Ajit Pawar warns party workers in Beed against involvement in extortion rackets

Asking his party workers to maintain a 'clean character', the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said political interference will not be tolerated in the administration.

Mumbai: Maintain a clean character and stay away from the wrong people, said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a strong message to NCP workers in Beed, where the political class, currying across party lines, are demanding the resignation of his close aide and Maharashtra minister Dhananjay Munde.

He also made it clear that he would not tolerate anyone indulging in extortion or ransom and those found involved in such acts would be booked under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Pawar, the Finance and Planning Minister, on the first visit to Beed as the guardian minister of Beed, comes as at a time when the NDA-MahaYuti dispensation is under fire from the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi for the first two months because if the developments in Beed.

An NCP MLA from Parli, Munde, who is the state’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister, is facing problems in the wake of the abduction, torture and murder of Santosh Deshmukh, a three-time Sarpanch of Massajog village and the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in a case of extortion linked to the murder case.

The statement of Pawar comes a day after Munde said that he would not hesitate to resign if asked by Pawar or Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

During the Beed visit, Pawar, who is not known to mince words said: “Maintain a clean character. Everybody should take care not to mingle with the wrong people. Our image among the people here (in Beed) should be good…political interference will not be tolerated in the administrative works and anyone asking extortion money in development works would be severely dealt with.

Pawar went on to add: “I will not spare anyone…I am no saint and will not hesitate in invoking MCOCA…. I had told the Chief Minister that if I am being made the Beed guardian minister, I need everyone’s help. Some officers are in Beed for years, I will take corrective steps.”

Pawar also warned of the culture of brandishing guns in public and making social media reels. "I am also going to tell the (police) department that if someone is found showing a revolver or firing in the air, their licenses should be cancelled. I will not tolerate reels (short videos on social media) with weapons. Law will be equal for all, because a change should happen and people should feel the change," he said.

On his role as guardian minister, Pawar said: “I will take the local people’s representatives into confidence. Dhananjay Munde and Pankaja Munde are my colleagues from this area. I will take them into confidence.”