Baramati: My party, symbol and flag was stolen! Sharad Pawar criticises Ajit Pawar

Baramati: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar, without naming NCP (AP) head Ajit Pawar, criticised the latter here on Friday.

“My party, symbol and flag was stolen. It was not a minor theft. It was a ‘whole-sale’ theft. The entire country knows it. They know who founded the NCP. Those who have taken away my party and symbol, did they not fight last elections under the NCP flag? They took away everything,” he said.

Sharad Pawar was speaking at a gathering of farmers and workers. He targeted Ajit Pawar in his speech. He said, “Some took a different stance this time. You have a right to opinion in democracy. But there is one condition. I sought your votes. You elected me. However, after getting elected, if I forgot the party, its name and programme, it would be cheating. It should not happen. Your word carries weight in politics.

“Modi Saheb visited Baramati. He also gave a speech. He said that I taught him politics. He speaks affectionately when I meet him in Parliament. This is alright. But what is his policy? Power should be used for the welfare of the people. However, it is going in the direction of dictatorship. Action on the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Delhi are some of its examples.

Criticism of the Prime Minister

Pawar added: “Big loans of industrialists, business persons are waived. We waived Rs 70,000 crore worth loans of farmers, who feed the country with their toil. Today, the Prime Minister recovers Rs 100 in taxes from common people, gives back Rs 6 and says that he helps them financially. This is his guarantee. It is not guarantee of giving, it is a guarantee of recovering money from you. It is not good for the common man. It is not good for the country either.”