Shiv Sena says new cabinet move may end Pankaja Munde’s career, latter refutes claim

Pankaja Munde immediately refuted Sena’s claims and said she is not upset with the BJP for not including her sister in the new team of ministers.

The Shiv Sena on Friday said the induction of Bhagwat Karad in the new cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is aimed at finishing off Pankaja Munde’s political career. Karad has been junior minister the Union Finance department.

While stating that she or her sister had not demanded a ministerial berth, Pankaja Munde said this has, however, spread “negativity” among her supporters (Satish Bate/HT Photo)

In an editorial published in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Sena said, “Bhagwat Karad has been made a minister of state. This is a move aimed at finishing off (the political career) of Pankaja Munde. Karad, who grew up in the shadow of BJP leader late Gopinath Munde, was made a minister instead of (Pankaja’s sister) Pritam Munde. There is room to doubt whether the move is aimed at creating a division in the Vanjara community (to which Munde and Karad belong) and to teach Pankaja Munde a lesson.”

“All eyes were set on the expansion of the Union cabinet. This has been done before the monsoon session of Parliament. It has been carried out as if it is a panacea to problems like the crumbling economy, the health crisis created by the coronavirus pandemic, chaos in the education sector, inflation and unemployment,” the editorial further said.

However, Pankaja immediately refuted Sena’s claims and said she is not upset with the BJP for not including her sister in the new team of ministers. “I was born in the Vanjara community and that doesn't mean I should be referred to as a Vanjara or OBC leader. I belong to the state. I am a woman leader and I represent the entire state. It would be wrong to portray me as a Vanjara leader," Munde told news agency PTI on Friday.

While stating that she or her sister had not demanded a ministerial berth, Pankaja said this has, however, spread “negativity” among her supporters. "If there is an attempt to reduce anybody's clout, the clout in fact grows stronger. I admit my supporters are upset and there is some negativity, but my sister or I never sought ministerial positions," she told reporters.