Have never spoken anything against Ajit Pawar: NCP's Supriya Sule

File Photo/PTI

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) working president Supriya Sule on Saturday said that she has never spoken anything against her politically estranged cousin Ajit Pawar. Sule, who represents the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, was in Maharashtra's Pune to visit Ganesh idols on the occasion of the ongoing Ganeshotsav, PTI reported.

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) suffered a jolt in July after a group of party leaders led by Ajit Pawar broke away and joined the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra. Sule has remained with her father and party founder Sharad Pawar.

Talking to reporters after paying obeisance to the elephant-headed deity at the Kasba Ganpati pandal, she said, "I never ask anything to God, I only thank them. This year, the state has received less rain, so I prayed to God for Maharashtra to receive good showers."

Asked about her recent speech referring to "bhai (brother)" in Parliament, Sule said, "Ajit Dada is my elder brother and I have never spoken anything against him. Whatever I said in Parliament is not against any person but against the statements made by honourable PM Modiji and Amit Shah."

Speaking in Parliament on the women's reservation bill, Sule had said, "Har ghar mein aise bhai nahi hote hain jo behan ka kalyan dekhte hain (not every house has a brother that likes to see the well-being of the sister)."

Also read: NCP demands action against BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri over his remarks in Lok Sabha

She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised her party for the last 10 years but now he doesn't say that NCP is a "Naturally Corrupt Party".

"The BJP always conducted revenge politics. If allegations made against us are true, let there be an inquiry (against us). Also, if the allegations turn out to be false, BJP should apologise to us," she said.

To a question about Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Lok Sabha member Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory remarks in the Lower House against BSP Member of Parliament Danish Ali, Sule said it was very unfortunate. NCP and Trinamool Congress have already written to the Lok Sabha Speaker about the incident, she said.

On Friday, the Nationalist Congress Party demanded that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla take action against BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri for his remarks on the floor of the Lower House.

"What is very disgusting is BJP MPs Harsh Vardhan and Ravi Shankar Prasad were laughing instead of stopping or correcting Bidhuri from speaking in such a manner," Clyde Crasto, national spokesperson of NCP's Sharad Pawar-led group, told reporters.