PUNE, 8 NOV. Ashish Shelar, the State Minister for Cultural Affairs, has questioned the absence of the Congress, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) from the ongoing celebrations marking 150 years of the national song, 'Vande Mataram.' Speaking to journalists in Pune at an event, Shelar asked why these parties—who allegedly spread misconceptions about the Constitution to gain votes—are neither participating in nor organizing events for the national song, which has constitutional recognition as a national song. "Why this double-standard role by Congress and the Sharad Pawar group? They want to gain political advantage by spreading misunderstandings on constitutional issues, but they neither participate nor organize programs for the national song," he stated. When questioned by the media about the land scam involving Parth Pawar and the subsequent demand for Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s resignation, Shelar said that CM Devendra Fadnavis has already declared that no irregularity will be tolerated in the state and appropriate action will be taken. He pointed out that an inquiry committee has been appointed and the truth will come out from the investigation. He dismissed the idea that Ajit Pawar was being specifically targeted. Regarding the criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT faction) leader Uddhav Thackeray during his Marathwada tour—where Thackeray alleged the current government is one of contractors, changing rules for Ajit Pawar's son but having no money for farmers—Shelar called the criticism baseless. He suggested the criticism was politically motivated and intended for political gain from the tour. He also highlighted that money is being deposited directly into farmers' accounts.

000