Ajit Pawar, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra, expressed his displeasure with his MLA nephew Rohit Pawar's sit-in protest on the grounds of Vidhan Bhavan on Monday. Rohit Pawar sat on a protest demanding industrial development corporation in his Karjat-Jamkhed constituency situated in Ahmednagar district.
Speaking in the assembly, NCP MLA and Sharad Pawar loyalist Anil Deshmukh raised the issue of the protest by Rohit Pawar. The Pawar junior is demanding to identify a region in his constituency for industrial development.
Responding to Deshmukh, Ajit Pawar said Rohit Pawar's letter raising this particular demand is with the state government. The government responded to the letter on July 1 stating that a meeting of all stakeholders will be organised and the appropriate decision will be taken. Rohit Pawar should withdraw the protest, Ajit Pawar said.
He said it was inappropriate for a public representative to resort to protest when the minister concerned has given a proper response to the letter by Rohit Pawar. The second week of the Monsoon session of the state legislature starts today. There is still ample time where a meeting can be held here in Vidhan Bhavan, Ajit Pawar said.
Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar also expressed similar views. It has been unanimously decided that people's representatives will not hold sit-in protests near the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (in Vidhan Bhavan premises). However, Rohit Pawar sat there. I will appeal to him to withdraw the protest, he said.