Ajit Pawar’s Statement Regarding Former Home Minister RR Patil Sparks Controversy; Opposition Calls It Insensitive

Reported By Varad Bhatkhande

Pune/Sangli, 31st October Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar, during his recent visit to Tasgaon in Sangli District, targeted and accused the late former Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister of Maharashtra, Raosaheb Ramrao Patil, also known as RR Patil. Ajit Pawar spoke about how the opposition had previously alleged his involvement in the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and pointed out that, at the time, then Home Minister RR Patil had approved the investigation, suggesting that Patil was attempting to implicate him in the case.

Pawar’s statements about Patil are now being labelled as insensitive, and it appears that Ajit Pawar has stirred up another controversy with his remarks.

While speaking at a rally in Tasgaon, RR Patil’s home turf, Ajit Pawar said, “The opposition accused me of a Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam. At that time, RR Patil was the Home Minister. He had instructed the authorities to investigate the matter and signed the order. Later, when Devendra Fadnavis became Home Minister, the investigation began. Fadnavis showed me a file with RR Patil’s signature on the order. RR Patil’s action was like ‘cutting one’s neck with a hair.'”

This has sparked major criticism against Ajit Pawar, as many are questioning why he would make negative statements about a deceased man who cannot defend himself. Ajit Pawar and RR Patil were once considered very close, as both were members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) under Sharad Pawar and served together in the cabinet.

When Baramati MP Supriya Sule was asked about Ajit Pawar’s statement on RR Patil, she described the remark as insensitive and mentioned that she had apologized to the late RR Patil’s wife, Suman Patil, over the phone. Sule expressed her disappointment, noting that it has been nine years since Patil’s death and that the state of politics has reached a regrettable low.

Supriya Sule also stated, “When Ajit Pawar was accused of the irrigation scam, the NCP stood united while BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis alleged the scam. If the opposition is making accusations, an investigation is warranted. Why fear if there is nothing to hide? However, if the Chief Minister of Maharashtra is showing investigation files to people, it is concerning.”

RR Patil’s daughter, Smita, also expressed disappointment regarding Ajit Pawar’s statement while speaking to reporters, noting that after her father’s death, Ajit Pawar was very helpful not only to their family but to the entire Tasgaon area. “Ajit Dada’s statement about my father was wrong. I feel bad about the statement,” said Smita Patil.

Meanwhile, RR Patil’s son, Rohit Patil, is contesting the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections from the Tasgaon constituency, a seat held by the Patil family for decades. He is running as a candidate from the Nationalist Congress Sharad Pawar Party (NCP-SP) against former BJP MP Sanjay Patil, who now represents the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Ajit Pawar’s statement, along with the two NCP factions opposing each other in Tasgaon, has created a tense political atmosphere in the area.