Rohit Pawar writes open letter to Fadnavis over govt appointment of directors to Gokul milk union

The Gokul milk union row is much discussed in state politics these days. The government has decided to appoint four directors to the union, and the Opposition is targeting the state government over it. Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar has now entered the dispute, writing an open letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in which he strongly objected to the decision.

Pawar wrote the letter to the Chief Minister from his official X account. In it he addressed the politics under way in Gokul. He said that if the Chief Minister is joining the "Remove Anarchy, Save Democracy" march in Nagpur, he should first reflect on his own decisions.

Pawar asked why, when farmers had delivered their verdict democratically in the Gokul election, the government decided to appoint directors from its own side. He asked whether this was not a betrayal of democracy and the Constitution.

In the letter Pawar wrote that the farmers in Gokul had given a clear mandate and kept the BJP out, yet the government's intention to appoint members and take control of Gokul was itself anarchy. He also asked whether the Chief Minister has the moral right to lead a march in the name of democracy. According to him, the Chief Minister should put these questions to his own conscience.

Pawar also remarked in the letter that the Chief Minister was in Kolhapur on the day of the Gokul results but could not hold a victory procession, so his ego may naturally be hurt. But he asked who had given the Chief Minister the right to tamper with the Constitution in the name of a bruised ego. Pawar called the decision a case of "vinash kale viparit buddhi" (when ruin nears, the mind turns perverse) and said there was still time to correct it. In the letter he also tagged Satej Patil along with the Chief Minister.

In the Gokul milk union election, the alliance led by Satej Patil won 13 of 25 seats, while the Mahayuti got 12. The process of choosing the chairperson then ran into a hitch. Against this background the government decided to appoint four directors. The Opposition, including Satej Patil, is opposing the decision, and Rohit Pawar has now also demanded that it be corrected.

The Gokul matter is thus no longer confined to Kolhapur. Opposition leaders across the state are also questioning the government on it. Political circles are now watching how Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responds to the criticism.