Sharad Pawar slams BJP, PM Modi’s remarks during I-Day speech, says committed to INDIA block

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar/Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 16 : Noting that there will be “no compromise” with BJP, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday slammed the ruling party at the Centre, saying its role is to maintain unity in the society but "they are dividing people”.
Pawar, who addressed a press conference, said parties of INDIA bloc will create “janmat” across the country to oust the Narendra Modi government in 2024 Lok Sabha election.
“The only focus is to defeat the NDA and remove the Modi government in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections,” he said.
The NCP chief slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the situation in Manipur is worrying but he had not visited the northeast region to build confidence among people.
Pawar also took dig at PM Modi over his remarks from Red Fort that he will present the achievements of his government on the next Independence Day from the same venue.
Sharad Pawar said PM Modi was following Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ ‘I will come back again’ remarks but people have made up their mind to oust the BJP.
“PM Modi’s slogan is bound to fail,” he said.
Sharad Pawar accused BJP of destabilising democratically elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
“The power of the country is in the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies. Their role is to maintain unity in the society, but they are dividing people,” Sharad Pawar said.
“The situation in Manipur is worrying. We wanted the PM to visit northeast once and build confidence among people there, but this did not seem important to the Prime Minister,” he added.
A meeting of INDIA alliance will be held in Mumbai on August 31 and September 1 in which the strategy for the Lok Sabha elections will be decided, Pawar said.
The NCP chief accused Modi government of misusing probe agencies to target opponents.
On apparent uneasiness among MVA allies over his meeting with his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the NCP chief said that the confusion has been cleared and Maha Vikas Aghadi is strong.
“It was a family meeting with Ajit Pawar. I did not go to the media talking about the meeting,” Sharad Pawar said.
Talking about Nawab Malik who was recently released from jail on medical grounds, Sharad Pawar said that injustice has been done to the NCP leader.
He also questioned BJP’s decisions concerning 'Vibhajan Vibhishika Smriti Diwas' saying these will be discussed at INDIA bloc meeting.
Earlier in the day, NCP leader and Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule reacted strongly to purported remarks of a Congress leader claiming that a central cabinet berth had been offered to Sharad Pawar or her.
"I have received no such offer and neither has anyone had any conversations on those lines with me. You should ask them (Maharashtra Congress leaders) why they are giving such statements. I have no idea. I am personally in touch with senior Congress leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Gaurav Gogoi but I am not in touch with any of their leaders in Maharashtra," she said.
Congress leader and the Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, Vijay Wadettiwar, had questioned the recent meeting between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar.
Ajit Pawar, along with 8 loyalist MLAs, engineered a split in the NCP in July and joined the ruling NDA government in the state. Ajit Pawar taking oath as the deputy chief minister.
Wadettiwar claimed that a condition had been placed for Ajit Pawar to be made the Maharashtra CM — that he has to convince his uncle to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre.
"Why is Ajit Pawar frequently meeting Sharad Pawar?... Without his help, the BJP won't win more Lok Sabha seats from the state next year. Another reason (for the meetings) is that Ajit Pawar has been told that he cannot become the chief minister unless he can convince Sharad Pawar to come on board (join NDA)," Wadettiwar claimed.
Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole later referred to Sharad Pawar’s remarks and said that he will remain with the INDIA alliance. “I trust that he will go with the INDIA alliance...,” Patole said.