PM Narendra Modi shares stage with Sharad Pawar in Pune

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday shared the stage with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony in PunePawar attended the event that was held to confer Modi with the Lokmanya Tilak Award in recognition of his ldquosupreme leadershiprdquo and for ldquoawakening the feeling of patriotism among citizensrdquoThe NCP president did not entertain requests from members of the opposition INDIA alliance to not share the stage with ModiThe INDIA alliance members felt this wont be good optics for the opposition at a time when a united front is being put up against the BJP PTI reportedPawar did not meet some MPs who wanted to dissuade him from gracing the occasionThe award was constituted in 1983 to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak and is presented every year on August 1 Tilaks death anniversarySome social organisations and members of various political parties staged a joint protest against Modi during the visit Prominent social activist Baba Adhav led the protest where the participants waved black flagsAlso readThane Crane falls on bridge slab during construction 17 workers killedThe alliance members held the protest at Mandai around 300 metres from the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple where Modi performed pooja soon after reaching PuneLeaders of Congress Shiv Sena UBT NCP Sharad Pawar faction and members of various social outfits took part in the protestEarlier the Prime Minister performed pooja at Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple immediately after his arrival in the city from DelhiModi has become the first serving PM to visit the temple and perform pooja the temple trustees saidOver the years some serving and former presidents former prime ministers serving cabinet ministers chief ministers and political leaders have had darshan of the deity that sees lakhs of devotees during the 10day GaneshotsavThe Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple managed by the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati Trust is among the richest temples in the state and devotees believe its idol holds the power to fulfil wishesFakhruddin Ali Ahmed had visited the temple as President of India and former prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee Chandra Shekhar and I K Gujral offered prayers when they were not in officeBJP leader L K Advani who was a cabinet minister during the Vajpayee government also came here to take blessings while Shankar Dayal Sharma after completing his term as the President of India visited the placeRecently Union home minister Amit Shah NCP Chief Sharad Pawar former vicepresident Venkaiah Naidu and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari visited the temple RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has also performed pooja at the templeThe trusts website says Pandit Bhimsen Joshi Bismillah Khan and Lata Mangeshkar were among the visitors to the temple With inputs from PTI