Maharashtra: Why is Parth (Pawar) opposing party line?

The politics in Maharashtra has nowadays reached an interesting stage. The state is already facing coronavirus challenge since March this year with highest caseload and casualties. But the state politics heated up after the death of filmstar Sushant Singh Rajput in Mumbai in June. The issue has led to the political pole vault between Maharashtra and Bihar. Rajput's father asked for a CBI probe, whereas Maharashtra CM was not in its favour. Now recent statements of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Parth Pawar, grandnephew of party chief Sharad Pawar, has again raised the political temperature in the state.

What Parth said

Parth Pawar has been in news ever since he welcomed the commencement of the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, a stand contrary to the NCP chief's own. "The construction is the reinstallation of the Hindu faith and the end of a long bitter battle," Parth said. The NCP chief had earlier categorically opposed it by saying "eradication of Corona is most important than the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya". In his second tweet, Parth demanded a CBI inquiry over actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death. He even met the Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to greenlight a CBI probe in the case.

With the whole country, especially youth, seeking a proper investigation into the death of Late Sushant Singh Rajput, I urged Hon. @AnilDeshmukhNCP ji to take national emotions into consideration & initiate a CBI investigation.@HMOIndia @AmitShah @PMOIndia @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/NvHk4wH8nV

— Parth Pawar (@parthajitpawar) July 27, 2020

However, Pawar senior publicly rebuked his family members and said that Parth's statement is totally immature. Following the criticism by Sharad Pawar, Parth's supporters posted a video on his Instagram fan club account encouraging him to take up a fight with the NCP chief with a popular Marathi song playing in the background which roughly translates to "go ahead, you need not get scared of anyone".

Opposition got an issue

The Pawar family drama has given a ammo to the Opposition. Union Minister of State (MoS) for Social Justice Ramdas Athawale claimed that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra will fall after a split within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The Maha Vikas Aghadi is in power in the state with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray as Chief Minister. Athawale predicted that NCP chief Sharad Pawar's public rebuke of his grandnephew Parth could turn into a family feud. BJP leaders Devendra Fadnavis, Narain Rane and Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam have also spoken in favour of CBI investigation.

On the other hand, ruling Shiv Sena and CM Thackeray are vehemently opposing CBI investigation in the Sushant Singh Rajput case and batting for continued investigation by the Mumbai Police. Sena's mouthpiece 'Saamana' openly supported the state government and criticised the Opposition.

Political observers opined that the reported family feaud is bound to damage the Maharashtra politics more. They also said that the young generation of NCP wants to come out from the clutches of old style of politics. Parth's statements are indication to that. Now one has to see if Sharad Pawar takes 'sanyas' from active politics and hand over reins to young leaders or waits for a split.