Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has stirred a political and industrial storm by claiming that the Hinjewadi IT Park in Pune is "moving out" to Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
The remark, made during an early morning inspection of civic issues in Pimpri Chinchwad on Saturday, was caught on camera and has since gone viral.
“We are ruined. The entire IT park of Hinjewadi is moving out. It's going out of my Pune, out of Maharashtra to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, don't you care at all?”, fumed Pawar while confronting local Sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar during a public interaction.
However, later, he took to microblogging site X, sharing footage of his visit from early in the day, writing, "Change is coming, every problem of Puneites will be solved..!"
Pawar reached Hinjewadi at 6 am the same day to take stock of recurring issues such as waterlogging and poor civic amenities. The heated exchange unfolded as Jambhulkar raised complaints about local problems in the presence of the media.
Frustrated, Pawar reportedly asked media personnel to switch off their cameras and snapped, “Temples are displaced when dams are constructed. You can say whatever you want, I’ll listen, but I will do what I want to.”
He added, “Why do I come here for inspections at 6 in the morning? I don't understand. There's no alternative but to take strict action.”
Hinjewadi’s Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, spread over 2,800 acres and developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), houses offices of over 800 companies and is one of the largest tech hubs in India. Pawar’s claim has raised concerns over potential business migration and its impact on Maharashtra’s economic footprint.
Industry experts and political rivals have demanded clarification and reassurances from the state government amid fears of declining investor confidence.
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