Not country’s PM but BJP’s: Pawar takes a dig at Modi over speeches
NCP founder says PM Modi should tell the people what he and his party would do for the country instead of attacking the Opposition
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar took a swipe at Narendra Modi on Saturday (April 20), saying his speeches suggested he was the “BJP’s PM” and not of the country, as a prime minister should.
The 83-year-old NCP founder said PM Modi should tell the people what he and his party (BJP) would do for the country instead of attacking the Opposition.
Poll campaign
Pawar was speaking at a campaign rally in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar when he made the remarks.
He was canvassing for Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidates Chandrakant Khaire, who is contesting from the Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket, and Congress’ Kalyan Kale from Jalna.
The central Maharashtra constituencies, located in the state’s Marathwada region, will go to polls in the fourth phase on May 13.
“BJP’s PM”
Pawar said, “I was listening to Narendra Modi’s speech before I came here (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar). The prime minister belongs to the entire country. If we listen to Modi’s speeches, it seems he is the prime minister of BJP and not the country.”
The veteran leader said PM Modi and BJP should tell the people what they will do for the country. “But sometimes they criticise Nehru (country’s first PM Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru), sometimes Rahul Gandhi, and also me at times,” he said.
Incidentally, PM Modi on Saturday held rallies in Nanded and Parbhani constituencies in the state and attacked the Opposition, particularly the Congress.
Nehru spent over 10 years of his life in jail fighting against the British, and he encouraged science, said Pawar.
People’s issues
According to a recent report by the International Labour Organisation, 87 of 100 students coming out of college are unemployed in India, claimed Pawar.
Speaking about the Marathwada, Pawar said, “There is a severe drought in the region, as well as in other parts of the state. But the Centre and state government have no time to address this situation.”
Poll contests
In Aurangabad, AIMIM’s sitting MP Imtiaz Jaleel and the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Afsar Khar are in the fray, while the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is yet to declare its candidate.
In Jalna, Kale is pitted against BJP’s sitting MP Raosaheb Danve.
(With agency inputs)
