Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar, dismissed Rane's claim, saying one should not speak when "he himself is stuck in the mud"
Nitesh Rane. Pic/X
Maharashtra BJP minister Nitesh Rane has claimed NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar had been in touch with the saffron party leaders, an assertion dismissed by the opposition legislator, reported news agency PTI.
Rane also claimed that though Rohit Pawar is part of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP), "his heart lies with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)".
Rohit Pawar, the grandnephew of Sharad Pawar and MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahilyanagar, dismissed Rane's claim, saying one should not speak when "he himself is stuck in the mud", reported PTI.
Speaking to reporters, Rane claimed, "...(Pawar) was supposed to join the BJP in 2019. If we start revealing which BJP leaders he was in touch with, he won't have a place to hide his face. Although he is physically with NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, his heart lies with the BJP," reported PTI.
In response, Rohit Pawar said he wanted to remind the media how Rane, who was earlier with the Congress, had reacted when the latter was asked about switching parties.
"The way he changes clothes, he changes parties. When that question was posed to him, everyone saw how furious he got. He himself has been stuck in the mud and should refrain from speaking about others," the NCP (SP) leader charged, reported PTI.
Rohit Pawar also said he has been with the same party since the beginning of his political career, and advised Rane to "look in the mirror."
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founded by Sharad Pawar split in 2023 after Ajit Pawar and several other MLAs walked away and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government.
The faction led by Ajit Pawar was later given the NCP name and the party symbol, while Sharad Pawar's outfit got the new name - NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar).
Earlier, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar has claimed that some ministers in the Maharashtra government have switched off their phones out of fear that they are being tapped.
Hitting back, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar demanded proof of the allegations.
"Phone numbers of some ministers are not reachable. The whispers are that they have switched off their phones out of fear of being tapped. The coming days will tell whether this is a fact or mere whispers," Pawar stated on X.
Rohit Pawar, a second-time MLA from Karjat Jamkhed, is the general secretary of the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP).
"Everyone has the right to make allegations, but while doing so, they should give proof to substantiate the allegations," Ajit Pawar told reporters.
The phone tapping allegations surfaced amid claims by Shiv Sena (UBT) that a Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards and at least five to six ministers, most of them from Shiv Sena, headed by Eknath Shinde, may be sacked.
(With inputs from PTI)
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