I'm not sad, no party leader is sad, says Ajit Pawar a day after skipping speech at NCP covention

New Delhi [India], September 13 (ANI): NCP leader Ajit Pawar, who did not speak at the party convention on Sunday and went out during speech of a party leader, has termed reports of a rift in the party "misleading" and said he had conveyed his viewpoint to the Marathi media.
"The media is showing misleading news. I didn't speak, many leaders didn't speak. I spoke to Marathi media and gave an entire explanation. I'm not sad, no one from our party is sad," Ajit Pawar told ANI.
Ajit Pawar, who is Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra assembly, had on Sunday skipped speaking at the Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP)'s national convention meeting.
He left midway in the presence of party chief Sharad Pawar.
Ajit Pawar left the stage moments after party leader Jayant Patil was given the chance to speak before him, which sparked rumours of a rift in the party.
Ajit Pawar later clarified that he did not speak because it was a national-level meeting.
NCP MP Supriya Sule was seen convincing Ajit Pawar to return for his speech on the stage.
Party MP Praful Patel had announced on the stage that Ajit Pawar will speak before Sharad Pawar's concluding remarks but the former deputy Chief Minister was missing from his seat.
Praful Patel had also said that Ajit Pawar had excused himself to go to the washroom and will come back for the speech in front of cadres who raised slogans in support of the former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.
When Ajit Pawar came back to the meeting venue, Sharad Pawar had already started his concluding remarks. (ANI)