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NCP chief and Maratha stalwart Sharad Pawar has reacted strongly to the charge made by MNS chief Raj Thackeray that that the Nationalist Congress Party plays ‘caste politics’.
Pawar took a swipe saying, “Raj Thackeray stays underground for three to four months and suddenly surfaces to give a lecture. This is his speciality. I don’t know what he does for months.”
Pawar said the MNS chief talks about many things but lacks a consistent stand.
“He spoke about NCP and caste politics. The fact is that Chhagan Bhujbal, and Madhukarrao Pichad among others had worked as the Leader of the House of NCP. Everybody knows which communities they belong to,” the former Union minister said.
Pawar said that his nephew and Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar became the Leader of the House after completing 30 years in the Assembly.
“Ajit Pawar decided to accept this position after many leaders in the NCP felt that he deserved it since he has completed 30 years in the legislature,” the NCP chief added.
When asked about Raj Thackeray, whose party is known for the aggressive sons-of-soil brand of politics, praising Uttar Pradesh, Pawar said, “As I said earlier, he can talk about anything. I don’t know what he saw in UP.”
“What happened in UP recently? Election results were different because of different reasons. But in Lakhimpur Kheri, where farmers were killed….farmers were protesting on the borders of UP, but no one came to solve their issues. Many things happened under the Yogi government and if he (Raj Thackeray) is praising that government then I don’t want to say anything. Under (Chief Minister) Uddhav Thackeray’s guidance this won’t happen,” Pawar added.
