Under severe flak from various quarters for his controversial “urination in dam” and “making babies during load shedding hours” remarks, Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar went on a day-long Atmaklesh Uposhan (self-flagellation or penance fast) at late Yeshwantrao Chavan’s late memorial at Karad in western Maharashtra. The Opposition was quick to slam Deputy CM’s act as political nautanki (stunt).
Fifty-two-year-old Ajitdada — as Ajit Pawar is known in the State political circles — took his party colleagues, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, and his detractors in the Opposition by surprise, as he drove to Karad, paid his homage at the Preeti Sangam, the memorial of Maharashtra’s first Chief Minister YB Chavan, and began his Atmaklesh fast at 8 am on a quiet Sunday.
That Ajitdada had not taken anyone into confidence before resorting to such an act could be gauged from the fact that having received information about his nephew undertaking fast, Sr Pawar reportedly called up some MlAs close to the Dy CM at around 10 am to confirm the development.
During his Atmaklesh Uposhan which appeared by and large to be an unpretentious exercise, Ajitdada sat quietly between 8 am and 6 pm. When he began the fast in the morning, a few of his supporters were there with him. later in the day, more than a dozen NCP MlAs and several party workers supporting him turned up at the “Preeti Sangam”. Prominent among those present were Ramraje Nimbalkar.
Talking to mediapersons at late Chavan’s memorial, Ajitdada said: “Eight days have passed after my remarks. Our national president Sharad Pawar saheb has also spoken on the subject. I felt that I should come here as penance for my remarks, and be inspired by YB Chavan’s life. After this, I will be more responsible and use words appropriately.”
Maintaining that there was no political game plan behind his fast, Ajitdada said: “I am not doing this to derive any political mileage. In fact, even my party colleagues knew nothing about my fast”.
One may call it irony but the fact remains that Ajitdada — known for his arrogance and political of aggression — has been forced eat crow and undertake penance fast himself — eight days after he slammed a farmer-activist from Solapur Prabhakar Deshmukh, who had been sitting on a dharna for the past at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai demanding water from Ujani dam for irrigation in his district.
At the Indapur rally where the deputy CM made the twin controversial statements, Ajitdada had wondered: “Who is this DeshmukhIJ What is the point of his uposhanIJ Will it yield waterIJ When there is no water where will I arrange water fromIJ Should I urinate (in the dam)IJ”
In another equally controversial comment made at the same rally, Ajitdada had said: “I have also come to know that because of power load-shedding in Maharashtra, there has been an increase in the birth of children in the State. What else you can expect people to do, if there is shortage of power in the State”.
Both these comments, particularly the “urine” remark, proved to be politically disastrous for Ajitdada in the coming week, with all the Opposition parties disrupting the proceedings in both the Houses of Maharashtra legislature, demanding his resignation. The Opposition parties were in no mood to accept the apology tendered by Ajitdada.
The Opposition has since then been demanding an apology from Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and resignation from Ajitdada. When the State legislature meets on Monday for the last week’s proceedings of the ongoing Budget Session, the Opposition will revive the issue of DCM’s resignation — a demand that has become difficult to handle for Ajitdada.
MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who has been engaged in a war of words with Ajitdada in recent weeks, was the first Opposition leader to slam the deputy CM for his fast which he called as a “nautanki”. “Jo boond se gayi woh haud se nahi aati. This nautanki is of no use now. His remarks deeply hurt the drought-affected people, People have not forgotten the remarks made by former Chief Minister Babasaheb Bhosale in the early eighties. Ajitdada’s remarks won’t be forgotten for another 50 years”.
leader of the Opposition in the State legislative council Vinod Tawade of the BJP said: “Ajit Pawar is trying to do Gandhigiri. But it can only be true gandhigiri if he resigns and works for one year (till the polls) for providing relief to the drought-affected people.”
The MNS and Shiv Sena leaders also demanded that the real penance for his remarks would be his resignation.
Farmer-activist Prabhakar Deshmukh, who was ridiculed by Ajitdada, said: “If he is feeling remorse, he should ensure that water released for Ujjani dam reaches the drought-affected villagers. He should organise a convention for resolving the problems of Solapur’ drought-affected and tender a public apology”.
Home Minister RR Patil urged the Opposition to stop demanding his resignation as he had already expressed regret for his remarks and tendered public apologies.
“Words slip out sometimes when leaders are trying to engage an audience and try to render speeches pithy and humorous. If you look at Ajitdada’s decisions then he has always taken decisions to give justice to the drought-affected people and ensured that funds are never short for drought-aid,” Patil said.