MUMBAI, Feb 12: The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday expressed strong disapproval of its ally and NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar felicitating Maharashtra Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde at an event in Delhi.
It was Shinde who split the Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah, and felicitating him was akin to honouring the BJP leader, said Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut. Raut’s party, NCP (SP) and Congress are partners in the opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi.
While Pawar’s party said it was a programme about literature and not politics, BJP termed the felicitation an admission by the NCP (SP) president that Shinde was a better chief minister than Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray.
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Shinde was on Tuesday honoured with the Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav Puraskar at the hands of Pawar and in the presence of Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on the occasion of the 98th Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan.
Pawar heads the reception committee of the literary meet, scheduled to start next week.
Raut said Pawar should not have attended the event, as Shinde toppled the Uddhav Thackeray-led government of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress in Maharashtra in 2022 by resorting to “betrayal”.
“Certain things should be avoided in politics. Yesterday, Sharad Pawar did not felicitate Shinde, but he felicitated Amit Shah. This is our feeling,” said the Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha member, speaking to reporters in Delhi.
“Giving such an honour to someone we consider an enemy of Maharashtra is a jolt to Maharashtra’s pride. Pawar must have thought differently, but such politics has not gone down well with the people of Maharashtra,” Raut said.
“You (Sharad Pawar) are a senior politician, and we respect you. But the ones who split Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena with the help of Amit Shah and weakened Maharashtra, you are honouring such people. This has hurt the sentiments of Marathi people,” he said.
“We don’t understand your Delhi politics, but we too understand politics,” Raut further said.
Asked for a reaction, NCP (SP) MP Amol Kolhe said Raut could be voicing his personal opinion. The event in the national capital was part of the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, he pointed out.
“He showed statesmanship, where one does not bring politics into everything. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. He is the president of the event (reception committee),” Kolhe added.
Asked about Raut’s disappointment over Pawar felicitating Shinde, Maharashtra BJP chief and state minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the NCP (SP) president has, in a way, endorsed that the Shiv Sena chief did much better work as CM than his predecessor and Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray.
“Pawar has admitted that Shinde was a better CM,” Bawankule said.
The BJP leader claimed Pawar had noted in his autobiography that Thackeray visited state secretariat Mantralaya only twice when he was the CM between 2019 and mid-2022. By contrast, Shinde worked for 22 hours a day as the CM, he said.
Bawankule said Pawar took time to realise that Thackeray had “damaged” the state, while Shinde set it on the path of progress.
On Raut’s comments that Pawar should not have felicitated Shinde, the BJP leader said, “I was under the impression that Sharad Pawar used to provide guidance to Sanjay Raut, but it seems Raut is now trying to offer him suggestions. Raut has not yet understood the political culture of Maharashtra. I feel bad for Pawar,” said Bawankule.
The BJP leader said that Pawar had always upheld Maharashtra’s political culture. “There is no need for Uddhav Thackeray and Sanjay Raut to express their annoyance over the episode,” he said.
He also slammed Raut for speaking ill of Amit Shah. Bawankule said, “Raut cannot match the stature of the Union home minister. Has Raut ever contested an election? Shah has contested 11 elections. Raut should speak cautiously and avoid being ridiculed.” (PTI)
