Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘bhatakti aatma’ (wandering spirit) remark during Lok Sabha election campaigning, likening himself to such a spirit and asserting its persistence, thus countering PM Modi’s jab.
Speaking at a rally in Maharashtra’s Ahmednagar (officially called Ahilya Nagar), Pawar, the chief of his NCP faction, took a swipe at PM Modi over the formation of a coalition government at the Centre. He questioned whether PM Modi sought the consent of the common people while forming the government and highlighted his alliance with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Pawar also noted PM Modi’s tendency during the elections to emphasize his own leadership rather than the nation or government.
Interestingly, PM Modi made these remarks at a Pune rally, notably in the presence of Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew. Reacting to this, Sharad Pawar acknowledged being restless over the struggles faced by farmers and the impact of inflation on the common people.
“It is correct that the soul is ‘asvastha’ (restless) but not for the self but to highlight the hardships faced by farmers. I am restless to put forward the plight of the common man suffering from inflation. I am ready to be restless 100 times to highlight the woes of the people,” Sharad Pawar said.
During the rally in Ahilya Nagar, Sharad Pawar criticized PM Modi’s comments about minorities, citing concerns over wealth redistribution based on childbirth and threats to women’s mangalsutras. These comments echoed PM Modi’s earlier statements in April, which sparked controversy and accusations of creating religious divisions. PM Modi alleged that if the Congress were voted to power, the country’s wealth would be given to “those who have children” and “infiltrators,” and that the mangalsutra of women would be snatched away. This ignited a controversy, with the Opposition accusing the Prime Minister of lying and fostering religious divisions.