Pune land deal scrapped, Parth didn't know it was govt property: Ajit Pawar

Getting into damage control mode, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said a land deal in Pune entered into by his son Parth Pawar and the latter's business partner has been cancelled. The action comes a day after details of the controversial deal became public. Pawar said his son and the business partner were not aware that the land their company purchased belonged to the government.

While Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed the transaction as "theft of land reserved for Dalits", social activist Anna Hazare also weighed in, saying if a minister's children are involved in wrongdoing, it is the minister who should be held responsible.

The controversy surrounding the Rs 300 crore land deal in Pune’s upscale Mundhwa area has once again brought political patronage and transparency concerns to the fore. Ajit Pawar insists the transaction was not completed, with no money exchanged. While his insistence on legality and transparency may offer some reassurance, it raises pressing questions about the due diligence exercised by politically connected entities engaging in high-value land deals.

Government-appointed committees and law enforcement agencies have initiated probes into the facilitation and registration of this sale. FIRs registered against Parth’s business partner, a sub-registrar, and a power-of-attorney holder point to possible systemic lapses or manipulation. Yet, the failure to include Parth’s name in the FIR is telling.

The FIR does not name Parth because these three persons had visited the registrar's office to sign the documents, Ajit Pawar said by way of clarification.

He said he had met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday evening and told him to take appropriate action. 

The timing of the revelations — amidst intense political contestations — cannot be ignored. The Rs 1,800 crore alleged market valuation of the land further magnifies the stakes. It also underscores how real estate remains a battleground for influence and wealth accumulation, especially when government land is involved.

Even assuming the Pawars acted in good faith, the episode illustrates a glaring gap in transparency, prudence, and ethical governance. It also raises questions about the proactive nature of the investigation in this particular questionable land deal, given that Maharashtra is no stranger to them.

So much so that even Anna Hazare has emerged from hibernation. In a sharp reaction, the erstwhile anti-corruption crusader said if children of ministers indulge in wrongdoing, it is the latter who should be blamed. The veteran social activist, who has led the (since sightly discredited) agitation which brought down the UPA II government, demanded strict action by the government if irregularities were detected in the Rs 300-crore deal.

Speaking to reporters in his native village Ralegan Siddhi in Ahilyanagar district, Hazare said, "The government should bring in policy decisions and take strong steps to curb such things. Strong action should be taken against such people (those found guilty of committing irregularities)."