The Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Tuesday demanded a probe into deputy chief minister and NCP (AP) president Ajit Pawar’s ten secret visits to Delhi – that too in disguise and with assumed identities -- to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah ahead of his joining the BJP-led MahaYuti government in Maharashtra in July last year.

Linking a controversial disclosure by Ajit Pawar – who was the then Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Maharashtra Assembly --about his secret visits to the national capital to meet Shah prior to his joining the MahaYuti government on July 2, 2023 to “national security”, the MVA leaders demanded a thorough inquiry and stringent action against the current deputy chief minister.

The Opposition NCP (Sharad Pawar) Working President Supriya Sule and Shiv Sena (UBT) chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut flagged the issue after a few regional television channels reported Ajit Pawar’s informal disclosure m wearing a cap and mask for his secret meetings with Shah before engineered a split in the Sharad Pawar-led united NCP and joined the Eknath Shinde government at the behest of the ruling BJP at the Centre.   

Ajitdada – as Ajit Pawar is known in the state political circles – had reportedly made the disclosure to a group of journalists in Delhi during the latter’s visit to the national capital last week.

Tearing into Ajit Pawar,  Supriya – who is Sharad Pawar’s daughter – told media persons in Delhi: “ I have read in newspapers that Ajit Pawar, who was then the LoP in the Maharashtra Assembly – that he used to fly to Delhi in disguise and that too with assumed names. I have ask him three to four questions sincerely.. First, given that as a LoP in the Assembly, he used to criticise the BJP in public and to meet Shah secretly, was he not compromising the interests of Maharashtra?”.

“Secondly, the television channels have reported that he used to travel with assumed names.  This is an issue of national security. If we have to fly anywhere we need an Aadhar card as proof.  Here is a case where a Leader of the Opposition books his tickets with assumed names. During the checks at the airport, was the identity card shown by him matching with his actually? If  Ajit Pawar does like this, even terrorists will do like this tomorrow,” Supriya said    

“This is a national security issue. It is to be investigated as to how this security breach took place at Mumbai and Delhi airports and how Ajit Pawar travelled by the assumed identities. Even airlines need to be investigated. Who will take responsibility for this security lapse?,” she asked.