Ajit, Sharad Pawar meeting: Deputy CM berates media for 'raking up old issues'

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday lashed out at reporters for ldquoraking up old issuesrdquo after they questioned him about his presence at a meeting with his estranged uncle Sharad Pawar news agency PTI reportedThe two leaders attended the managing council meeting of Rayat Shikshan Sanstha on Saturday at Chhatrapati Shivaji College in Satara They were seated next to each other during the event which was attended by Nationalist Congress Party NCP leader Dilip Walse Patil and Congress leader Vishwajit KadamThe NCP split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar joined the Eknath Shinde government Pawar senior now heads NCP Sharadchandra Pawar faction while NCP is led by the Maharashtra Deputy CM The ensuing family feud has made any meeting between the two Pawars a subject of political speculationldquoI donrsquot know why you rake up old issues again The institution Rayat Shikshan Sanstha belongs to all Saheb Sharad Pawar heads it I was called for the meeting and hence it is my duty to attendrdquo Ajit Pawar told reporters according to PTISharad Pawar is the president of Rayat Shikshan Sanstha which was founded in 1919 by Karmaveer Bhaurao PatilThis was the second time in a week that the two leaders were seen together Sharad Pawar had also attended the engagement ceremony of Jay Pawar the Deputy CMrsquos younger son near Pune on ThursdaySpeaking about the meeting Sharad Pawar announced the decision to launch a monthly magazine titled Rayat which will cover a wide range of topics including education science technology health literature sports social issues art culture and global affairs Additionally the council decided to offer courses in Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Internet of Things IoT Robotics and 3D Printing A Centre of Excellence will also be established in Satara Sharad Pawar addedIn the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections Ajit Pawarrsquos NCP won 41 seats while the NCP SP led by Sharad Pawar secured just 10 seatsEknath Shinde dismisses speculation of rift with CM Ajit PawarMaharashtra Deputy Chief Minister CM Eknath Shinde on Sunday rubbished speculation of discord within the Mahayuti alliance asserting that all is well among the ruling partners news agency PTI reportedldquoThere is no bickering within the Mahayuti Everything is hunkydory We work and dont complain We are the ones who fightrdquo Shinde told reporters downplaying reports suggesting internal tensions He added that any issues if they arise would be resolved through discussionsShinde was responding to claims that he had raised concerns with Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Ajit Pawar who is also the Deputy CM of the state and holds the finance portfolio news agency PTI reportedReacting to the reports Pawar said ldquoIf Eknath Shinde has to say something he will directly talk to me or the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis We share good relationsrdquoEarlier in the day senior Bharatiya Janata Party BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar also sought to quell the speculation saying Shinde ndash who also heads the Shiv Sena ndash would never resort to indirect channels to voice his concernsldquoEknath Shinde is a good leader He would not use such ways to raise complaints before Shah Shinde is such a leader who will not wait and raise it with Amit Shah He would directly speak with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawarrdquo Mungantiwar told reportersWith PTI inputsatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params