Minutes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an indirect offer to NCP(SCP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) to join the NDA instead of merging with Congress, NCP chief Sharad Pawar replied with a firm 'never', stating that he will never align with those who undermine parliamentary democracy and target specific communities to sow division in the country.
"Instead of fading away by merging with the Congress after June 4, I invite you to join the NDA with Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, with your heads held high. All your aspirations will be realized," PM Modi said in a rally in Maharashtra's Nandurbar, clearly extending an offer to Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray.
In response, Sharad Pawar hit out at PM Modi, asserting that it's because of him that democracy is under threat in India.
"In my opinion, parliamentary democracy is under threat today in this country because of Narendra Modi. He has targeted two sitting chief ministers, Delhi's Arvind Kejriwal and Jharkhand's Hemant Soren, which cannot happen without the involvement of the central government leadership. This clearly shows who truly believes in democratic functioning. When people start to believe that a person, a party, or an ideology lacks faith in parliamentary democracy, I will never associate politically with such individuals," Sharad Pawar stated.
Pawar also accused PM Modi of singling out the Muslim community in his speeches and stated that neither he nor his political allies will ever collaborate with such individuals.
"I have also emphasized that we (NCP & Congress) follow the Gandhi-Nehru line of thinking. This ideology doesn't permit us to harbor animosity towards any particular community. Conversely, PM Modi has repeatedly made remarks against the Muslim community in recent times. His recent speeches seem aimed at stoking divisions among communities, which is detrimental to the country's welfare. Where there's no good for the country, neither I nor my partners will ever go," Pawar concluded.