Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar on Saturday said he cancelled his programmes for Friday as he was unwell after long tours across Maharashtra over the past few days and asked the media to not speculate on such issues as it caused confusion.

"I was unwell so I cancelled tours and events scheduled for Friday. Over the past few days, I have travelled across Maharashtra and have not got enough rest. Due to lack of proper sleep, pulmonary irritation was also on the rise. I took medicines and took rest at home as advised by the doctor," he said.

"I too am human and might face health issues. The media must stop speculating during such times and verify before publishing any news. We are public figures but it is wrong to defame us in this manner," he added.

He was speaking after inaugurating a shop in Pimpri in Pune district on Saturday.

Pawar's cancellation of programmes and the fact that he was unreachable on phone gave rise to speculation on Friday about his next move among some political circles.

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