"Didn't Feel Right": Ajit Pawar On Minister With Independent Charge Offer

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s oath ceremony on Sunday, Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar said they did not think it right for their party leader Praful Patel to accept the post Minister of State with independent charge offered by the BJP, since Mr Patel had earlier served as a Cabinet Minister.“Praful Patel has served as a cabinet minister in the Central government and hence we did not feel right in taking Minister of State with independent charge,” Mr Pawar told reporters.During the erstwhile UPA government under the leadership of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr Patel was the cabinet minister for the Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises department.