At the District Planning and Development Committee meeting held in Pune city this afternoon, district guardian minister Ajit Pawar, who presided over the meeting, point blank told his uncle and NCP(SP) president Sharad Pawar that he had no right to raise questions. The senior Pawar then kept mum for the next two hours even as the meeting witnessed an exchange of fire between leaders of the two NCP factions. Ajit Pawar's questioning his uncle's authority to speak at DPDC angered the latter's daughter and Baramati MP Supriya Sule. Moments after the meeting, Sule told The Indian Express, ''So much to learn from today's DPDC meeting. Sharad Pawar arrived for the meeting five minutes before district guardian minister Ajit Pawar arrived. When Ajit Pawar came, Sharad got up from his chair as per the protocol. This was an example of real old world politics, which is what Maharashtra is famous for." Sule said as Sharad asked questions, Ajit Pawar attempted to show him the rules. "He said MPs are only invitees and they should not ask questions. He tried to refer to a government resolution in this regard. I have been an MP for 18 years. All MPs and MLAs have always raised questions at DPDC meetings. Why has this rule book suddenly come up after so many years? That too throwing the rule book at Sharad Pawar who is 83 years old and who is not only the tallest leader in Maharashtra but in India as well," Sule said. Sule said Ajit Pawar kept harping on that MPs were special invitees. "The rules make it clear. You are a special invitee by law. The law also gives you the right to participate,'' she said, producing a copy of a government gazette notification. Sule said that whatever happened on Saturday at the DPDC meeting, it was "painful to see the change in culture of Maharashtra politics". At the DPDC meeting, where Pune MPs and MLAs were present and Ajit Pawar presided over, Sharad Pawar fired three questions at Ajit. Sharad, without looking at Ajit and who sat three chairs away from the latter, sought to know the steps that were taken to control the drinking water pollution in Baramati. "Drinking water supplied in Baramati town is polluted. If we dip our hands into it, black coloured water is noticeable. Take action in this regard," Sharad Pawar said. In his reply, Ajit Pawar said,"Some industries are polluting Baramati. The pollution board has been told to send notices to them. If we close down industries, it will create problem for farmers." Sule and Shirur MP Amol Kolhe started to ask questions and sought to find out why development funds were not being allocated to MPs. Ajit Pawar refused to answer their questions directly. It was district collector Suhas Diwase who replied to them. After the meeting however, Ajit Pawar praised Sule. "At today's meeting, Supriya Sule raised a good question. She said that a meeting of Lok Sabha MPs from Maharashtra should be convened by the Chief Minister to understand the issues of their constituencies. She said it will help raise Maharashtra's issues in the Lok Sabha. This was a good suggestion..So far only a booklet was being distributed to MPs by the state government in this regard. In this connection, I tried to call up the Chief Minister but could not establish contact with him. I will try to contact him again and ensure that such a meeting takes place," he said. The meeting also saw a verbal duel between Sule and NCP MLA Sunil Shelke. Sule questioned why only Maval had received development funds and that there should be allocations for Shirur as well. Shelke countered this saying that when Baramati had been getting funds, he never questioned it. To this, Sule said the question should be thrown at the district guardian minister. When Pawar started to ask other questions that involved determining figures of fund allotments according to talukas, Ajit Pawar said, "He (Sharad Pawar) is an invitee at the meeting and as per the protocol cannot ask questions. Only DPDC members can ask questions, but DPDC members are sitting at while MPs and MLAs are sitting in front." The DPDC has a total of 44 members, 20 are from Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad civic bodies, 18 from Pune Zilla Parishad, two from municipal councils and four are nominated by the state government. After the meeting, Ajit Pawar told reporters, "I just read out the government resolution which stipulates the rules as to who has the right to speak at the meeting. First is the DPDC chairman, the joint chairman and after that members. Many did not even know the rules till date." When asked why her father kept quiet after Ajit Pawar showed him the rules, Sule said,"My father also plays by the rule book.."
