Land deal controversy: Sharad Pawar breaks silence, demands inquiry
What's the story
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has broken his silence on the land deal controversy involving his grandnephew. The allegations involve a Pune land scam where Amadea Enterprises LLP, co-owned by Parth Pawar, allegedly bought 43 acres of government land for ₹300 crore, much less than its market value of over ₹1,800 crore. The land was reportedly classified under the 'Watan' category, awarded to the Mahar community, and could not be sold without government permission.
Investigation call
Pawar demands full-fledged inquiry
Pawar has demanded a full-fledged inquiry into the matter. "The Chief Minister has publicly said that the matter is serious. So he must conduct an inquiry and place the facts before the people," he said. He also clarified that while his family holds different ideological positions, they remain united as a family.
Family defense
Ajit Pawar defends son
Meanwhile, Ajit Pawar has defended his son in the matter. He said Parth and his partner Digvijay Patil were unaware that the land was government property. "How the registration (of its sale) was done and who is responsible will come out in the probe," he said. The deputy chief minister also added that neither he nor his office had any role or knowledge about this transaction at any stage.
Criticism voiced
Opposition questions probe's findings
Despite two cases being filed in connection with the land deal, Parth's name is not mentioned, drawing criticism from the opposition. Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader Ambadas Danve and Congress leaders Vijay Wadettiwar and Harshwardan Sapkal have questioned this omission. Rahul Gandhi also weighed in on the issue, calling it "land theft" and linking it to "vote theft."
Silence observed
Rohit Pawar's silence draws attention
Rohit Pawar, another grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and a vocal critic of the government, has remained silent on this issue. His silence has not gone unnoticed by the ruling side, with minister Sanjay Shirsat asking on social media why the "dear parrot" had gone quiet. This controversy continues to unfold as investigations are underway and political discussions intensify.