Ajit Pawar posts emotional video message praising his budget

Bombay: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday released a video message to people who say the opposition is unfairly criticising him. Hailing the budget he presented last week as “historic”, Pawar said his only crime was to always think of the poor and farmers, trying to ease their burden and improve their condition. “I have been falsely accused of corruption, but no case has been proven against me, and it will not be like this in future,” he said.

The Sharad Pawar faction alleged that Ajit Pawar’s video was part of a race between the ruling parties to take credit for the populist schemes announced in the budget.

In a video message, Ajit Pawar said that people with a negative mindset were criticising the budget. “A few days ago, I presented the state budget. I got the opportunity to present this historic budget and I consider it my fortune.”

Pawar presented the state budget on June 29, announcing monthly cash grants for women, three free gas cylinders for a family, a monthly allowance of Rs 10,000 for youth and free electricity for farmers. However, the opposition criticised the announcement as a gimmick ahead of the state elections and alleged that the state did not have the funds to finance these schemes.

Speaking about the ‘Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana’ scheme that provides a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women, Pawar said the scheme aims to make women more independent and prevent them from feeling compelled to ask men for money for petty things. “People who are only interested in politics criticise it. That is the difference between them and me. I continue to do my job,” he said.

The Maharashtra DCM claimed to have launched several schemes and initiatives for the welfare of common citizens. “Look at how many schemes or initiatives I have launched, the list is long. Yet, the opposition is shouting that we have not given anything. In fact, they have nothing to do with the development of the state and are only playing politics,” he added.

Ajit Pawar pointed out that the government would provide 52.4 million households with three free gas cylinders every year and his opponents were cursing him for this. He also pointed out that the government had decided to bear the electricity bills of farmers, which will benefit 44 million farmers.

“My only fault is that I do not understand the suffering of farmers. Through government schemes, I tried to alleviate their suffering. The opponents could not tolerate this and hence curse me. We gave a subsidy of Rs 350 per quintal to onion growers. Yet, why are they opposing it? This only shows who is against the farmers,” he said.

Referring to the corruption charges against him, the DCM said: “I was falsely accused of corruption, but no charges have been brought against me and it will not be like this in the future. Those who work more are more censored.”

However, NCP (SP) chief Supriya Sule said the opposition parties had not levelled corruption charges against her cousin. It was the BJP, with which Ajit Pawar now has an alliance, that levelled the charges against him, Sule said.

“He has been accused of corruption by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders, no one else. So he should question them,” Sule said.

Another NCP leader Jayant Patil said there is a competition among Mahayuti voters to take credit for the projects announced in the hope that the situation will turn favourable to the ruling parties in the Assembly elections.