Communal sentiments raked up for BJP’s benefit: Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) referring to the recent communal unrest in Amravati. He said there is also suspicion that communal sentiments were raked up to take their benefits in the assembly elections scheduled in a few states, which needs to be thoroughly investigated

NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) referring to the recent communal unrest in Amravati. He said there was no need for a reaction over whatever happened in Tripura, however, there is also suspicion that communal sentiments were raked up to take their benefits in the assembly elections scheduled in a few states, which needs to be thoroughly investigated. The BJP had called for a bandh in Amravati on Saturday which led to large-scale violence and arson.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said there is also suspicion that communal sentiments were raked up for BJP’s benefits in the assembly elections scheduled in a few states. (Kunal Patil/HT Photo)

The NCP supremo has started a four-day tour of Vidarbha region from Wednesday. He is expected to visit areas such as Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Yavatmal and Wardha where he will be meeting party leaders and likely to hold party gatherings.

“There was no need to react here in Maharashtra for whatever happened in Tripura. But unfortunately, some people took law and order into their hands. Some people also suspect that another section came out to rake up communal sentiments to take its benefits in the upcoming assembly polls (in a few states). All this needs to be thoroughly investigated,” Pawar said in his reaction to the violence that occurred in three cities including Amravati. He also slammed former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and said that the statements made by him are unbecoming of a leader who has ruled the state.

“The statements made by Fadnavis in the last three-four days were unbecoming of a leader who has ruled the state. I was also the chief minister four times, but while speaking on a sensitive issue, I have never made a statement as an opposition leader. Instead, I always kept the interest of the state on the top. I would have understood if Chandrakant Patil (Maharashtra BJP chief) would have made such a statement but I am shocked to hear it from Fadnavis. The restlessness after losing power is understandable but it should go to an extreme level,” Pawar said responding to a Fadnavis statement on violence in the state.

Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the violence in three cities in Maharashtra was an experiment to create anarchy in the country and to polarise minority communities against the ruling central government.

When asked to comment on an intelligence report that had “found” that the BJP and Yuva Sena were behind the Amravati violence, Pawar said that he would take the details in this regard and react accordingly. “It’s a sensitive issue and I will react to it only after getting the details,” he added.

He also said that it would be a far-fetched statement to make that the violence is a failure of the home department and state government as it was done by a section of the society for a specific purpose.

Coming on leading an alternative against the BJP at the centre, he said the decision is likely to be taken during the upcoming winter session of the parliament. “We are ready to support whoever is ready to lead. We (opposition leaders) will get more opportunities to meet during the parliament session and will surely discuss this. We all have attended meetings called by (West Bengal chief minister and TMC chief) Mamata Banerjee, me and (Congress president) Sonia Gandhi in the past,” Pawar responded.

Meanwhile, Pawar also advised people to neglect Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut who has made objectionable remarks against Mahatma Gandhi. “What to say about a person having a habit of making irresponsible statements. Mahatma Gandhi was accepted by the world, now if someone is making such comments against him that it is better, he or she should be neglected,” Pawar concluded.

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BJP hits back

In the heels of Pawar’s remarks on BJP, vice-president, state BJP unit Madhav Bhandari sharply responded, “There was no violence reported in Tripura as being claimed. There was also a campaign going on for five to six days on social media to incite riots in Maharashtra in the name of alleged Tripura violence. What did the state government or the home department do to stop it? It was their responsibility to control the situation. Moreover, NCP corporator has also been arrested in Malegaon for violence.”