NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on May 16 termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion that the Congress aimed to reserve 15% of the budget for Muslims as foolish, stating that budget allocation should focus on the country as a whole, not on caste or religion. “It is foolish. Budget allocation based on caste and religion can never happen. The Central government budget is about the country, not of any cost or religion,” he said.

Regarding Mr. Modi’s “vote jihad” remark, the 83-year-old Maratha strongman dismissed it, saying there was no truth in Mr. Modi’s recent statements, suggesting a loss of confidence. “There is not even one per cent truth in what Modi speaks these days. He has lost confidence,” Mr. Pawar said.

Mr. Pawar also commented on Mr. Modi’s shift from focusing on agricultural development as Gujarat’s Chief Minister to solely engaging in politics now. He said people want political change in the country.

The octogenarian politician also responded to queries regarding his recent statement on the potential amalgamation of various regional parties with the Congress. He said that if there was alignment in ideology, party mergers should occur, questioning why Prime Minister Modi seemed perturbed by his remark. “Why is Modi so troubled by my comment? I did not speak about Uddhav Thackeray’s party… Is that a small party? It got more seats [than us] in the last Assembly elections,” he said.

Criticising Mr. Modi’s events in Mumbai on Wednesday, he argued against holding roadshows in Gujarati-dominated areas, implying a divisive focus. “Modi held the roadshow in a Gujarati-dominated area. When you are leading the nation, thinking about caste and religion is not appropriate. Conducting a roadshow in a city like Mumbai is not the right thing to do. People had to wait for hours. They suffered inconvenience due to it…Such complaints were received,” the NCP (SP) supremo said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also criticised Mr. Modi saying it was “inhuman” for him to hold a roadshow in the same area of Mumbai where the hoarding collapse incident claimed the lives of 16 persons.

He said roads and Metro rail services were shut from noon on Wednesday on account of Mr. Modi’s roadshow from Ghatkopar West to Ghatkopar East. “Never ever has such an incident happened where roads were shut for one person’s campaign, causing inconvenience to people. It is inhuman to hold a roadshow where people died after the hoarding collapse,” the Rajya Sabha MP said.