AKOLA: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar said Saturday Maharashtra government must conduct a fair investigation into the controversial Pune land deal, in which his nephew and now political rival Ajit Pawar’s son Parth is embroiled. “It is necessary that government conducts a proper investigation and makes facts public,” he told reporters in Akola, breaking his silence on the row. The Rs 300 crore-deal related to transfer of 40 acres of government-owned land in Mundhwa, Pune, to a company in which Parth is one of two partners has been cancelled, Ajit said Friday after it attracted much criticism. Pawar sr brushed aside questions on why his daughter Supriya Sule seemed to be going “soft” on Parth amid the row, saying “family and politics” are different aspects. Asked why Supriya had “defended” Parth, he said, “That’s her personal opinion.” Asked why Parth had not been named in the FIR lodged in Pune in the case, Pawar said, “Only the home minister (CM Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio) can provide accurate information on this. He’s in the best position to say.” Hours later, Fadnavis told mediapersons in Gadchiroli that “action is being taken as per law and there’s no question of saving anybody”. Pawar sr, however, avoided dragging deputy CM Ajit and Parth into the controversy by limiting his response to asking for a fair probe. He said members within the Pawar family have been political rivals but that should not be mixed with family relations. “My grandnephew (Yugendra Pawar) contested against Ajit. Within the family we have fought elections against each other,” he said, adding that social, family and political relations should be seen in silos. On Friday, Supriya refrained from taking on Parth, unlike other Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies like Congress. Sule had said, “I called Parth and he said he has not done anything wrong. If it was govt land, how was it sold? CM and the revenue minister should come out with all details.” Pawar, the architect of MVA, also said the inclusion of Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena into MVA fold must be a “collective decision”. Responding to questions about Congress being reluctant to include MNS in the alliance, Pawar said, “Leaders of the alliance should sit together and take a joint decision. Congress should not take an extreme position in haste.” He added a meeting of MVA is scheduled in a day or two, where clarity is expected. Regarding a potential alliance with Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Pawar said, “Some people met him recently, but the talks didn’t progress further.” On Rahul Gandhi’s allegations about voter fraud, Pawar said this cannot be brushed aside by authorities. “EC must address vote rigging concerns. They must clear all doubts on vote theft to maintain public trust in democracy.”
