Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday made a veiled attack on NCP founder Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiv Sena (UBT) in his exclusive interview with the joint managing director and editorial director of Lokmat Media Group Rishi Darda. The Prime Minister said, "When you look at the picture in Maharashtra, there is one more thing that comes out clearly. It is clear that the actual NCP and Shiv Sena of Balasaheb are with the BJP. Yet, there may be political leaders on the other side who try to create undue confusion. But when it comes to the way BJP is perceived, there is absolute clarity -- this will also improve our strike rate in the seats we are fighting and work out as an advantage the BJP brings to our alliance.
Interestingly, PM Modi, last week at a rally in Pune, in the presence of Sunetra Pawar, blamed Sharad Pawar for the political instability in Maharashtra. Addressing the rally, PM Modi said, "A wandering spirit in Maharashtra led to instability 45 years ago and now the work of destabilising the country is being done by this person." In 1978, Sharad Pawar broke ranks with the Congress (U), the breakaway faction of the Indira Gandhi-led Congress, and formed a government with the support of the Janata Party. In the process, Sharad Pawar became the youngest Maharashtra Chief Minister at 38.Sharpening his attack on Sharad Pawar, PM Modi said, "Forty-five years ago, a great leader started this game for his ambition. Since then, Maharashtra has been dragged into a period of instability, after which many Chief Ministers could not complete their tenure.""There are some wandering souls. Those whose desires are not fulfilled, their souls continue to wander. If their own work is not done, they start spoiling the work of others," he said.
The Prime Minister also accused Sharad Pawar, without naming him, of attempting to destabilise the BJP-Shiv Sena government in 1995."This spirit not only destabilises opponents but can do anything. This soul does the same in its party. It does the same in the family. Even when the BJP-Shiv Sena government came to power in Maharashtra in 1995, this spirit was working to destabilise the government," he alleged.Speaking on the political scenario in the state in 2019 when the Shiv Sena broke its alliance with the BJP over power-sharing, PM Modi said the people's mandate "was insulted". "The mandate was insulted so much that the people of Maharashtra know very well. But today, this spirit is playing the game of creating instability not only in Maharashtra but also in the country," he claimed. The Prime Minister made the comments at a rally organised to support four NDA candidates from Baramati, Pune, Maval and Shirur.