Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party demanded Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis whether he approved of BJP workers waving black flags at Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s convoy as his Jan Sanman Yatra arrived at Junnar on Sunday, The Indian Express reported.
It is reported that the saffron party’s Junnar chief Asha Buchake led the protest, bringing to fore internal fissures in the alliance.
Asha Buchake asserted that the NCP was trying to promote its candidate in the Junnar seat in the upcoming Assembly polls.
“They are trying to strangle us… Therefore we have adopted an aggressive stand,” she was quoted as saying while the BJP protesters raised slogans against Ajit Pawar.
She also pointed out that BJP was not invited at the government meeting organised on tourism development in Junnar on Sunday, adding ‘If we are part of Mahayuti, then why are pictures of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis not put up in the meeting hall?’
The BJP alleges that Pawar is promoting Atul Benke for the Junnar Assembly constituency, which he is representing, with Asha Buchake saying that “The NCP is trying to promote another ‘Pappu’ in the form of Atul Benke in Junnar.”
Buchake took on Pawar saying ‘He is behaving like a rival party leader, ignoring the NCP’s alliance partner.’
She was later admitted to a local hospital due to high blood pressure.
Buchake, who unsuccessfully contested Assembly elections twice, was earlier with the Shiv Sena and now looks forward to try her luck in Junnar in the Assembly polls.
Reacting to the incident, NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari termed Jan Sanman Yatra an ‘independent event’ of his party, adding that ‘Those who are showing black flags should hold a separate event… We are seeking clarification from Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about this behaviour of his party workers’.
NCP state women’s chief Rupali Chakankar said Ajit Pawar would have heard Asha Buchake out if she had met him, rather than showing black flags and trying to indulge in political stunt.