‘Ungrateful son who surrendered’: Congress hits back at Parth Pawar for ‘downfall’ jibe

The state Congress further slammed Parth, saying it was the Karnataka government, where the Congress is in power, that registered a First Information Report to seek justice for his father, Ajit Pawar, who died in a plane crash in Baramati in January.

“Even the official Congress candidate for the Baramati Assembly by-election is demanding that a criminal case regarding that suspicious accident be registered in Maharashtra, offering to withdraw from the election in exchange. Should this ungrateful son not speak up on this as well?” it said.

Congress leader Akash More filed his nomination for the April 23 bypoll in Baramati on Monday.

Parth had warned the Congress against fielding a candidate against his mother, Sunetra, in the Baramati Assembly bypoll. “I haven’t spoken to anyone. They (Congress) should understand what needs to be done. I don’t know about their national leadership; they are all prominent people, and everyone is aware of what is happening. If they have made a decision, let them proceed. However, they will eventually see the consequences of this in Maharashtra because people do not forget,” Parth had said on Monday. He further claimed that the act of fielding a candidate marked “the downfall of the Congress in Maharashtra”.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Nana Patole said, “Parth Pawar and his mother want the election to be unopposed. Sunetra Pawar had called up the MPCC [Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee] chief in this regard. This problem will not get resolved by using pressuring tactics. Parth is younger than us… I would not like to react to what he said.” On Parth predicting the Congress’s downfall, Patole said, “Time will tell whose downfall happens.”

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar had also ridiculed his grandnephew Parth for his attack on the Congress, questioning his political maturity. On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut supported his stance. “I agree with Sharad Pawar’s view that it was the Congress’s right to field a candidate in Baramati,” Raut said.

Along with Congress, Parth’s family members from Opposition NCP(SP) too chose to advise him to not target the Congress.

“Whether you are in power or in the Opposition, it is crucial to stay grounded. The statement Parth made yesterday was not appropriate; there was some element of haste involved. No political party simply ceases to exist; every party exerts its strength at its own level. Therefore, it was not right to claim that another party is finished while speaking about them,” said NCP-SP MLA and Parth’s cousin brother Rohit Pawar.

He added that if Parth were questioned about his statement now, he might say he spoke out of turn or that his words were misinterpreted. He also expressed hope that Sunetra Pawar, senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal or someone else would initiate talks with the Congress to find a way forward.

Parth’s aunt and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule also reprimanded Parth, stating that freedom is a gift from the Congress and its contributions have been immense. She noted that one cannot ignore the party’s role in everything from the positions of Prime Minister to sarpanch, as well as women’s reservations and the economic policies introduced by Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. She, however, added that everyone has the right to speak in a democracy, which is why Parth might be expressing such views.

(With inputs from Manoj More)