Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sharad Pawar made headlines at the 98th All India Literature Conference in Delhi, with videos of Modi honoring Pawar going viral. In response, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut posed a provocative question to Modi: "How did the Prime Minister sit next to a wandering soul?"
Raut remarked on their shared stage, saying, "Either Sharad Pawar is senior to Modi. Just because someone holds the Prime Minister's position doesn't make them superior." He continued to question Modi's judgment: "Sharad Pawar is the welcome chairman of the conference. I expected Modi wouldn't sit next to him. How could the Prime Minister do so? He is a wandering soul, isn't he?"
Raut further criticized Modi's claims of respect for leaders like Balasaheb Thackeray, noting, "While Modi speaks highly of Thackeray, he ruthlessly dismantled the Shiv Sena that Thackeray built." He asserted, "Modi broke the party Sharad Pawar worked hard to establish. So what kind of respect and honor is he offering? We know the truth."