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Pawar slams Modi, says Congress govt in Maharashtra was first to offer quota to women
NCP chief Sharad Pawar criticizes PM Modi for claiming Congress supported women's reservation bill reluctantly, says they were in favor of it. Pawar also supports Indian government in tension with Canada and clarifies his visit to Ahmedabad.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday came down heavily on prime minister Narendra Modi for his statements that the Congress and its alliance partners unwillingly supported the women’s reservation Bill in parliament.
It was in fact the Congress government in Maharashtra that first introduced 33% reservation for women in local bodies back in 1993 when he was the chief minister, he said. “We were also the first state in the county to set up a women commission and a women and child development department in 1993-94.”
“We supported the women’s reservation bill because we were in favour of this and not reluctantly as claimed by the prime minister,” he told reporters at Yashwantrao Chavan Centre in Nariman Point.
On Monday, the prime minister at a BJP programme in Madhya Pradesh said, “The Congress and its allies in the ‘ghamandia’ (arrogant) bloc (INDIA) supported the women’s reservation Bill out of compulsion and hesitation as they understood the power of ‘nari shakti’ (women power).”
Refuting Modi’s allegations that nobody had thought about quota for women in the country earlier, Pawar said during his tenure as the defence minister, he had decided to provide 11% reservation to women in recruitment in all the three wings of armed forces. “I took the initiative even when the then chiefs of army, navy and air force were against it.”
The veteran leader said unfortunately no one might have briefed the prime minister about all this and thus he made the statements.
The NCP leader extended his support to the Indian government over the ongoing tension with Canada after prime minister Justin Trudeau claimed that Indian agents were involved in the killing of separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “As a citizen and a member of parliament, I support the Indian government.”
Trip to Ahmedabad
Pawar clarified his visit to Ahmedabad on Saturday where he was seen inaugurating a plant along with Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.
“Prakash Kharate, a farmer from Shirasne village in Baramati, had set up a plant in Ahmedabad and he had invited me for its inauguration along with Adani. I happily went there to encourage a Baramati farmer,” he said.
The NCP leader also reacted to West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury’s attack on chief minister Mamata Banerjee over her recent trip to Spain amid a spike in dengue cases. She could go to Spain but was incapable of understanding people’s pain, Chowdhury said.
“Chowdhury has a habit of making such statements and many of us don’t like his style,” Pawar said, adding it would not affect the INDIA alliance.
