Mitkari objects to consultant putting arm around Ajit gets ticked off by NCP colleagues

Mumbai, Nov 27 (PTI) NCP spokesperson Amol Mitkari was rebuked by his party colleagues after he took exception to a political consultant putting his arm around Ajit Pawar.
A photograph showed Naresh Arora, a consultant, putting his arm around the NCP chief to congratulate him after the party's impressive showing in the Maharashtra assembly elections.
The Nationalist Congress Party has hired Arora's marketing and political campaign management firm.
"How dare he put his arm around Ajit Pawar," Mitkari posted on X on Tuesday, which prompted the NCP's official X handle to clarify that it was his personal opinion.
Mitkari, a member of the Maharashtra legislative council, responded saying he expressed the party workers' sentiments. "How dare he put his arm around Ajit-dada," he wrote again.
Pawar's elder son Parth then chided him, writing on X that it was unfortunate that despite being a party legislator, Mitkari took an anti- party stand regarding Arora and his firm DesignBoxed.
"My father and NCP president Ajit Pawar doesn't endorse or align with Mitkari's views in any manner. He is strongly urged to refrain from making such comments or providing media bytes on this matter," Parth said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)