows I never support such elements," Pawar stated, while simultaneously justifying the party's choices.
The NCP, led by Ajit Pawar, has provided tickets through its ally, the Republican Party of India (Sachin Kharat faction), to Sonali Andekar and Laxmi Andekar. Sonali is the daughter-in-law of alleged gang leader Suryakant alias Bandu Andekar, while Laxmi is his sister-in-law. All three, including Bandu Andekar, are currently in jail as accused in the murder case of Bandu's grandson, Ayush Komkar. The NCP-RPI alliance is contesting the Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad municipal elections scheduled for January 15.
Pawar Counters with Personal Allegations and Points Finger at BJP
In his defense, Pawar drew a parallel with allegations he himself has faced. "Everybody knows that allegations of a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam were levelled against me. Today, I am in power alongside those who made those allegations. Can a person be labelled guilty even before it is proved?" he questioned.
He also made a veiled reference to gangster Nilesh Ghaywal, who fled India amid a firing case, asking, "Who helped the person to escape?" This was seen as a pointed accusation towards the current administrative setup.
Vows Probe into PCMC's Financial 'Irregularities' if NCP Returns to Power
Speaking at a press conference in Pimpri Chinchwad, Pawar shifted focus to the financial health of the local civic body, the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). He highlighted alleged irregularities that he claimed have pushed the once-prosperous corporation into debt.
"This municipal corporation was once known as the richest in Asia," Pawar recalled. "It even received awards as the best city of India when NCP was in power. Yet, despite being so wealthy, it was never pushed into debt."
He alleged a severe depletion of civic funds over the past few years. "Deposits worth nearly Rs 8,000 crore have been depleted. Fine, that may be so, but at least show work that matches this expenditure," he challenged.
The BJP was in power in PCMC from 2017 to 2022, after which it has been under a government-appointed administrator. Pawar declared that if the NCP is voted back to power, a thorough investigation will be initiated into all these alleged financial irregularities.
