Clash over minister's mobile 'game' video: Ajit Pawar asks NCP youth wing chief to step down

Mumbai: Taking serious note of the beating up of Chhava Sanghatna activists by NCP workers, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Monday asked his party's youth wing chief Suraj Chavan to resign from his post.

The strict decision has been taken as his behaviour goes against the party's values and will not be tolerated, Pawar, who had summoned Chavan to meet him, said in a statement while terming the incident, which occurred on Sunday, as condemnable.

Workers of the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) beat up activists of Chhava Sanghatna on Sunday after they confronted Maharashtra unit president Sunil Tatkare and threw playing cards in front of him during his press conference in Latur.

Activists of Chhava Sanghatna were protesting against state Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate after a video showing him purportedly playing a game of rummy on his mobile phone during the recently concluded monsoon session of the state legislature went viral.

After NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar shared Kokate's video clip, the latter clarified he was merely skipping a downloaded game that flashed on the screen of his mobile phone in the legislative council.

Television channels showed Chhava Sanghatna leader Vijay Ghatge confronting Tatkare and hurling a deck of playing cards on his table while demanding Kokate's resignation. After a while, NCP activists rained blows and kicks on Ghatge and others before the police intervened and separated them.

NCP Youth wing president Suraj Chavan, who was involved in the attack, alleged that the incident was triggered by Ghatge and other office-bearers using abusive language against NCP leaders.

"We lost our cool and took the extreme step. Just because we are in power doesn't mean we are doing anything wrong," he told reporters on Sunday.

Reacting to the matter, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar said he has asked Chavan to immediately resign from his post.

The incident in Latur between office-bearers of the NCP and the Chhava organisation is extremely serious, unfortunate and condemnable, Pawar said in the statement.

The NCP head asserted he is against any form of violence, indecent behaviour or use of unparliamentary language.

"We sincerely respect the rightful demands and sentiments of every section of society. The identity of the Nationalist Congress Party is based on the democratic, egalitarian and fraternal ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar," he said.

Pawar said he has asked his party workers to always uphold the values of democracy, peace and non-violence in public life.

Speaking about Sunday's clash, Maharashtra Revenue Minister and senior BJP leader Chandrashekhar Bawankule said people working in politics should not take the law into their own hands.

"I feel there should be ideological differences, but the situation should not reach the extent of clashes. People working in politics and government be it MP, MLA or minister, we should all work responsibly and not take the law into our own hands but fight ideologically," he said.