Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 4 : All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) national spokesperson Waris Pathan criticised Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar, saying the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister has himself acknowledged allegations worth Rs 70,000 crore against him, yet he remains part of the government.
"Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar is himself saying that there are allegations worth Rs 70,000 crore against him, but today he is part of the government. PM Modi had himself said that Ajit Pawar was involved in corruption worth 70000 crore, and CM Devendra Fadnavis had said that if he came to power, Ajit Pawar would be in jail. But today they are enjoying public money," Pathan said while addressing a gathering in Govandi.
He also alleged that the Samajwadi Party (SP) in Mumbai had no will to develop Govandi.
"Polling will be held on January 15. AIMIM has fielded candidates who are educated and have a clean image. On the other hand, the other parties have fielded candidates who are dealing in drugs and other illegal trades. Last time during the MLA polls, if the AIMIM candidate had got a few more seats, then the SP candidate would have been defeated. This election has come after 7 years. This election is of wards for civic amenities. Those who have ruled BMC for 20 years have done nothing for Govandi," Pathan said.
He further said that everyone knows that Govandi in Mumbai is infamous for drug dealings.
"The drug dealers are connected to politicians who are candidates in the polls. Drugs not only affect one person, but (also) the entire family. In 1985, the NDPS Act was implemented, and an anti-drug campaign was run, but ultimately it thrived in Gowandi because those who were elected were not bothered. The way we have worked in Hyderabad for education, we want to work in the same way in Govandi. The Samajwadi Party has no will to develop this area. We have to bring progress in Govandi," he added.
Earlier, Ajit Pawar had responded to the BJP's criticism of the criminal backgrounds of Nationalist Congress Party candidates in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) polls, citing his own example and stressing that no one is guilty until proven in a court of law.
Without naming the BJP, Ajit Pawar said he is part of the government, which had once levelled allegations of an irrigation scam against him.
"I want to ask those who are questioning us, they should see who helped a person to abscond (a fugitive Criminal) and also take out the record of the last 15 years, how many candidates with Criminal backgrounds have been filled by whom?" he said.
"If a crime is registered against someone tomorrow, does that person become guilty even before the crime is proven. Even allegations worth Rs 70,000 crore were made against me. Are the people who made those allegations against me with me today, or not? Tell me," he added.
Pawar's remark came after MoS Murlidhar Mohol questioned why the NCP was fielding candidates with criminal backgrounds in Pune.
Mohol said, "Pune's Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar says that crime in this city should end and that koyta gangs should be eliminated. But on the other hand, if you look at the list of candidates given by his side from East Pune to South and from there to North Pune, it clearly shows what kind of elements they have accommodated. We do not know what criteria this fits into."