Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has stirred controversy with veiled remarks alluding to the age of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar and hinting at the “sentimental appeal of a last election.”

In response, the Sharad Pawar faction has labelled the comments as “inhuman,” accusing the deputy CM of allegedly “praying for the death” of the party`s founder, newswire PTI reported.

Ajit Pawar split the NCP in July last year and joined the Eknath Shinde government along with eight MLAs. He has since then routinely justified his revolt by saying elders, a reference to octogenarian Sharad Pawar, should have given way to the next generation.

Attacking Sharad Pawar (83) without taking his name, the Deputy CM said, “I do not know when some people are going to stop. There might be a sentimental appeal that this would be the last election. Do not know which will be the last election.”

He was speaking at a gathering in Baramati in Pune district.

Hitting back, MLA Jitendra Awhad of the Sharad Pawar faction claimed the deputy CM had “crossed all limits of decency” with his remarks.

“Ajit Pawar must think about his inhuman comments in which he allegedly prayed for the death of Sharad Pawar. Maharashtra now knows what kind of a man Ajit Pawar is,” Awhad said. Sharad Pawar`s contribution to Maharashtra will stay on forever, Awhad said.

Sharad Pawar has remained undefeated in Assembly and Lok Sabha polls since the late 1960s and is currently a Rajya Sabha member.

The deputy CM also spoke about his faction`s Lok Sabha plans at the gathering.

“You listened to a senior for so many years. Now listen to me and vote for the Lok Sabha candidate I am going to field. I can then tell Prime Minister Narendra Modi that people have voted for my candidate. Do not forget who came to help when you were in trouble,” he said.

The Baramati MLA also told the gathering that “if you want to do good work, then you must be ready to accept some criticism for it”. (With inputs from newswire PTI)

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