Shinde-Fadnavis government is “narrow-minded”, Prime Minister Modi lacks a vision for inclusive development and the BJP is “rejected” in most parts of the country, claims Pawar
Shinde-Fadnavis government is “narrow-minded”, Prime Minister Modi lacks a vision for inclusive development and the BJP is “rejected” in most parts of the country, claims Pawar
Continuing his tirade against the Shinde-Fadnavis government, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar on Saturday blamed the current dispensation for its ‘inefficiency” in retaining big-ticket projects like Vedanta-Foxconn and Tata-Airbus.
“Big projects like Vedanta-Foxconn and Tata-Airbus have been diverted to Gujarat right under the eye of the State government and it is shameful,” he said. “Instead of diverting the Tata-Airbus project to Gujarat from Maharashtra, the Central government should have focused on making defence projects more efficient,” added Mr. Pawar.
The 81-year-old former Union Minister, who has been undergoing treatment for lung infection and fever at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital since Monday, flew to the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district to address party functionaries on the last day of a two-day Chintan Shivir.
In his speech, the NCP chief accused the Shinde-Fadnavis government of being ‘narrow-minded’ and said it was not a good sign for Maharashtra. He also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lacking a vision for inclusive development and said that the saffron party was “rejected” in most parts of the country. In some States like Goa, they formed governments by misusing Central investigation agencies, he alleged “Expect for a few States like Gujarat, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and some Northeastern states, the BJP is rejected in most of the country,” said Mr. Pawar.
He expressed confidence that NCP party workers would work towards strengthening the outfit in bringing “political change” in the State and advised them not to fall prey to inducements and allurement. “We have to create new and strong leadership. Our party should remain united and work as a strong political outfit, stay committed to a progressive ideology,” the former Maharashtra chief minister said, adding that the party has to fight to save the Constitution and democracy and defeat communal forces.
Mr. Pawar was accompanied by a team of doctors on his trip to Shirdi, where he only spoke for a few minutes before asking former Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil to read out his speech. “I have been advised 10 to 15 days of rest and wouldn’t be able to speak at length,” he said.
Though the Maharashtra Congress confirmed that Mr. Pawar would join AICC leader Rahul Gandhi for Bharat Jodo Yatra in Nanded on Tuesday, NCP leaders said that it is still uncertain. “He is not keeping well, and doctors have asked him to take at least two weeks of complete rest. He went back to the hospital after the conclave at Shirdi,” NCP’s Ravikanth Varpe said.