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‘No time to settle political scores’: Sharad Pawar on Palghar lynching blame
The NCP chief said that all need to be united in the fight against coronavirus.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday cautioned opponents that the Palghar incident should not be used to settle old political scores. He said it should not have happened and called it an isolated incident. The responsibility to remain united in the time of crisis is on each and everyone of us, he added.
Pawar was referring to the incident on April 16 night when three men from Kandivali in neighbouring Mumbai were travelling to Surat in a car. The vehicle was stopped and the trio was beaten to death with sticks by a mob on suspicion that they were thieves.
It later emerged that the sadhus — 70-year-old Swami Kalpvriksha Giri and 35-year-old Sushil Giri — belonged to Varanasi-based Juna Akhara and were on their way to Gujarat to attend the last rites of their guru Mahant Shri Ram Giri. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced a high level probe by the Criminal Investigation Department.
“The incident has nothing to do with the novel coronavirus. Whatever happened was unfortunate and should not have happened. It is condemnable. It happened due to misunderstanding. The state government and police acted swiftly. Over 100 people found involved in the primary investigation were arrested and put behind bars the very next day,” said the NCP chief in a video interaction with people.
“But a picture is being created that Maharashtra’s law and order is in a bad shape and resignations are being demanded over an isolated incident. I personally feel political struggle and whatever games have to be settled can be done at a proper time, but this is not the right time for all this,” the veteran leader said without naming anyone.
He said that all need to be united in the fight against this pandemic.
