Special Correspondent
Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) National President Ajit Pawar has taken serious cognizance of the incident in which Suraj Chavan, state president of the NCP Youth Congress, allegedly assaulted members of the Chhava organization in Latur. Following widespread outrage, Ajit Pawar has directed Chavan to immediately resign from his post, stating that behavior contrary to the party’s values will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
The controversy erupted after a scuffle broke out during a press conference held by NCP state president Sunil Tatkare in Latur. Reports state that NCP workers attacked Chhava organization’s state president Vijaykumar Ghadge following a symbolic protest involving playing cards. The incident drew statewide condemnation.
In a post on social media platform X, Ajit Pawar said, “In light of the extremely serious and condemnable incident that took place in Latur, I have issued clear instructions to Suraj Chavan to tender his resignation from the post of state president of NCP Youth Congress. This strict decision has been taken to reaffirm that behavior going against the values of the party will not be accepted.”
Despite disciplinary action by the party, opposition leaders have demanded Chavan’s arrest. Rohini Khadse of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) welcomed the resignation but criticized Pawar for selective action. “Taking Suraj Chavan’s resignation is welcome, but this cannot be a case of sacrificing a small fish to save a big one. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar must also seek the resignation of Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, as this entire episode started with him,” she said.
Social activist Anjali Damania also took a dig at the delayed response, stating, “It took 15 hours for Ajit Pawar to have a moment of realization and order the resignation. The public is thankful, but when will he order Chavan’s arrest? That is something only a Deputy Chief Minister can ensure.”
Meanwhile, Suraj Chavan has issued a public apology on social media. In his post, he said, “Maharashtra has a rich political heritage shaped by visionary leaders like Yashwantrao Chavan. Our leader Ajit Dada Pawar follows in his footsteps. We have always strived not to harm that legacy. However, in recent times, certain groups have been making disgraceful remarks about our leadership, which led to anger among our workers. Though Chhava is a like-minded organization that often protests innovatively, the verbal abuse directed at our leaders while leaving the event triggered a spontaneous reaction from our workers. Though the assault should not have happened, it did — and I sincerely apologize for it.”
The incident continues to stir political debate across the state, with demands for further accountability and legal action.
