NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule on Wednesday questioned the Maharashtra government’s decision to register a case against MNS leader Amit Thackeray over the removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph, while alleging that no FIR had been registered in connection with the death of then Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in an air crash.
Addressing a press conference, Sule said the government had acted swiftly against Thackeray for allegedly removing Modi’s photograph from a wall at a government polytechnic in Pune, but had not registered an FIR over the death of Ajit Pawar.
“You register an FIR against him just for taking down a photo from a wall, but such a major plane crash occurred where a sitting Deputy Chief Minister lost his life, and no FIR has been registered yet,” Sule said.
“Why no FIR has been registered regarding my brother’s (her cousin Ajit Pawar) death? We lost a prominent member of our family. The NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) is part of the current government….Have any of their 40 MLAs or eight-nine ministers ever uttered a single word demanding an FIR or a proper investigation into my brother’s death? Our brother is gone, and they are enjoying power,” she said.
Sule also opposed several proposed big-ticket projects in Thane, including a Ring Metro and an Amazon data centre, saying local residents had raised objections.
On the proposed Amazon data centre, Sule said some residents had approached her with their concerns, following which she contacted Thane MP Naresh Mhaske to convey their opposition.
She also criticised the proposed multi-crore Ring Metro project, arguing that the city needed better public bus services instead.
“Why spend Rs 1,000 to do something that can be achieved in Rs 500 using bus connectivity? This government loves projects only if they are expensive. They have no funds for the poor, deprived, or victimized, but thousands of crores for costly projects,” she said.
Sule also attacked the BJP-led government over the condition of roads in Maharashtra, saying the state’s infrastructure remained poor despite the focus on expensive projects.
“Travelling anywhere in Maharashtra means driving through potholes with roads in them,” she said.
The Baramati MP alleged that the government was prioritising costly projects while neglecting basic amenities and the needs of poorer and marginalised sections.
On the economy, Sule questioned the BJP’s celebration of the latest GDP growth figures, saying there were discrepancies between the views of economic experts on the state of the economy and the official data.
