‘Repentant’ Ajit sits on fast for ‘penance’

Ajit,who invited criticism across political parties,had ridiculed a farmer from Solapur,Prabhakar Deshmukh,for his 55-day demonstration in Mumbai demanding water for his village. Ajit had said,“What can I do if there is no water in dam. Should I urinate?” He ridiculed load shedding saying,“Ever since load shedding has increased people have started making more babies.”

Ajit’s fast comes 24 hours after he was ticked off by his uncle and NCP president Sharad Pawar. Home Minister R R Patil was among the few senior leaders who visited Ajit Sunday. Opposition leaders dismissed Ajit’s “penance” as drama to gain sympathy. MNS chief Raj Thackeray said,“What’s the point of repenting after committing such blunders? What’s lost cannot be regained.”

BJP leader Vinod Tawde said,“If Ajit is so anguished,he should resign and work for the drought affected people.”

Shiv Sena MP Bharatkumar Raut said,“I don’t think it is a penance. It is an escape route to overcome the present crisis.”

Farmers’ leader Raju Shetty said,“If he is really repenting he should immediately resign.”

However,NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said,“It would be incorrect to politicise the fast. In all probability,it was Ajit’s decision to sit on fast. It was not a party function.”

Cong worried about backlash

The Maharashtra Congress is worried that Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s controversial remark will not only affect the image of NCP,but also the electoral fortunes of the Congress-NCP alliance in the coming elections. These were the sentiments expressed by MLAs and officials at a meeting of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC).

However,AICC secretary in charge of Maharashtra Mohan Prakash said they should not overreact. Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had directed the state Congress not to speak a word on the matter.

On Sunday,Chavan broke his silence on the Ajit episode. “There comes a moment in everybody’s life when one takes time off for introspection,” he said. The statement comes in the wake of DyCM’s decision to fast in Satara district.