Perhaps Ajit Pawar did not anticipate his words will haunt him back barely few hours later. The occasion was Saturday’s weekly review meeting on Covid when Pawar, as deputy chief minister and Pune guardian minister, cautioned residents against lowering their guard against the virus in the wake of a possible third wave predicted by many medical experts.
By evening, on Saturday, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was embarrassed by his party members when they crowded at the new party office in the city. The senior party leader had to express regret over his party men violating the government order, which resulted into police action on Sunday when an FIR was registered against the NCP city unit chief and 150 others following criticism from all quarters.
If Pawar is number two in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the NCP is a key partner as it holds key portfolios, including the most crucial home department which is responsible for law and order. Even as the Pune police have filed a case, local officers have a lot to answer in this case as they allowed the NCP to hold a political gathering of up to 150 attendees when the PMC order clearly states only social and religious gatherings with maximum 50 attendees are allowed till 4pm between Monday and Friday.
Giving permission on a weekend by allowing 150 persons and that too for a political event is violation at many levels. Yet, who will police the police when the focus is on pandemic.
{{/usCountry}}Giving permission on a weekend by allowing 150 persons and that too for a political event is violation at many levels. Yet, who will police the police when the focus is on pandemic.
{{/usCountry}}Many parts of Maharashtra, including Pune, have seen quick reopening after the state government introduced a new method of categorising each district between Level 1 to Level 5 based on local positivity rate and occupancy of oxygen beds. Heath experts, including epidemiologists, however, have warned the government of eagerly following the new method that prescribes weekly review of local conditions.
In Pune, barely within two weeks since the beginning of this month, most activities have been allowed to resume. Residents have been seen overcrowding local markets and tourist spots. Crowd policing at suburbs is seen only on paper. Buses and other public transport such as autorickshaws are seen running full capacity.
These events of flouting Covid norms led Pawar to warn of bringing back some curbs if residents do not mend ways. “I don’t understand why people are doing this. Tourist places are overcrowded. However, if this continues then we would have to issue an order making it compulsory for those travelling out of the district to quarantine themselves for 15 days upon return,” said Pawar on Saturday afternoon during a Covid review meet.
And hours later, over 500 party men are seen at the inauguration of the new NCP office near Dengle bridge. Pune as revenue headquarters for western Maharashtra has been a key centre for NCP as it enjoys considerable support in this region. It was a power centre in state politics till 2014 when NCP-Congress ruled Maharashtra. Later, for five years when Devendra Fadnavis was chief minister, Maharashtra’s power centre shifted to Vidarbha though by 2019 things changed and NCP-Congress joined hands with Shiv Sena to return to power, resulting in emergence of western Maharashtra in state politics. The party has ruled the Pune Municipal Corporation for a decade while Ajit Pawar controlled his politics from here.
Despite clouts in Pune, NCP had till recently only a small office at a rented place on Tilak road. So, when the party decided to move to its own new office, the enthusiasm among workers was understandable. Yet, it was the job of those at the helm, including Pawar and NCP Pune president Prashant Jagtap, to advice workers from overcrowding at the inauguration. Pawar, embarrassment by the fiasco, passed on the bucks to Jagtap, and apologised. Jagtap claimed the original plan was to hold the event in a simple manner while police officials said they had given the permission.
This is not the first instance when leaders of NCP, Congress and Sena have been found violating Covid norms, be it during protests or party meetings of show of strength. The police have filed cases in some instances. However, the cases filed under relevant sections of Indian Penal Code clubbed with Disaster Management Act do not prescribe any severe punishment. So, it is most likely that the political leaders will be let off by mere court proceedings even if the state government decides to proceed with the cases, which again is unlikely as seen from previous instances.
Yogesh Joshi can be contacted at yogesh.joshi@htlive.com