The war of words between BJP state unit chief Chandrakant Patil and NCP’s deputy CM Ajit Pawar is getting louder these days. Peeved over Pawar’s criticism, Patil said, “We are brash, behave yourself”.
It all began when the state BJP chief said recently that the leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would not know when the government fell. It may, even if they are asleep. This probably angered the deputy CM and he reacted, “When did Patil speak this, while he was awake or snoozing? He is unable to digest the fact that BJP is not in power despite winning maximum seats. He speaks just to please his party workers so that they do not switch sides."
Pawar also said the MVA government was in a strong position until Uddhav Thackeray, Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar were together.
Now it was the turn of Patil to react and he chose to react in a sharp way. “Pawar should keep in mind about whom he was speaking when he aligned with us to form the government, although for three days. We are loud-mouthed and if we start speaking things may turn worst," he said.
Patil further said, no one had forced Pawar to come with us to form the government, not even at the tip of the sword. You (Pawar) helped the formation of the government in the wee hours when Sharad Pawar was still to wake up. But you could not keep your 28 MLAs firmly with you and they returned back to Sharad Pawar. You were deputy CM with Fadnavis and later with the MVA government. Even if this government is replaced with another you might well be there with the same position, retorted the BJP state chief.
According to political sources what led Patil to lose his cool was when Pawar reacted over his announcement to participate in the agitation for the reservation to Maratha community. Pawar had also said that he along with other leaders of MVA would also storm to the streets supporting the agitation.
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