Pawar should seek resignation of Modi, Shah: Raut

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP says the government should have sent delegations to neighbouring countries like China, Sri Lanka and Nepal first to expose Pakistan

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said that NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar should demand the resignation of home minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for failing to prevent the Pahalgam attack and accepting the intervention of United States in the military standoff between India and Pakistan. He also slammed Pawar for criticising him after he had raised concerns over the central government’s unilateral decision to send an all-party delegations to various countries to explain India’s stand against Pakistan sponsored terrorism.

Sanjay Raut (HT PHOTO)

“Why is Pawar slamming us? Instead, he should set an example by demanding the resignation of union home minister Amit Shah for security failure in the Pahalgam attack and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for compromising the nation’s sovereignty by accepting the intervention of US president Donald Trump,” said Raut.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP had earlier criticised the central government over picking members of delegations from parties without taking party leaderships into confidence and had urged the opposition to boycott the initiative.

Reacting to the same, Pawar had criticised Raut, saying local level politics should not influence matters of national security and international importance.

On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray extended support to the central government over the initiative and the inclusion of party MP Priyanka Chaturvedi in the delegations.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Raut insisted that the central government should have taken party chiefs into confidence before selecting MPs.

“I don’t want to comment on Monday’s phone call by parliamentary affairs minister Kiran Rijiju to party chief Uddhav Thackeray. He should have called the party chief before selecting names for the delegation so that the party could select the proper person for it,” Raut said.

He praised the Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee for changing the party’s representative on the delegations. He also said that the government should have sent delegations to neighbouring countries like China, Sri Lanka and Nepal first to expose Pakistan.

“But the central government has opened a tours and travels company and is sending MPs to some countries which will be of no use,” he said.