Shiv Sena-UBT has expressed strong disapproval of its ally and Nationalist Congress Party-SP president Sharad Pawar felicitating Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde at an event in Delhi.
Shinde was honoured with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at the hands of Pawar and in the presence of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the occasion of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan.
Pawar heads the reception committee of the literary meet, scheduled to start next week.
It was Shinde who split the Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah, and felicitating him was akin to honouring the BJP leader, said Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut. Raut’s party, NCP (SP) and Congress are partners in the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi.
While Pawar’s party said it was a programme about literature and not politics, BJP termed the felicitation an admission by the NCP (SP) president that Shinde was a better chief minister than Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.
Raut said Pawar should not have attended the event, as Shinde toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress in Maharashtra in 2022 by resorting to “betrayal”.
“Certain things should be avoided in politics. Yesterday, Sharad Pawar did not felicitate Shinde, but he felicitated Amit Shah. This is our feeling,” said the Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member, speaking to reporters in Delhi.
“Giving such an honour to someone we consider an enemy of Maharashtra is a jolt to Maharashtra’s pride. Pawar must have thought differently, but such politics has not gone down well with the people of Maharashtra,” Raut said.
“You (Sharad Pawar) are a senior politician, and we respect you. But the ones who split Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah and weakened Maharashtra, you are honouring such people. This has hurt the sentiments of Marathi people,” he said.
“We don’t understand your Delhi politics, but we too understand politics,” Raut further said.
Asked for a reaction, NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe said Raut could be voicing his personal opinion. The event in the national capital was part of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, he pointed out.
He showed statesmanship, where one does not bring politics into everything. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. He is the president of the event (reception committee), Kolhe added.
Asked about Raut’s disappointment over Pawar felicitating Shinde, Maharashtra BJP chief and state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the NCP (SP) president has, in a way, endorsed that the Shiv Sena chief did much better work as CM than his predecessor and Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar has admitted that Shinde was a better CM, Bawankule said.
The BJP leader claimed Pawar had noted in his autobiography that Thackeray visited state secretariat Mantralaya only twice when he was the CM between 2019 and mid-2022. By contrast, Shinde worked for 22 hours a day as the CM, he said.
Bawankule said Pawar took time to realise that Thackeray had damaged the state, while Shinde set it on the path of progress.
On Raut’s comments that Pawar should not have felicitated Shinde, the BJP leader said, “I was under the impression that Sharad Pawar used to provide guidance to Sanjay Raut, but it seems Raut is now trying to offer him suggestions.”
“Raut has not yet understood the political culture of Maharashtra. I feel bad for Pawar,” said Bawankule. The BJP leader said that Pawar had always upheld Maharashtra’s political culture.
Meanwhile , Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde showered praise on NCP-SP supremo Sharad Pawar, saying one has to learn from him about how to maintain good relations going beyond the political sphere.
Addressing the gathering, Shinde recalled that Pawar was the son-in-law of Sadashiv Shinde, a spin bowler who was known for his googly, which was tough to decipher.
“Pawar also bowls googly deliveries that are tough to decipher. I have good relations with Pawar, but he has not bowled me a googly. I am confident that he will not bowl me a googly in the future as well,” he said.
Shinde said Pawar was also witness to the development works in Maharashtra that took place in that short span of time.
“He (Pawar) calls me often. One has to learn from Pawar how to maintain relations going beyond political lines,” he said.
Pawar too didn’t hold back in praising Shinde. “In recent years, Eknath Shinde came to be known as a leader who has good knowledge of urban issues. Shinde has given direction to the Thane Municipal Corporation and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation, and the state government. He did not harbour any animosity towards the opposition and solved the problems of the people.”
