NCP’s damage control exercise

Monday, April 05, 2010
By Pradeep Gupta

Concerned over the increasing use of its political banners by miscreants, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has formed a committee to keep a tab on miscreants from defaming the party.

Several incidents were reported in the media where people with criminal backgrounds were liberally using NCP hoardings, by portraying themselves as party leaders or activists.

The Agriapada police had recently arrested four persons, including builder Dinesh Jain, for submitting forged documents to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to bag the BIT Chawl redevelopment contract, wherein he had submitted some fake consent letters.

Jain had installed large hoardings across the BIT Chawl, stating that he had been appointed as the Joint secretary of the Mumbai NCP by party Chief Sharad Pawar. BIT residents had claimed that some residents, considering his position, had signed the consent letter for redevelopment.

Talking to the ADC, Narendra Verma, Mumbai NCP president said, “Jain has no connection with the party. The committee will keep an eye on such miscreants at the district and taluka levels, to prevent the party from being defamed.”

In the past

This is not the first time that such an incident has occurred. Earlier, Pascal D’Souza, an ex-NCP leader, had thrown a party for a Chhota Rajan aide, which was attended by a few policemen, of which five were suspended. Later, the NCP had issued a clarification stating that Pascal had been dismissed from the party long ago, but was misusing the party’s name for his own vested interests.