PM Modi reducing dignity of his position: Sharad Pawar

Jalgaon (Maharashtra) [India], May 3 : Nationalist Congress Party (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he is reducing the dignity of his position by regularly criticising the Gandhi family.
Sharad Pawar was campaigning in Mukhtainagar in Maharashtra in support of party candidate Shriram Patil, who has been fielded from the Raver seat in Jalgaon.
Addressing a public meeting, Pawar said, "PM Modi said in 2014, that prices of petrol-diesel will be reduced, price of gas cylinder will be reduced. At that time, the cylinder cost Rs 400, today it costs Rs 1100. Government should work for people's welfare."
"Arvind Kejriwal was jailed for criticising PM Modi. Should power be misused like this? Rahul Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, the Gandhi family, everyone faced criticism," he added.
He said that Congress has contributed a lot for this nation and PM Modi should be proud of them.
"Nehru taught the world the meaning of constitutional democracy. India Gandhi spent her life working for the poor, and Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for the nation. Many people from Congress contributed to the nation. Prime Minister Modi should be proud of them, but instead, he keeps on criticising them. He is reducing the dignity of his position," the NCP (SP) supremo further said.
Shriram Patil is pitted against BJP's Raksha Khadse, daughter-in-law of Eknath Khadse from Raver.
Notably, Mukhtianagar is considered a stronghold of Khadse. He is seeking a third term from the seat. However, speculations over the NCP leader's possible return to the BJP have made the situation tenuous for the NCP (SP).
Maharashtra sends 48 seats to the Lok Sabha. Voting on 13 seats has been completed in the first and second phases, while 11 seats will go to polling in the third phase on May 7. The counting is scheduled on June 4.
In 2019, BJP won 23 seats, while its ally undivided Shiv Sena won 18 seats. NCP and Congress could only win four and one seats respectively.