'Who Parrikar?': Ajit Pawar’s remark on late Goa CM sparks embarrassment

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday courted embarrassment after his “who Parrikar?” remark drew sharp reactions during an interaction with citizens in Pune, when a woman cited the late Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar as an example of hands-on governance.

Ajit Pawar, accompanied by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) chief Naval Kishore Ram and other officials, was visiting various areas of the city to hear public grievances. At Keshav Nagar in Hadapsar, residents complained of severe traffic congestion and lack of facilities.

While apologising for arriving late, Pawar told locals that “all efforts were being made to resolve issues speedily.”

It was then that a woman pointedly asked the Deputy CM to emulate the late Parrikar. “The way Parrikar saheb used to make surprise visits (in Goa), you or somebody should visit the area during traffic peak hours,” she said.

A visibly stunned Pawar interrupted her, asking, “who Parrikar?” The woman explained she was referring to the late BJP leader and Defence Minister, after which she bluntly remarked that people were so frustrated with traffic chaos that “many were mulling to shift elsewhere.”

The exchange left Pawar red-faced, as Parrikar continues to be remembered across party lines for his simplicity and direct style of governance — often travelling on a scooter and personally inspecting civic issues.

Parrikar, an IIT-Bombay alumnus, served three terms as Goa’s chief minister and was Defence Minister between 2014 and 2017 in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first government. He died of cancer on March 17, 2019. The international airport in Mopa, Goa, and the Institute of Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) are named after him.

*With Agency Inputs