Sharad Pawar calls CM over BJP MLA's remark

Maharashtra politics touched a new nadir with a BJP MLA, Gopichand Padalkar, questioning the parentage of senior Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Jayant Patil at a public meeting.

In a state which is used to political leaders hurling abuses in public, this remark led to anger within the NCP(SP) prompting Sharad Pawar to telephone chief minister Devendra Fadnavis after a defiant Padalkar refused to apologise for his remarks.

Fadnavis, who called Gopichand Padalkar, said: "What Gopichand Padalkar said is not appropriate. One should not drag anyone's father or their families' names into public debates. I have spoken to Padalkar and told him that he should not repeat this." "I got a phone call from Sharad Pawar. I told him that the remark was not appropriate and we would never support such remarks. Gopichand is a young leader. He is a very aggressive leader. While showing aggression, he needs to be careful of the meaning of what he speaks," Fadnavis said.


Padalkar has been a stringent critic of the Sharad Pawar family and the Nationalist Congress Party. In fact, even while he is in the government, he has attacked Ajit Pawar following which Fadnavis had to intervene. After the chief minister called Padalkar, he toned down his remark but refused to apologise. "CM Devendra Fadnavis called me. He told me that henceforth I should not make such remarks. I will be following his instructions".

The BJP MLA claimed that the Opposition maintained double standards. "When Devendra Fadnavis' mother was abused by Manoj Jarange Patil, did Sharad Pawar call the chief minister? The Congress has brought out a video on the Prime Minister's mother. Did Pawar then condemn the video?" Padalkar said.