Pune: Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader Supriya Sule on Thursday criticised the Maharashtra government over the handling of the alleged plane crash death of Ajit Pawar, saying an FIR should have been registered even if it was delayed.
Speaking after casting her vote in the Baramati by-election, Sule said it was “unfortunate” that no FIR was filed in a case involving the death of a deputy chief minister.
She claimed that in another state, a Congress government ensured that an FIR was registered due to the efforts of Rohit Pawar and added that such action should have been taken earlier in Maharashtra as well.
She also expressed emotional concern over the timing of the bypoll, stating that it had not even been three months since Ajit Pawar’s death. Despite this, she urged citizens to vote in large numbers, calling it a constitutional duty and a tribute to the late leader.
On Sharad Pawar’s absence from voting, Sule said he had wished to participate but could not due to health reasons. Doctors had advised him to avoid travel because of the intense summer heat, she said, adding that he may be discharged from the hospital soon.
‘Causing Inconvenience To Citizens Not Appropriate’
Commenting on a recent protest by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai, Sule said while protests are a democratic right, causing inconvenience to citizens by blocking roads was not appropriate. She questioned why different standards appeared to apply to ruling and opposition parties when it comes to protests.
Sule also spoke about opposition unity across the country, citing leaders like Mamata Banerjee and M. K. Stalin as fighting against what she described as pressure from the Centre. She expressed confidence that opposition parties, including Congress, would perform strongly in states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Assam.
