First attack corrupt and then embrace them: Kapil Sibal's dig at BJP after Ajit Pawar joins Maharashtra government

Ajit Pawar pulled off a stunning revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on July 2.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal took a swipe at the BJP on Monday over NCP leader Ajit Pawar and eight others inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, saying "first attack the corrupt and then embrace" them.

Ajit Pawar pulled off a stunning revolt in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday, triggering a vertical split, and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance in Maharashtra to become the deputy chief minister.

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In a tweet, Sibal said, "First attack the corrupt, then embrace the corrupt. First guarantee their investigation, then get a warranty for their support. Investigation in suspension. Henceforth ED, CBI: No tension. Sounds familiar? Mother of democracy at work!"

In a sudden turn of events that capped weeks of speculation over the senior NCP leader's next political move and came as a shocker to his uncle Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar was sworn in as the deputy chief minister by Governor Ramesh Bais at a ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan in Mumbai on Sunday.

Eight other NCP leaders, some of whom are close aides of Sharad Pawar, the 83-year-old wily Maratha strongman who hopes to become a key player in an anti-BJP front, took oath as ministers in the Shinde-Fadnavis government.

Sibal had taken a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday over the Ajit Pawar revolt, saying probably this is "the mother of democracy" that Modi talked about in his address to the United States Congress.