This is an insult to Maharashtra, said Supriya Sule on Tuesday, June 14, after the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was not allowed to speak in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a temple inauguration event in Dehu, Pune.
However, it was triggered more because Pawar, who is also the Pune district guardian minister, was not given an opportunity to speak but the leader of opposition Devendra Fadnavis expressed his views in the address ahead of PM’s speech at Jagadguru Shrisant Tukaram Maharaj Shila Mandir.
While talking to reporters, Sule stated: “This is very serious, painful, shocking, and unjustified. This is an insult to Maharashtra. Whether to allow Fadnavis to speak is their personal matter. However, if our Deputy Chief Minister is on the stage, then it is his right to speak.”
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
After the organisers invited the PM to speak, the latter asked Ajit Pawar to deliver his address even though it was missed out. However, he politely declined as the announcement for the PM's speech was already made.
Sule, who was in Amravati in Vidarbha region, took part in a protest by NCP workers for not allowing Deputy CM to speak at the function. She reiterated as per the protocol he should have been given an opportunity to speak.
“This is an attempt to suppress our leader’s voice and it is despotism,” she alleged.
Moreover, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary Sachin Sawant spoke in support of Sule and said that Ajit Pawar seems to have been deliberately prevented from speaking at the PM's meeting. Last time, he had pointed out the statements of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mahatma Phule, Savitribai Phule made by an important person from the state before the PM.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said he had no objection against Fadnavis being allowed to speak but DCM Ajit Pawar should have been given a chance being the Pune son. It is really a serious issue, he said.
On the other hand, leader of opposition Pravin Darekar downplayed the incident that for BJP the honour of Warkaris was more important than DCM’s speech.
Earlier in the day, in Mumbai, the PM's security asked Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray to get out his father CM Uddhav Thackeray's car ahead of PM's arrival.
For those unversed, PM Modi arrived in Mumbai yesterday and highlighted the contributions of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj while speaking at the inauguration of "Kranti Gatha". This is a newly created Gallery of Indian Revolutionaries in the British-era bunker at Mumbai's Raj Bhavan, reported news agency PTI.
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