On a silent protest, Ajit makes the right noises

His NCP distances itself from Mahayuti; the first to apologise, he will reach Rajkot before the CM or Dy CM

- Ravikiran Deshmukh

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP has been trying to cut a different figure of late, distinct from those of its allies in the Mahayuti government. The silent statewide protests organised on Thursday, over the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan, have made it amply clear that the party is distancing itself from the government.

Importantly, Pawar was the first to apologise to the people of Maharashtra for the collapse; and, on Friday, he will be visiting the Rajkot Fort, before Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the other deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis do so. NCP state unit chief Sunil Tatkare will also accompany him.

The agitation, touted as 'silent protests in self-condemnation', was organised by the party across the state. District party units were asked to submit a memorandum to their respective district collectors, saying it was unimaginable that a statue installed just eight months ago had collapsed and the matter was one of pain and anguish.