Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Friday slammed the State and Central governments for gross negligence leading to loss of the lives of people and the growing fundamentalism and appealed his party workers to stand up against the misrule.
Pawar, who was speaking at a gathering of NCP workers from Mumbai and surrounding districts in suburban Ghatkopar, blamed the Eknah Shinde government of gross negligence in the organisation of the award ceremony on April 16 at Kharghar that led to death of 14 citizens and added that only a probe by a retired judge will fix responsibility for the tragedy.
“It was 100% state government's responsibility as it had organised the event, keeping elections in mind. A sitting judge must investigate this incident and the actual facts must come out,” Pawar said.
Sharad Pawar blames Union govt for Pulwama Attack
He also blamed the Union Government over Pulwama attack.
“Satya Pal Malik placed certain things in front of the country about the Pulwama attack. No inquiry has been held to date about the death of the 40 CRPF jawans. The former Governor said that a plane was sought for transportation of the jawans but it was denied. As such, they had to travel by road. They were attacked by the terrorists and paid the price in the form of their lives. The death of the jawans who protect our country has not even been probed. It is clear that the Centre, which has the responsibility to protect our country, has not taken the right steps,” Pawar said.
Slams acquittal of Naroda Gam accused
Pawar also termed the acquittal of all 67 accused in the 2002 Naroda Gam riot case as the “murder of rule of law and the Constitution”.
“The rule of law and Constitution have been murdered. This has been proved by yesterday’s verdict,” he said.
Pawar also accused the BJP of misusing power to finish off opposition parties.
“(NCP leader) Anil Deshmukh was jailed for 13 months on allegations of taking bribes of Rs100 crore, and in the chargesheet, the probe agency described donations of Rs one and a half crore for his educational institution as a bribe. I also head several educational institutions, if I take donations for them, are they supposed to be bribes,” he asked.
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