‘Sharad Pawar Could Never…’: NCP’s Ajit Faction Minister Dilip Walse-Patil Apologises As Remark Causes Furore

Dilip Walse-Patil, a leader of Nationalist Congress Party’s Ajit Pawar faction and now a state cabinet minister, is at the centre of controversy over his latest statement against NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

A video clip of his speech, which has gone viral on social media, shows Walse-Patil saying: “We have always maintained that Pawar saheb is the tallest leader in the country, but under his leadership, we have never come to power in the state on our own. Not once was Pawar made the chief minister of Maharashtra."

He goes on to give examples of Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati and other regional parties who formed state governments on their own. “The NCP’s strength is to get 60-70 MLAs elected and form a government in alliance with other parties," said Walse-Patil, at a function in Amebegaon constituency in Pune district on Sunday.

‘NO ED NOTICES’

Once considered a close aide of Sharad Pawar, Walse-Patil has worked with him from his Congress days, but recently joined his nephew Ajit’s faction.

He also questioned Pawar’s claims that NCP leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government because they got notices from the central agencies. “If anyone finds such a notice, I will resign as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). Under the leadership of Ajit Pawar, a few NCP leaders and I have joined this government. It doesn’t mean that we have joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). We all are in the NCP. Saying that we have got notices of the ED or other agencies is not true."

THE CLARIFICATION

Later Walse-Patil issued a video statement on his Instagram handle and X, saying he has not criticism Pawar.

“I had not criticised Sharad Pawar in my speech or didn’t make any statement against him. If you hear my entire speech, you will come to know that I was speaking that Maharashtra never gave full support to a tall leader like him. I had spoken about this in many internal party meetings, too, and in party functions too. I can’t speak against Pawar saheb. I tender my apology as confusion was created due to my statement. I am of this opinion that the media showed this issue in a wrong way without understanding the meaning of my statement," he said.

Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson, NCP (Pawar faction), posted on X: “What a fall from grace of a man whose political existence was created by Sharad Pawar saheb. Fear and lust for power has turned Dilip Walse-Patil into an ungrateful man. Do these kind of people have a conscience?"