BJP MLA Padalkar Questions NCP(SP) Leader Jayant Patil’s Parentage, Triggers Backlash

BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar’s shocking statement expressing doubts about the parentage of senior NCP(SP) leader Jayant Patil has been roundly condemned and is causing grave concern the depth to which political culture is sinking in the state. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has admonished Padalkar, who has declared that he will abide by the CM’s order and refrain from making such a statement again. Padalkar, a former aide of Republican leader Prakash Ambedkar, is known for his audacious utterances. But the barb at Jayant Patil has crossed all limits, Sharad Pawar told Fadnavis in a phone call.  Initially, Padalkar had refused to apologise by arguing that Pawar was silent when some INDIA Bloc bigwigs had made objectionable statements about Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his mother. However, as the intensity of the criticism went on mounting, Padalkar relented. Jayant Patil is the son of the late Rajarambapu Patil, who was a heavyweight leader in the 1970’s and 80’s. He was tipped to become the chief minister of Maharashtra. His son Jayant is an astute politician and has handled the finance portfolio of the state for a long time, creating a record of presenting the maximum number of budgets. Jayant is among the closest colleagues to Pawar. The other angle to the acrimony between Padalkar and Jayant is that while the former belongs to the OBCs, Patil is a Maratha. At present, the two communities are at loggerheads on the issue of Marathas demanding reservations from the OBC quota. Tempers have been running high between the two sides. Padalkar has only added fuel to the fire by his reckless remark.