'It's time to punish him': Modi targets Sharad Pawar on his tenure as agri minister

A day after terming NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar as a wandering soul, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (April 30) continued his attack on him, saying he did not do much for farmers while being the Union agriculture minister, and added that it was now time to punish him.

He taunted the Opposition Congress, saying it was not able to field even 275 candidates in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, and appealed to people not to waste their vote by supporting the grand old party.

‘Pawar did nothing for farmers’

Addressing a rally in Madha Lok Sabha constituency, Modi targeted Pawar without mentioning his name and said, “Fifteen years ago, a stalwart leader had come to contest an election here. It is being said that he took an oath before a setting sun that he will bring water to the drought-affected region here. Was he able to bring water here? Do you remember? So time has come to punish him. Since then, the leader could not muster the courage to contest the election from here.”

Attacking Pawar, he said when he was the agriculture minister in the “remote control government”, the fair and remunerative price (FRP) of sugarcane was Rs 200, but now under “Modi's sevakal”, it is Rs 340 per quintal.

“When this stalwart leader was the agriculture minister in Delhi, the sugarcane farmers used to run from pillar to post for their arrears. Today, the situation has changed as 100 per cent arrear payment is happening,” he said. In 2014, the amount of sugarcane arrears paid to farmers was Rs 57,000 crore, but this year, Rs 1,14,000 crore were paid as arrears to them, he said.

Sugar mills in the country were annoyed due to the income tax, he said. “When the stalwart leader was in Delhi as agriculture minister, I used to explain to him again and again but he did not resolve the issue of income tax. When we came to power, we provided a solution and gave a respite of Rs 10,000 crore to the cooperative sugar mills by waiving the income tax,” the PM said.

Earlier, addressing a rally in Pune on Monday, PM Modi had attacked Pawar saying, “There is a 'bhatakti atma' (wandering soul) in Maharashtra. If it does not manage success it spoils others' good work. Maharashtra has been a victim of it.” “This game was started by the same leader 45 years ago. It was just for his own ambition that Maharashtra has always been an unstable state. As a result, several chief ministers could not complete their full term,” the PM had said.

‘Don’t waste your vote on Congress’

Modi mocked Congress for not even being able to field enough candidates in the current elections.

“There was a time when they had 400 MPs, but today they’re not able to field 250-275 candidates. If one has to form a government, there has to be 272 seats, but they are not contesting that many seats. If they are not contesting that many seats, will they win the majority, so why waste your vote for a party that is not even contesting the election to form the government,” said Modi, appealing to the people to vote to strengthen the BJP government.

Later, addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Dharashiv, Modi said, “Using Artificial Intelligence fake videos are being sold in their 'Mohabbat ki dukaan'...They are making fake videos using Modi's speeches and voice. Congress is so scared of losing.”

He also asked people whether a weak government can make a strong nation. “Can a Congress government take India to newer heights? Congress has only one identity – Betrayal.”

(With agency inputs)