Pune: Hitting back at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for his criticism of the BJP, party leader and state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday said he should refrain from criticising the saffron outfit and not force it to open “pages from the past”.

Addressing a press conference in Pune, BJP leader Bawankule reminded Pawar the mutual decision taken in the coordination committee of Mahayuti before the civic polls that even if alliance partners contest the polls separately, they will not criticise each other during campaigning.

“I expected that Pawar would abide by that mutual understanding. On the other hand, if you see, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis (of BJP) is following that rule as he is not criticising Pawar’s party (NCP) or Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena,” he said.

“I just want to say that there are pages from the past and no one wants to go back (to them). Ajit dada is one of the three key leaders in Mahayuti and I hope he will not criticise the BJP or other alliance partners,” Bawankule stated.

Asked about Pawar targeting the BJP’s leadership in Pune over development issues, the minister maintained the NCP president is a politician of high stature and he should not stoop low to criticise lower leadership of a party.

On Pawar’s remarks that he is sitting in the Mahayuti with those who once levelled allegations against him in the Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam and on whether there were indeed irregularities, Bawankule noted the case pertaining to the alleged scam was still pending in court.

“Once the verdict comes, the truth will come out,” he insisted.

The minister said as an Opposition party then, the BJP had levelled allegations based on available evidence at the time.

Asked whether the BJP will make the Mundhwa land deal of Pune an election issue, he said the government-appointed inquiry committee is in final stages of preparing its report and it would not be appropriate to treat it as a poll matter.

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