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As Parth lands in trouble, Pawar family treads with caution, targets Fadnavis

On Saturday, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar called for a fair investigation into the land deal controversy. "It is important that the government conducts a proper investigation and brings the facts before the people," he said.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Nov 10, 2025 12:35 PM IST

Land deal: After Sule backs Parth, Pawar for fair probe

Sharad Pawar at the inauguration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Prabodhan Bhavan in Akola. (Image source: @PawarSpeaks/X)

In the wake of the Rs 300 crore land deal controversy involving Parth Pawar, the Pawar family, which first backed him, now seems to be treading cautiously. On the contrary, the Pawar family has targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accusing him of backing the corrupt.

“If an individual is a relative of a person in power or from the opposition and if he is indulging in any wrongdoing, the facts should be brought before the people. But we must remember it isn’t just one person involved. There is a long chain. There are some officers… We need to find out how the officers behave in such situations and why they give preference to certain people and ignore the poor,” said Rohit Pawar, MLA and cousin of Parth Pawar today.

Targeting Fadnavis, Rohit said, “When corruption is highlighted and if the person involved in corruption is close to the Chief Minister, then no action is taken… On the contrary, if the Chief Minister has to target any leader, immediate action is taken. This political bias cannot be justified.”

Rohit said BJP’s fight against corruption was not uniform. “Or else the Fadnavis government would not have ignored the CIDCO land corruption,” he added.

On Saturday, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar called for a fair investigation into the land deal controversy. “It is important that the government conducts a proper investigation and brings the facts before the people,” he said.

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When asked why Parth was not named in the FIR, the NCP (SP) chief said, “The Chief Minister has said that this matter is serious. If Parth Pawar’s name is not in the FIR, then the Chief Minister who is also the Home Minister should reply to this.”

After the controversy broke out, Sule, who is Parth’s aunt, when asked whether she supported him, on Thursday said, “Of course… Be it Parth, Rohit, Jay, Yugendra or Revati, they are all our children. If people are saying that I am supporting them, in a democracy they have a right to say so.”

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On Sule’s support for Parth, Sharad Pawar said, “It is her personal opinion… In politics, it is not family but ideology that is important. There is a difference between politics and family. If you ask me as a family head, then I will point out that we fought elections against each other. One of my grand-nephews fought against Ajit Pawar. Ajit Pawar’s wife fought against my daughter. In politics we do not bring family but give importance to our ideology.”

Rohit Pawar too downplayed Sule’s support for Parth. “Being a mother herself, Supriya Sule turned emotional initially while taking a stand but later she took a proper stand.”

Asked whether Ajit Pawar was deliberately being targeted, Sharad Pawar said, “I can’t say anything about this.”

Manoj Dattatrye More

Manoj Dattatrye More is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, having been with the publication since 1992. Based in Pune, he is a veteran journalist with a 33-year career that spans editorial desk work, investigative reporting, and political analysis. Professional Legacy Experience: He spent his first 16 years on the editorial desk before moving into active field reporting. He has written over 20,000 stories, including more than 10,000 bylined articles. Impact Journalism: He is widely respected for "campaign-style" reporting that leads to tangible social change. Road Safety: His decade-long campaign regarding the dangerous state of the Pune-Mumbai highway in Khadki resulted in a ₹23 crore reconstruction project in 2006, which dramatically reduced fatalities. Environmental Protection: His reports against tree cutting on the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways saved approximately 2,000 trees. Anti-Corruption: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he exposed a scam where doctors were being asked to pay bribes for government jobs, resulting in them being hired without payment. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Manoj More's recent work focuses heavily on the shifting political landscape of Maharashtra and civic governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area: 1. Political Shifts & Alliances "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): A major report on the local self-government election results, detailing the NCP’s stronghold in Baramati, Indapur, and Lonavala. "BJP ropes in 13 ex-corporators, deals major blow to NCP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant political defection in Pimpri-Chinchwad as the BJP gears up for civic polls. "Congress opts for solo BMC run as alliance talks with Sena (UBT) collapse" (Dec 17, 2025): Covering the breakdown of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) talks for the Mumbai civic elections. "NCP(SP)'s Rahul Kalate, Sena (UBT) leader Sanjog Waghere set to join BJP" (Dec 19, 2025): Detailing high-profile party-hopping ahead of the municipal elections. 2. Civic & Administrative Accountability "PCMC draws ire for issuing tenders worth Rs 250 crore just before poll code" (Dec 17, 2025): An investigative piece on the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s last-minute spending spree before election restrictions. "93 killed in 76 accidents in five years: Bypass service roads in Pune remain undeveloped for 18 yrs" (Nov 16, 2025): A critical look at the long-delayed infrastructure projects contributing to fatalities on Pune’s bypass roads. 3. Social & Labor Issues "As state says TCS has laid off 376 employees: FITE flags figures, say nearly 2,500 were forced to quit" (Dec 11, 2025): Investigating conflicting reports regarding IT sector layoffs in Maharashtra. "Maharashtra govt move to 'downgrade' Aadhaar cards" (Nov 30, 2025): Reporting on the state’s decision to require additional documents alongside Aadhaar to combat identity misuse. Signature Beat Manoj More is the definitive voice on Pimpri-Chinchwad, an industrial hub he has covered for three decades. His reporting is characterized by its aggressive stance against local "gondaism" (thuggery) and a relentless focus on civic infrastructure—choked drains, garbage management, and public transport. X (Twitter): @manojmore91982 ... Read More

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