PM Modi to be conferred with Tilak award; Sharad Pawar invited as chief guest
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be conferred with Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune on August 1 at a function where NCP chief Sharad Pawar has been invited as chief guest, organisers said on Monday.
Modi has been selected for the award, comprising a memento and citation, in recognition of his “supreme leadership and for awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens”. The organisers said Sharad Pawar has been invited to the ceremony as chief guest while his nephew and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is among the invitees.
Also read: Happy that PM Modi has absolved some NCP colleagues of corruption: Sharad Pawar
“The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) will confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1, the 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak,” Trust president Deepak Tilak said in a release. It said India climbed the ladder of progress under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Among other invitees are Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
Notably, Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs of NCP joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government on July 2 in a move that stunned one and all in state politics. After Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister, Sharad Pawar reminded PM Modi of his recent remarks about the “corruption” of NCP leaders and asked him to act against those who are guilty.
Also read: Major jolt to NCP as Ajit Pawar rebels, sworn in as Deputy CM of Maharashtra
“It seems the prime minister has exonerated the NCP and all those against whom he had levelled allegations. I’m happy today that he gave cabinet berths to some colleagues from NCP. It shows the allegations against corruption were not factual. I am thankful to the PM for this,” Pawar had said.
During an interaction with the BJP workers in Bhopal on June 27, Modi said there are allegations of scams of nearly Rs 70,000 crore against NCP, including the Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam, irrigation scam and illegal mining scam.
(With agency inputs)
