BEED: Deputy Chief Minister and NCP president Ajit Pawar on Thursday warned his party workers that he would not tolerate anyone indulging in extortion or ransom during development works and also said that those found involved in such acts would be booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).
His statement comes amid the raging controversy over the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh and the demand for the arrest of Food and Civil Supply Minister Dhananjay Munde due to the links of his confidant Walmik Karad in the case.
He further announced that if any party office-bearer or any citizen is found firing rounds from his revolver in the air and making reels he would direct the police administration to cancel the licence.
Ajit Pawar’s stern warnings came during his interaction with the party office-bearers on Thursday in his maiden visit to Beed after the appointment of the district guardian ministers.
Immediately after landing at the airport early morning, Ajit Pawar visited the party office and asked the office-bearers to focus on maintaining their clean image and not to indulge in wrongdoings.
“Beed is constantly in the news (due to the killing of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh). No one should believe in rumours. Action will be taken wherever there is any truth. At the same time, no one should try to extort money from anyone while doing development work. If such things come to my notice, I will not hesitate to impose MCOCA. For this, I will take an extreme stance. I will also look at the government officers here, some of them have been here for many years. While doing this, I will not make any discrimination, ” warned Ajit Pawar.
His warning is important as party Minister Dhananjay Munde’s close associate Walmik Karad was arrested on the charges of extortion linked to sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's murder. After protests from various sections, Karad was booked under MCOCA. However, Ajit Pawar has rejected a demand from the ruling and opposition for Dhananjay Munde’s resignation saying that the action will be taken after the ongoing investigations by CID, the special investigation team and the judicial committee.
On the reckless use of revolvers for show off and making reels, Ajit Pawar said that in the past few days, photos and videos of people shooting in the air with revolvers in Beed and walking around with revolvers on their waists have gone viral on social media. “We see that sometimes it is shown on TV that someone shoots in the air with a revolver, someone walks around with a revolver on their waists. I am going to tell the police administration that whoever does such things should have their revolver license cancelled. Revolvers are for your protection. Therefore, I will not tolerate reels that you make, ” he warned.
Speaking about the development works, Ajit Pawar said, “I will do the works which are at my level, but the works which are at the level of the Chief Minister, I will convey to him. While doing so, I will also take the local people’s representatives into confidence. There are two colleagues from your area in the cabinet -- Dhananjay Munde and Pankaja Munde. I will take them into confidence too. There will be no discrimination in work. But if I do not discriminate, then those for whom I am doing work should also not discriminate. Otherwise, I will do their work and they will do something third-rate, I will not tolerate it. I will tell you frankly that if this is your double-standard behaviour, I will not work. I am not a saint as I do my work with development at the centre stage.”
“The public's money should be used for good. There should be no mess in it. Because the funds are limited. We will try to seek more funds from the Centre. We will try to solve the problems of the common man through the District Planning and Development Council, ” he said.
Ajit Pawar told the party workers that the NCP has a secular ideology. "The way Yashwantrao Chavan has shaped Maharashtra and the party is trying to move forward on the same path...I expect the party office-bearers will work relentlessly for the party and pursue the development of Beed. They will have to pay adequate attention to keeping a clean image. The party workers should work hard to change the image of Beed which is being currently painted differently in the media, ” he said.
He also asked the party office-bearers to step up their efforts to increase the number of members during the enrolment drive.
The NCP chief asked the party workers to gear up for the upcoming local and civic body elections for the victory of NCP and Mahayuti in general.
Ajit Pawar as the Beed district guardian minister, chaired the District Planning and Development Council to finalise the district’s development plan.