PUNE: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar and NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar the uncle and nephew who were seen together at an event after a long gap had a standoff on Saturday when the senior Pawar raised some queries at a meeting of Pune District Planning Development Committee (DPDC) but Ajir Pawar snubbed him saying that invited members were not eligible to ask questions. Sharad Pawar then kept mum for the next two hours when the meeting went on even as the meeting witnessed an exchange of fire between leaders of the two NCP factions.

Being Pune's guardian minister, Ajit chaired the DPDC meeting while the senior Pawar, who is a Rajya Sabha member, was only a special invitee. At the DPDC meeting, where Pune MPs and MLAs were present and Ajit Pawar presided over, Sharad Pawar fired three questions at Ajit. Sharad, without looking at Ajit who sat three chairs away from the latter, sought to know the steps that were taken to control the drinking water pollution in Baramati.

After the meeting, Supriya Sule MP from Baramati, the daughter of Sharad Pawar said that she was pained by the incident. She said Ajit Pawar kept harping on that MPs were special invitees. "The rules make it clear. You are a special invitee by law. The law also gives you the right to participate," she said, producing a copy of a government gazette notification.

She said when her father asked questions, Ajit Pawar attempted to show him the rules. “He said MPs are only invitees and they should not ask questions. He tried to refer to a government resolution in this regard. I have been an MP for 18 years. All MPs and MLAs have always raised questions at DPDC meetings. Why has this rule book suddenly come up after so many years? That too throwing the rule book at Sharad Pawar who is 83 years old and who is not only the tallest leader in Maharashtra but in India as well.” Sule said.