New Delhi: The row over Sharad Pawar felicitating Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde rages on. On Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) leader Jitendra Awhad slammed Shiv Sena leaders who voiced their displeasure over Pawar honouring Shinde and asked them to stop indulging in “politics” over the issue.
The NCP leader Sharad Pawar had feted Shinde, who had broke away from the Shiv Sena to ally with the BJP, and presented him an award at a cultural event organised by Sarhad, an NGO. Pawar heads the reception committee set up by the organisers.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders such as Sanjay Raut and Aditya Thackeray have flayed Pawar for honouring Shinde, whose decision to split the Sena led to a crisis within the then-ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, which included the undivided NCP, Shiv Sena, and Congress.
‘Have we ever interfered?’
Jitendra Awhad dubbed the recent comments by Shiv Sena leaders as “wrong”. “They also meet leaders many times. Have we ever interfered in it? We have not. Politics should not be done on small things,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Pawar had also lauded Shinde as a leader with “good knowledge about urban issues”. Pawar had said that Shinde has provided direction for civic governance in Thane as well as for the state government. He had no grudges towards the opposition and focused on resolving the issues of the people, Pawar had remarked.
Shinde had reciprocated and said that Pawar was an example of how a leader should maintain friendly relations across party lines.
“Pawar Saheb is known for his political googly. Many don’t understand his googlies. I have close ties with Pawarsaheb, and he has never bowled a googly at me, and I believe that he will never bowl one (to me) in future,” Shinde had said in a lighter vein.
Sharp reaction by Sena (UBT) leaders
On Thursday, Aditya Thackeray described Shinde “anti-Maharashtra” and “anti-national” for betraying the state. “We cannot honour such persons who indulge in such dirty work. This goes against our principles. I am not aware of his (Pawar) principles,” he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said that Pawar should have avoided honouring the person who split the Shiv Sena and pulled down the MVA government. “This is unfortunate,” he pointed out.
