Arvind Sawant, a leader of the Shiv Sena (UT), stated on Monday that Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar should think twice before attending a ceremony where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the Lokmanya Tilak National Award.
Pawar is scheduled to attend the event organised by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in Pune as the chief guest on August 1 where he will share the stage with Prime Minister Modi. Leaders of different parties from the opposition bloc INDIA have raised the issue saying it will be bad optics for the alliance.
Some leaders have also questioned Pawar's decision to attend the event especially after his nephew Ajit Pawar had revolted against him and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra. Sawant said that Tilak had given the slogan Swaraj is my birthright. But is there Swaraj today? In today's situation he (Pawar) should think. It is swa- rajya instead the rule of one person, he said and added that Pawar should reconsider his decision.
Leaders of their party (BJP) are destroying the Constitution of India, he (Pawar) should not go there, he said. NCP leader Sharad Pawar has been invited as chief guest for the event, organisers earlier said. Rohit Tilak, vice president of the Trust, confirmed on Monday that Pawar will attend the award ceremony.
There is no change in the programme. Pawar Saheb, who is the chief guest, will be attending the event. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, and Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is also a trustee, will also be attending the event, he said.