Sharad Pawar refutes allegations by Raj Thackeray
Pawar was responding to Thackeray’s allegations in which he had accused the NCP (SP) chief of creating unrest in the state ahead of the assembly elections over reservation issue
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief criticised Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray for accusing him of causing rift and caste-based differences in the state.
Pawar was responding to Thackeray’s allegations in which he had accused the NCP (SP) chief of creating unrest in the state ahead of the assembly elections over reservation issue.
“I don’t know why Raj Thackeray is targeting me. Maharashtra knows me well. I have never opted for such methods,” Pawar said.
Pawar also termed retired Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Param Bir Singh’s allegations against him and his party colleague Anil Deshmukh as “irresponsible.”
Param Bir Singh, who served as Mumbai police commissioner, had last week alleged that former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh had exerted pressure on him to arrest not only Devendra Fadnavis but also then urban development minister and current Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde along with some other BJP leaders during the MVA government rule.
He had revealed that meetings were held at the NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar’s Silver Oak residence and also at Matoshree, the residence of Shiv Sena-UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray, where instructions were allegedly given to arrest Fadnavis, Shinde and a few other BJP leaders.
Meanwhile, on the Waqf Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha, Pawar said, “A joint parliamentary committee has been formed to review the draft bill, and it will submit its report in six months.”