Mumbai: Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Tuesday rubbished Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks that the BJP's victory in the Maharashtra assembly polls ended the politics of betrayal and treachery started by him in 1978. "I was the chief minister in 1978. I am not aware about his whereabouts then," Pawar told reporters in Mumbai. "When I was the chief minister, there were people like Uttamrao Patil from Jan Sangh in my ministry," Pawar added.
The decorum of the post of home minister should be maintained, the NCP (SP) chief said, bemoaning the lack of communication between present political leaders. "There used to be 'susanvad' (good communication) between political leaders earlier but that is missing now," he said.
"The victory of BJP in Maharashtra ended the politics of instability and backstabbing started by Sharad Pawar in 1978. You (people) have buried such politics 20-foot in the ground," Shah had said, addressing a state-level convention of BJP in Shirdi on Sunday.
Shah's apparent reference was to Pawar walking out of the Vasantdada Patil-led government in 1978 with 40 MLAs and becoming the CM. Pawar recalled that then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee had made him the vice-chairman of the Disaster Management Authority after the Bhuj earthquake despite being in the opposition.
"This country has seen many excellent home ministers, but none of them was externed from his state," Pawar said, in an apparent reference to Shah being externed in 2010 from Gujarat for two years in connection with the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case. He was acquitted of all charges in 2014. "When he (Shah) could not stay in Gujarat (after being externed), he went to Balasaheb Thackeray for help," Pawar said.
Asked about doubts over the opposition MVA coalition's future after Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut announced going solo in the local body elections in Maharashtra, Pawar said, "There will be talks with Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders in the next 10 days to discuss important issues."
On speculation that he will extend support to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Pawar said, "Not even a single MP of my party wants to go with BJP." Pawar also offered support to the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ahead of Delhi assembly elections.
"My personal opinion is that Delhi is Kejriwal's base. People of Delhi have supported him twice (in two assembly elections). So it would have been better had we taken him into confidence, but this did not happen," Pawar said, apparently referring to the stance of Congress on Delhi polls.
Meanwhile, an editorial in Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece Saamana described as "language of arrogance" Amit Shah's remarks that people of Maharashtra taught a lesson to Uddhav Thackeray for his "betrayal politics". "Sharad Pawar and Balasaheb Thackeray helped Narendra Modi and Amit Shah during their crises, but they returned the favour by splitting the parties of these leaders. Is this not betrayal," the editorial asked.
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