Pune Porsche case: ‘Why is Ajit Pawar silent for 5 days? Is he the Guardian Minister of the builder,’ asks Raut

“Ajit Pawar is the Guardian Minister of Pune. He literally bulldozed Chandrakant Patil and took over the reins of Pune district. And now when Pune is in the news for all the wrong reasons, why is he silent? Pune’s image as an educated city is in tatters. Drink, drive and kill people seems to be the new norm in Pune but the District Guardian Minister is nowhere to be seen to infuse confidence among Puneites and reply to the allegations,” said Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP.

Raut said Ajit Pawar has a penchant for speaking on every topic under the sun. ”Even on small issues, he gives his bytes. He regularly interacts with television channels in Pune, travels in Pune Metro, wakes up early morning and visits projects at 6 in the morning. Ajit Pawar says he is a disciplined person. He says he will not tolerate wayward behaviour. This is what he has been telling the world. Now what happened to his so called sense of urgency. Is the death of two youngsters, is the rash and negligent driving by a minor kid of a wealthy realtor, not a serious issue ? Why is Ajit Pawar still fast asleep? He seems to have abandoned his role as the District Guardian Minister. Is he the Guardian Minister of Pune or Guardian Minister of the Builder,” Raut asked, adding that Ajit Pawar has failed to understand the culture of Pune.

”Such a serious issue has happened in Pune. It has drawn attention of people not only in India but also from abroad. Everyone is talking about the rich man’s son who drove rashly and killed two innocent youngsters. But it seems the incident is not that serious for the District Guardian Minister. If it was, he would have immediately come forward and made a statement,” NCP (SP) spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said.

Trying to set the record straight, NCP chief spokesperson Umesh Patil said because of the election code of conduct, there have been no official functions or meetings in Pune. ”Therefore the Deputy Chief Minister has not interacted with the media. He has been in Mumbai all this while,” he said.

Patil said, ”We have demanded that there should be a thorough probe as to why there was a delay in conducting the alcohol test on the minor boy? We have demanded as to why the timings of pubs are not being regulated ? If the pubs and bars are not adhering to the deadlines, they should be shut down. Any activity which creates public nuisance or threatens lives of citizens cannot be allowed to continue. The police has to act tough in such matters,” he said.

As for the allegations against party MLA Sunil Tingre, Patil said, ”As a public representative, when the builder sought his help, he rushed to the spot. Other than going to the spot and the police station, Tingre has not in any way tried to influence the case. And the fact that a serious offence under Section 304 of the IPC has been registered on the same day against the accused reveals that there was no pressure on the police to tone down the case. Tingre himself has denied all the allegations that he tried to put pressure on the police.”

Asked whether the Deputy Chief Minister was a partner in any projects of the builder as is being speculated in the city, Patil replied in the negative.

Ajit Pawar’s cousin NCP (SP) leader Supriya Suleh has been more forthcoming on the issue. She has alleged that Tingare tried to influence the case. She also targeted Fadnavis, seeking to know why he rushed to Pune. “Those in power should reveal who tried to pressure police in the Porsche fatal crash…The state government has been careless and insensitive. Be it drink and drive, drugs found in Pune or blasts in Dombivli MIDC, this government is not interested in solving issues concerning the people,” she said.

Sule said she has no clue where Ajit Pawar is. “Ujani boat mishap has happened, Porsche accident has hit national headlines, natural tragedy has hit Baramati, but where is the District Guardian Minister? Instead of asking me, ask Fadnavis as to where is Ajit Pawar,” she said.