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Modi-Pawar bonhomie on display amid political remarks at Tilak award ceremony in Pune
While CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis shook hands with Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar skipped the opportunity, and walked past his uncle.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday shared stage with NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony in Pune, despite displeasure from opposition bloc over the NCP leader attending the programme.
The leaders, like in the past, once again displayed bonhomie with Modi greeting Pawar immediately after his arrival on the dais at SP College venue where all eyes were set. The two leaders were seen exchanging jovial banter, with Pawar patting Modi’s back, as others, including the NCP chief’s estranged nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, looked on. While CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis shook hands with Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar skipped the opportunity, and walked past his uncle.
Although both leaders avoided direct political comments against each other, Modi and Pawar resorted to different references to make their political points.
The two leaders sharing dias assumed significance in the backdrop of the Opposition parties uniting under the ‘INDIA’ bloc to take on the Narendra Modi-led government ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, after organisers of the award had announced that Pawar will be attending the event, opposition parties Congress, Shiv Sena had expressed displeasure as it would send a wrong message to people, when INDIA across the country and Maha Vikas Aghadi in Maharashtra are fighting against BJP on all political fronts. Despite being political rivals, PM Modi and Sharad Pawar have previously also shared dais on multiple occasions. Back in 2016, Modi at a programme in Pune had said he has no hesitation in accepting that Pawar held his hand and taught him to walk during his early days in Gujarat
During Tuesday’s event, also in attendance were Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his two deputies – Ajit Pawar, and Devendra Fadnavis – and Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde, who is a trustee of Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust which selected Modi’s name for award in recognition of his ’supreme leadership’ and for ‘awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens’.
In his acceptance speech after being conferred the award, Modi said development is impossible if there is an atmosphere of mistrust.
Referring to India’s journey from ’trust deficit’ to ’trust surplus’, Modi said, “Today, trust surplus is seen both in policies and hard work of the people in the country,”
Pawar, who attended the event as a chief guest, congratulated Modi for receiving the award. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name has now been included in the list of these prominent personalities today. I congratulate Modi for his selection for this award,” said NCP leader.
Modi is the 41st recipient of the Lokmanya award. It has previously been presented to luminaries such as Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, Pranab Mukherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, Balasaheb Deoras, Manmohan Singh, N R Narayana Murthy, E Sreedharan, among others.
In Modi’s presence, Pawar took a dig at Prime Minister. “In recent days, our Jawans in the armed forces carried out surgical strike. However, it was Shivaji Maharaj who first carried out surgical strike in Lal Mahal against Shaista Khan by cutting his fingers.” In September 2016, the Indian Army had launched surgical strikes against terrorist camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in response to an attack by Pakistan-based terrorists on an army base in Kashmir’s Uri when 19 soldiers were killed.
Tilak understood importance of journalism for freedom struggle: PM Modi
Modi said Balgangadhar Tilak understood the importance of journalism and newspapers for amplifying the demand for freedom.
“Tilak understood the importance of journalism and newspapers for making the demand for freedom louder. He started the weekly `Mahratta’ in English, and with the help of another freedom fighter, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, and Vishnu Shastri Chiplunkar he started the Marathi daily ‘Kesari’,” Modi said.
The Kesari is in circulation for 140 years which shows that Tilak laid a strong foundation for the institution, he said.
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Speaking about the award, Modi said, “When an award is named after Lokmanya Tilak, the responsibility increases.” The PM gave ₹1 lakh received with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award to Namami Gange project.
Modi recounted how Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel decided to install Tilak’s bust in Ahmedabad and chose the Victoria Garden, which was made in the memory of Queen Victoria, for it. Modi said while Patel faced resistance as attempts were made to stop him, but he resolved that if Tilak’s bust was not allowed to be installed in the garden, he will give up his position.
“Finally, the statue was installed and in 1929, Mahatma Gandhi inaugurated the bust. In today’s scenario, if a road named after a foreign invader is renamed after an Indian personality, some people make a hue and cry and get sleepless nights,” Modi said.
