Mumbai: The two sparring leaders of the NCP, member of Parliament Udayanraje Bhosale and Ramraje Nimbalkar have been worrying party chief Sharad Pawar so much so that he had to call a closed-door meeting for peace. However, a rather upset Udayanraje stormed out of the meeting and told the media, “Had Ramraje been my age, I would’ve cut his tongue.” “Ramraje is senior in years, that is the only reason I have maintained a respectable distance. I am not the sort who will listen to anyone. Had he been my age, I would not have spared him and pulled out his tongue,” Udayanraje lashed out.
Going on to speak of his lineage, he said, “I am Udayanraje. One should be lucky to have been born into Chhatrapati Maharaj’s family.” The cause of this outburst was Ramraje’s reference to him as chakram (mad). “Yes, I am chakram, when there is injustice done to people, I become mad,” said Udayanraje. He defended his storming out of the meet, calling Ramraje rabid. “If I hang out with rabid dogs I will get rabies. Whatever decision Pawar wants to take, he is welcome, but I can’t tolerate him (Ramraje),” said Udayanraje.
After the meeting concluded, Ramraje refused to talk with the media saying, “No comments.” The cause of the conflict is Ramraje’s diversion of the water from the Neera Devghar dam to Baramati, the constituency of Sharad Pawar, for 14 years. Udyanraje criticised this move without naming him. “To acquire land slyly, some prevented others from drawing water,” he charged. Ramraje had retaliated by saying, there were charges of murder against him (Udayanraje) and he should conduct himself as befits a Chhatrapati. “Nowadays, who calls themselves Chhatrapati? These are self-proclaimed Chhatrapatis,” said Ramraje.
