Sharad Pawar Criticizes PM Modi, Calls for United Front at INDIA Alliance Meeting in Pune

Pune, 25th February 2024: NCP chief Sharad Pawar criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that despite the central government’s assurances, there are no specific timelines or distribution of promised benefits. Pawar expressed his concerns, noting that in the past seventy years, he has observed various rulers, including the government of BJP’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee. However, he alleged that in the last decade, Modi’s role has been to sow hatred among the people and direct it towards those leading the country, causing worry for democracy. Pawar also accused Modi of having a singular focus on attacking and defaming Nehru and his family.

Sharad Pawar made these remarks during the first meeting of the INDIA Alliance at Congress Bhavan, where he guided the gathering. The event was attended by various political figures, including Congress State President Nana Patole, Thackeray Group’s Pune District Liaison Chief Sachin Aahir, MPs Supriya Sule, Chandrakant Handore, MLAs Ravindra Dhangekar, Dr Vishwajit Kadam, Congress Pune City President Arvind Shinde, NCP Sharad Chandra Pawar Party Pune City President Prashant Jagtap, Shiv Sena (UBT) Pune City Chief Sanjay More, and Gajanan Tharkude.

Pawar expressed concern over the use of power to suppress opposing voices and emphasized the ongoing efforts to undermine dissenting ideologies. He called for a united front against the BJP, urging anti-BJP ideologies to come together and inform the common man about potential future crises.

Sharad Pawar criticized Prime Minister Modi, stating that his attacks seem directed towards those who have significantly contributed to the country’s development. Pawar highlighted the global acknowledgement of Nehru’s role in leading the country towards progress, contrasting it with Modi’s perspective. He expressed concern about the apparent disregard for issues such as the ongoing farmer agitation at the Delhi border. Pawar noted a shift in the relationship between the centre and states, citing instances of opposition leaders facing arrests, including Arvind Kejriwal, Hemant Soren, Anil Deshmukh, and Sanjay Raut.

Congress State President Nana Patole asserted that the authoritarian government would be defeated this year, accusing it of undermining constitutional values. He criticized Modi’s guarantees as deceptive and pointed to controversies around reservations between the Maratha and OBC communities. Patole also emphasized the need for like-minded parties to work together to protect the country and the Constitution.

Supriya Sule demanded a white paper on the allegations made by Devendra Fadnavis, pointing out the lack of visibility of those who supported the BJP’s rise to power, contrasting their current positions with past accusations against figures like Ashok Chavan. The meeting aimed to address concerns about the political climate, government policies, and the need for collaborative efforts among opposition parties.

The discourse is centred on propagating falsehoods about the country’s accomplishments in the last decade. Individuals who had no involvement in the freedom struggle are now questioning the contributions of Gandhi and Nehru during that pivotal period. The current struggle is framed as a battle for survival, forcing people to choose between democracy and dictatorship, as highlighted by Sachin Aahir.

There was a call for Ramdas Athavale to dissociate from the BJP, with a warning that the Ambedkarite community would make him aware of his place if he did not. Chandrakant Handore appealed to Prakash Ambedkar to undertake a program aimed at winning all the seats in the state.

The absence of former Deputy Mayor Aaba Bagul was a topic of discussion, with speculation among the workers that he refrained from attending due to dissatisfaction with the internal politics of the Congress and a perceived lack of trust within the party organization.