NCP to issue show-cause notice to MLA Jagtap over 'don't buy from Muslims' remark

The NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) is set to issue a show-cause notice to its MLA, Sangram Jagtap, over his controversial remarks urging people to support only Hindu shopkeepers during the Diwali festival.

The announcement was made by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar on Saturday, amid mounting criticism and media coverage of Jagtap's comments.

Jagtap, who represents the Ahmednagar assembly constituency, drew sharp reactions after a video surfaced in which he was seen making an appeal along communal lines.

In the video, Jagtap is heard saying, “I will request everyone that, on the occasion of Diwali, while purchasing, your money, your purchases and the profit you get should go only and only to Hindu people, such a Diwali should be celebrated.”

Pawar responded firmly to the remarks, saying they were inconsistent with the NCP’s principles and could not be tolerated.

"This statement (by Jagtap) is completely wrong. When the party's policies and objectives have already been decided, no MLA should make such remarks. This is not acceptable to the party. We will send him a show-cause notice", Pawar told reporters.

He added that party members, particularly elected representatives, must follow the organisation’s inclusive stance and refrain from making statements that could incite division. Pawar also alluded to a shift in behaviour following the passing of Jagtap's father, veteran politician Arunkaka Jagtap.

"Till Arunkaka Jagtap (Sangram Jagtap's father) was alive, everything was fine in Ahilyanagar (formerly Ahmednagar). We are feeling an additional burden. Some individuals should remember that in the absence of patronage from their father, they should behave and talk responsibly," Pawar added.

The incident has sparked broader concerns over the communal tone of political discourse ahead of the festive season.