Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray Monday said the late Ajit Pawar had responded to corruption allegations through his work, referring to the BJP’s earlier charge of a Rs 70,000 crore scam against him.
Speaking in the Legislative Council on the condolence motion moved by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for Pawar on the first day of the Budget Session, Thackeray said Pawar had recently remarked that those who had levelled allegations of Rs 70,000 crore against him were now sharing power with him. “He answered defamation through his work. That is why he had to be taken along,” Thackeray said.
He said Pawar never lost composure despite repeated allegations. “No one should be defamed to the extent that life becomes unbearable. There has to be a limit to how much and how long we defame a person for political reasons. This is not Maharashtra’s culture,” he said. “We should have some self-regulation. How long are we going to blame a person without checking the facts?”
Thackeray said his political career began in opposition to Pawar’s party (NCP) and ideology, and he had never imagined they would work together. Referring to the early-morning swearing-in in November 2019, when Pawar briefly took oath with Devendra Fadnavis, he said two mornings left a mark on Maharashtra, one that shocked the state because of political developments, and another that caused grief after Pawar’s death. “The second morning pained the heart,” he said.
Thackeray said Maharashtra lost a capable leader from whom the state had high expectations. He recalled that leaders such as Pramod Mahajan, Gopinath Munde, R R Patil, and now Ajit Pawar, had passed away suddenly. “Such leaders are not created again and again. Such friends are not easily found,” he said.
Recalling his tenure as chief minister, Thackeray said Pawar had provided strong support in administrative matters. During the Covid-19PuneMumbai lockdown, he said, the Mantralaya was closed, but governance continued. “There was fear that the economic cycle would stop. Even then, he maintained balance,” Thackeray said.
He said Pawar was known for punctuality and discipline. “He always kept time; perhaps that is why he got the clock symbol. The table before him, the pen, and the papers were always arranged in perfect right angles,” he said, adding that such habits reflected Pawar’s work style.
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Thackeray said that while touring Baramati with Pawar during his tenure as chief minister, Pawar would show development works with enthusiasm.
“But when I went there after the accident, Baramati felt orphaned,” the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.
“I have lost not just a colleague but a dependable and large-hearted friend,” he added.
‘Punctual leader’
Earlier, Maharashtra Deputy CM Shinde described Pawar as a “staunch, punctual leader and a great friend” and said the Legislative Council had lost a strict and disciplined member.
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Moving the condolence motion, Shinde said, “Fadnavis, Pawar and I were like an equilateral triangle, we were all close to each other,” he said.
Shinde added that he had worked with Pawar both after becoming chief minister in 2022 and earlier during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. He said Pawar studied files carefully and understood the strengths and shortcomings of schemes quickly. He was strict about cleanliness and discipline in government functioning, Shinde further said.
Comparing him with “a jackfruit, which is thorny from the outside but soft and sweet inside,” Shinde said Pawar would examine files in seconds and point out errors.
He noted that Pawar had presented the state Budget 11 times.
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Referring to the Ladki Bahin scheme, Shinde said that when it was conceptualised during his tenure as chief minister, Pawar structured it and managed the finances in a manner that did not put excessive strain on the state.
The House also paid tributes to former minister Surupsingh Hirya Naik, former MLCs Ashok Gajanan Modak, Gangadhar Patne, and Nila Desai.
