Express News Service
NCP leader and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule on Tuesday said Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was denied permission by the Prime Minister’s office to speak in the presence of PM Modi at the inauguration programme of Saint Tukaram temple at Dehu in Pune on Thursday.
Sule pointed out that though the Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis was given an opportunity to speak, the Deputy CM, also the guardian minister of Pune was denied permission, which is an insult to the whole state.
DCM of Maharashtra & Guardian Minister of Pune Hon. @AjitPawarSpeaks Dada was not allowed to speak in presence of PM Hon. @narendramodi Ji at program in Dehu, Pune. However, LOP @Dev_Fadnavis was permitted to talk. This is an insult for Maharashtra.
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) June 14, 2022
“It is an insult to Maharashtra and Maharashtra’s people. Ajit Pawar was our representative there, but he was denied of his rights in the presence of PM,” Sule said. She added that she was extremely disappointed as she was aggrieved at the insult.
The programme chart of the event only mentioned the Prime Minister’s address and the Opposition leader’s speech. However, after Fadnavis’s speech, PM had asked Pawar to speak, which he denied politiley as it was not part of the protocol.
NCP state president Jayant Patil also commented on the issue. He said that Pawar would have been denied to speak as he was known for his outspoken nature and had spoken his mind in presence of the PM in a previous metro programme in Pune.
Maharashtra Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said that it was surprising that a Deputy CM was restricted from giving his speech, while the Leader of Opposition was allowed to. According to him, in the last programme, Pawar revealed to PM Modi on Maharashtra Governor’s nasty remarks against Mahatma Phule, Savitri Bhai Phule and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
“This was not liked by many, which could be the reason for his denial to speak at the event, ” he added.
