INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
MUMBAI: Sharad Pawar on Wednesday accused BJP of double standards and the Ajit Pawar camp of opportunism, but steered clear of personal
Despite a whip, the senior Pawar was flanked by only 15 of his 53 legislators at the meeting; 3 more are said to have extended support but
NCP and no one could take the party symbol away.He said the alliance with BJP would prove to be a misadventure for his former colleagues
Pawar said these legislators must recall history
In Punjab, while BJP was rejected, AAP replaced it
accusing him of duplicity
He said a week ago, none other than the PM alleged that NCP was involved in a Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam; yet days later, NCP members
were inducted in the Maharashtra cabinet
Pawar"Today, in all their banners and posters, my picture is displayed prominently
Tyala maahit aahe, tyancha sikka khota aahe (they know their coin is a fake)
So they are using my picture,'' he said.Pawar said it was not wrong to leave the party or form a separate group, but it could have been done
in a dignified manner through dialogue
The defectors should have taken their electorate into confidence
"If we are keen to protect democracy, dialogue is very essential," Pawar said.Pawar said defections were not new to him
A few decades ago, out of 69 legislators in his party, 62 had quit while he was abroad
"When I returned, I found I was left with only seven legislators
We rebuilt the party and in the next election, 70 of our candidates were elected and barring a few, all the defectors were defeated by a
huge margin," he said.03:42Sharad Pawar on Ajit Pawar's meeting: 'Those using my image are aware that they have nothing else'Pawar came down
particularly heavily on his trusted aide Chhagan Bhujbal, saying he took him for a ride
"Three days ago, he called me to discuss the current political situation
When I asked him about politics, he said I will do a ground assessment and get back to you
A few hours later, he was seen being sworn in with Ajit Pawar..
He was in jail for a prolonged period
Many NCP leaders told me that since he was in jail, he should not be considered for a seat in the assembly
I ignored all the objections, stood by him
We not only ensured that he was elected, we inducted him into the state cabinet
So be on your guard, If someone says he will get back to you, never believe him," he said.The speech was Sharad Pawar's first public meeting
in the city since Ajit Pawar engineered a split in the party
According to sources, out of 53 NCP legislators, at least 42 have joined hands with Ajit Pawar
The Chavan Centre meeting was attended by some key NCP leaders, including his daughter Supriya Sule and state NCP president Jayant
Patil.Pawar also expressed surprise over the violence in Nashik between rival NCP factions laying claim to a party office
He said the rebels were free to shift their loyalties but could not insist on usurping the party and its machinery in the process
One cannot suddenly claim the party name and symbol, there is a legal process for it
When I formed a new party, we were in Tilak Bhavan, the Congress headquarters in Mumbai, but we immediately left the office," Pawar said,
referring to his decision to walk out of the Congress in 1999.
