Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar strongly criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his inflammatory campaign rhetoric during the Lok Sabha election campaign. At a rally in Raigad on Tuesday, Pawar denounced Modi’s comments about a specific community as unacceptable and shameful, calling for a more inclusive approach to leadership.
The 83-year-old Pawar, who leads the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) faction, took issue with Modi’s recent speeches that he claimed targeted the Muslim community. He asserted that such remarks are unbecoming of a prime minister, whose role is to unify the nation. “His statement is shameful as he is the prime minister of the country, who is expected to lead all and ensure everyone’s interest, but he is talking so bad about a community,” Pawar stated.
Pawar’s comments came after Modi sparked controversy with his remarks suggesting that the Congress party, influenced by “urban Naxals” and leftists, would redistribute gold and property to specific groups. Modi’s speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, accused the Congress of planning to take gold and property from Hindus, including women’s mangalsutras, to redistribute to Muslims, claiming this mindset would be detrimental to national unity.
Pawar expressed concern that such divisive statements could fuel animosity and hatred within the country. “Mentioning women and children (of the Muslim community) and asking people if they want to hand over the country’s property to them, is an unfortunate situation that no other leader has brought in the country in the past,” he said.
Criticism of Modi’s rhetoric has come from various opposition parties. The Congress party recently filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India, alleging that Modi’s remarks violated the Model Code of Conduct and risked communalizing the election campaign. Sharad Pawar echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for leaders to promote unity and restore faith among all communities and castes.
Pawar concluded by stating that Modi’s behavior was not in the best interest of the country, emphasizing the need for a change in leadership to ensure a harmonious society. His remarks have heightened the focus on communalism in the ongoing election campaign and raised questions about the impact of divisive rhetoric on India’s social fabric.
