Nagpur, Dec 19 NCP chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, and most of the party legislators except for the legislator from Gondiya district Raju Karemore from the state Assembly and Council on Thursday skipped visiting the Hedgewar Smriti Mandir (HSM).
The HSM which is a memorial of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) founder KB Hedgewar in Reshimbaug is situated here in the orange city.
However, most of the MahaYuti legislators belonging to the BJP and Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader Eknath Shinde, were present and attended the ‘Baudhik’.
This was a part of a customary annual ritual to visit the HSM since the BJP-led government came to power in 2014.
This visit coincided with the ongoing Winter Session of the state legislature.
The MahaYuti legislators paid homage to the RSS founder and also to former RSS chief MS Golwalkar who was Hedgewar's immediate successor.
Ajit Pawar had also skipped visiting HSM last year. He has been consistent that although the NCP has joined the BJP-led MahaYuti it is not in line with its Hindutva agenda.
However, he has reiterated that the NCP follows and implements the ideology of Chhatrapati Shivaji, Mahatma Phule, Chhatrapati Shahu and BR Ambedkar.
Ajit Pawar during the recently held state Assembly elections had objected to the BJP’s ‘Batenge toh Katenge’ call.
Interestingly, NCP legislator Karemore was the lone NCP legislator who reached HSM.
“I have not been told by the party that no one should go to the Smriti Mandir. I have come to pay homage. I will discuss this with Ajit Pawar and he will also come here. Visiting this place gives energy,” he said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, ministers Chandrakant Patil, Dada Bhuse, Sanjay Rathod, Nitesh Rane, Jayakumar Rawal, Shambhuraj Desai, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Uday Samant and BJP legislators Praveen Darekar, Ram Shinde, Chitra Wagh among others were present.
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