Huge loss for all but Baramati suffered most: Maha Legislators pay tribute to Ajit Pawar

Mumbai, Feb 23 (IANS) Former Maharashtra minister Jayant Patil on Monday said that the united NCP’s moto is ‘Right decision at the right time,’ but late Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s only wrong decision was the timing of his departure.

In his speech during the condolence motion in the state Assembly, the NCP (SP) leader stated, “We never thought he would break his promise and leave so soon. It is a huge loss for all of us, but Baramati has suffered the most. Everyone is shocked, so the technical report on how this accident happened must be disclosed.”

“A leader like Ajit Dada has been snatched from us; I don’t know whose evil eye fell upon him. Maharashtra looks toward its leaders with great hope, and it makes one wonder if there is a pattern in them being snatched away — Vilasrao, Munde, R.R. Patil, and now Ajit Dada.

“When history is written, many names will appear in social work and politics, but history will be incomplete without mentioning Dada,” said Patil.

Veteran NCP minister Chhagan Bhujbal said, “Following Sharad Pawar Saheb’s method of connecting with people, Ajit Dada believed that the Opposition is not our enemy; we only have differences of opinion. He always functioned with the feeling that they are not enemies and helped everyone.

“We all dreamed that one day Dada would become the Chief Minister of the state. Our party workers felt the same, but suddenly, he left the game unfinished.”

He further stated that Ajit Pawar had a greatness of mind and would admit his mistakes. “Many people stand under the shade of a banyan tree, but we don’t realise how big it is until it is uprooted. That is how we feel about Dada,” he remarked.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Legislator Bhaskar Jadhav said that Ajit Pawar was like a jackfruit —thorny on the outside but extremely sweet and soft on the inside.

“Ajit Dada was the support system of Maharashtra. He never cared about party, caste, sect, religion, or even if someone criticized him. Today, this great banyan tree of Maharashtra has been uprooted. His ‘Brahma Kamal’ (lotus) had bloomed at its zenith. His voice was firm, harsh, yet reassuring, though lately, it had grown weary,” he noted.

Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said Ajit Pawar was a mass leader who understood the issues of the people. “In this power structure, Ajit Dada was a progressive leader; he never discriminated based on caste, religion, or sect. During the elections, when the slogan ‘Batenge toh Katenge’ was raised, Ajit Dada clearly said that such things might work in the North, but not in our Maharashtra. Even while being in the Mahayuti alliance he was known as a leader who stood firm on his principles,” he observed.

Shiv Sena (UBT) minister Gulabrao Patil said, “The ‘headmaster’ of this House is gone. Just as a headmaster keeps an eye on all students, Dada kept an eye on all of us. Such a ‘Dada’ (elder brother/leader) will not come again. Many are called ‘Dada’ in local alleys, but he had the power to control arrogant officials with his dominance. Today, that chair looks empty to us.”

Former Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse Patil and NCP minister Hasan Mushrif in their speeches recalled Ajit Pawar’s style of functioning and his command on administration.

A Shiv Sena (UBT) Legislator said, “The people of the state have doubts regarding the plane crash. There must be a thorough investigation.”

NCP (SP) Legislator and Ajit Pawar’s nephew Rohit Pawar said he was the one everyone looked up to for inspiration alongside Sharad Pawar.

“Ajit Pawar was our pride and self-respect. On January 28, we all experienced what the loss of such a pillar means. The grief the state is feeling is equal to the grief our family is feeling. He would check if MLAs like us were speaking properly and would find solutions to the issues we raised right then and there. If a speech was good, he would praise it; if we erred, he would pull our ears,” he added.

–IANS

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