In Maha campaign, PM Modi's style is to mouth words penned by local leaders, says Sharad Pawar

Kolhapur (Maharashtra), May 2 (IANS) Days after a spirited row on PM Narendra Modi's 'bhatakti atma' comments, Nationalist Congress Party-SP President Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that PM Modi reads out the words penned by local leaders in his poll campaigns in Maharashtra.

Speaking to the media while campaigning for the INDIA-MVA-Congress candidate Chhatrapati Shrimant Shahu Maharaj, Pawar took a jibe at the PM's speech earlier this week in Kolhapur.

As per his usual practice in Maharashtra, he had started his speech with a ‘Namaste Kolhapurkar’ followed by a few sentences in Marathi, which Pawar mimicked mischievously.

"Whenever Modi comes here, it’s his style to utter a few sentences in the local language, penned by the local leaders and referring to local issues," he said.

In another swipe, Pawar said that though the PM mentions all the local leaders in his speeches, in Karad (Sangli), he forgot to name the legendary ex-CM and former Deputy PM Y. B. Chavan, who hailed from there, and blamed the local BJP leaders for the omission.

Later, the NCP-SP supremo replied to the PM’s charge that if the INDIA bloc comes to power, there will be five PMs in five years, implying political uncertainty.

"When the INDIA alliance is voted to power, we shall give a strong and stable government in the country… We (NCP-SP) did not demand more seats in the INDIA bloc meeting as the primary objective is to defeat the BJP. The question of who will be the PM from the Opposition was never discussed as it is inappropriate to do so before the elections," he declared, citing the instance of the 1977 elections when the Janata Party was voted to power and then selected Morarji Desai as the Prime Minister.

Pawar also rejected the PM’s contentions that the INDIA bloc was planning to give reservations based on religion, in several of his election rallies.

"We have never discussed this and we do not accept the idea of reservations on religious lines. Even if Modi decides to give such religious reservations tomorrow, we shall strongly oppose it. The PM’s statements are creating social tensions and bitterness… we don’t accept it," he asserted.

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