The law-and-order situation in Pune has come under scrutiny following the Porsche car accident case. Concerns have also been raised over gang-related criminal activities in the city. Adding to the issues, a video of some underage individuals consuming drugs at a well-known hotel in the FC Road area went viral on social media. These incidents have led to criticism of Pune's Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar and the State Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
After the viral video, allies BJP and NCP led by Ajit Pawar have locked horns and are seen indulging in a blame game. Senior BJP leader Chandrakant Patil, reacting to the youths' video consuming drugs, took an apparent jibe at the Guardian Minister.
"While I was the Guardian Minister, there were no incidents that would cause everyone to worry," Chandrakant Patil said while speaking to the media. However, he later tried to clarify his statement. He added, "I don't recall if such incidents occurred or not. You might not remember either. But can we claim that none happened? Pune's population was 1.4 million earlier; now it is 7 million. Due to the significant growth in industry, business, education, and healthcare, the city has become more crowded. Therefore, the police administration should be vigilant and establish authority to prevent such incidents," said Chandrakant Patil.
Following Patil's statement, NCP's MLC and spokesperson Amol Mitkari hit out at the BJP leader. Mitkari taunted Patil, suggesting that such incidents did not come to light during his tenure as Guardian Minister because they were being conducted with his blessings.
"During Chandrakant Dada's tenure as Pune's Guardian Minister, there were no alarming incidents like those involving drugs, because everything criminal was running smoothly in Pune under his guidance. Now that Ajit Dada has become the Guardian Minister, these concerning incidents have come to light, which is why Chandrakant Dada is upset," Amol Mitkari posted on X.
Although Ajit Pawar's faction and BJP are members of the Mahayuti alliance, a cold war has begun between the leaders of both parties. This has led to speculation about discord within the alliance.
Friction between the two allies began soon after the Lok Sabha election, in which the Mahayuti failed to make a significant impact in the state. Though the BJP managed to win nine seats, the maximum among allies, Ajit Pawar's NCP could secure only one seat out of four. Consequently, a piece criticising BJP's alliance with Ajit Pawar featured in the RSS mouthpiece Organiser, blaming the Deputy CM's splinter faction for the NDA's poor show in Maharashtra.