NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday drew a distinction between Shiv Sena’s and BJP’s Hindutva agenda by stating that Sena’s Hindutva was all encompassing but BJP’s was “communal” and “poisonous”.
“We are being accused of going with Shiv Sena and that there is no difference between BJP and Shiv Sena. Sena’s Hindutva is all encompassing, it takes everyone along while BJP’s Hindutva is poisonous, they are Manuwadi and are a threat to the nation. BJP’s Hindutva creates a discord between people,” Sharad Pawar said at the Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Mumbai’s Nariman Point.
Pawar criticized BJP for deliberately creating riots for political gains. He argued that those who create discord between people cannot be considered patriots.
Responding to criticism from rebel NCP leaders Praful Patel and Ajit Pawar on how the NCP leadership cannot use ideology to stay away from BJP, Pawar cited the example of forming a government with BJP in Nagaland. He emphasized the need to be careful in border states and highlighted the potential consequences if there is chaos in those regions.
Pawar warned that whoever aligns with BJP will suffer, citing instances of the Akali Dal in Punjab and Nitish Kumar in Bihar. He claimed that BJP’s sole agenda is to destabilize their allies and dismantle them.
The NCP meet saw the presence of 16 out of 53 MLAs, and Pawar showed confidence despite the presence of more MLAs (32) at Ajit Pawar’s meet. He expressed his pain over the rebellion of the NCP MLAs but said he would bring in new blood and build the party.
Pawar also criticized his nephew for using his photo on posters and hoardings, accusing him of using his popularity because their faces would be rejected by the people.
Regarding the claim of the Ajit camp on the NCP name and symbol, Pawar asserted that the party name and symbol will remain with them, and he will fight for it.
In her speech, Supriya Sule addressed Ajit Pawar by citing examples of Ratan Tata, Cyrus Poonawala, Amitabh Bachchan, and Farooq Abdullah, who are still active in their fields.
