Shirsat rues 'haste' over swearing in, says development shows chair more important than human being

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Saturday said the swearing in ceremony for a new deputy chief minister just days after Ajit Pawars death in a plane crash on January 28 should have taken place later and asserted the developments showed the chair is more important than a human being.

Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat on Saturday said the swearing in ceremony for a new deputy chief minister just days after Ajit Pawar's death in a plane crash on January 28 ''should have taken place later'' and asserted the developments showed ''the chair is more important than a human being''. It seems this haste is a result of some internal politics of the NCP, the minister further alleged. Pawar's widow Sunetra Pawar is all set to be elected as the leader of the NCP Legislature Party and then sworn in as Deputy CM at 5pm, the move coming on the back of hectic political developments immediately after the tragic plane crash at Baramati. ''The happenings of the past two days show the chair is more important than a human being. Common people don't like this. I personally think that these happenings, oath ceremony should have taken place a little later,'' Shirsat told reporters here. ''The happenings we are seeing now after the death of Ajit Pawar were supposed to take place some day. But Sunetra Pawar leaving for Mumbai so early, statements coming from their (NCP) party leaders are somewhat not acceptable to our minds. What is the haste? The oath ceremony could have taken place a week later,'' he further claimed. Shirsat also said the merger of the NCP and the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) may now take a long time due to the changed political scenario following Ajit Pawar's death. ''It is being said that meetings were held for the merger. Earlier, no one went against the decision of Ajit Pawar. But now that he is no more, the decision (on merger) will be taken collectively. The process may take long,'' Shirsat said.

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