Pawar recalls PM's 'holding finger' comment; says Modi's stand now 'different'

Ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024 NCP SP president Sharad Pawar on Monday recalled a 2016 statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi about having come into politics holding the formers finger and expressed surprise over the PM taking a different stand now reported news agency PTISpeaking at a gathering in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtras Pune district ahead of the parliamentary polls Pawar also took a dig at PM Modi for personal attacks and for taking action against those who have different ideologiesWhen I was Union agriculture minister I helped Gujarat tremendously when Modi was the states CM I didnt see which party he belonged to I saw that farmers in his state needed to be made happy and so I helped him he said reported PTIOne day he told me he wants to come to Baramati In his speech then he said Pawar saheb had held my finger and taught me to do whatever developmental work I have done so far But today he is taking a different view the NCP SP chief said reported PTIIf someone makes personal criticism or takes a different stand he is jailed Pawar said and cited the cases of former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren and Delhi CM Arvind KejriwalIs this democracy No it is dictatorship he saidIf power goes into the hands of an individual then it gets corrupted If the power is in the hands of more people it cant go on a wrong path Pawar said reported PTIReferring to Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis recent remarks that the battle of Baramati is not Pawar vs Pawar but between PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi the NCP SP chief quipped whether the Congress leader was coming to Baramati to seek votesIs he coming here to seek votes Is Modi coming here This is a new thing now They are not talking about voting for Maharashtra they are talking about Modi or Gandhi For me this election is all about seeing how the collective power of voters here can pave the way for good work at the national level he saidLok Sabha elections 2024Talking about his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawars decision to join hands with the BJP he said some people took an extreme step and asked who prompted them to take itToday BJP is not a party concerned about the common people and farmers in rural areas The party is of a handful of people so the common voters did not vote for Ajit Pawarled NCP to go with the BJP he saidIn the last state assembly polls the people of Baramati voted wholeheartedly and voting was in the name of the then undivided NCP the former Union minister saidToday some people have forgotten that fact and are going on a different path I think it is the wrong path one should stop going on that path and people should come to the right path he saidSharad Pawar batted for his daughter and sitting Baramati MP Supriya Sule who is the NCP SP nominee from the seat saying there is no need for him to tell about the candidate as Parliament speaks for herSupriyas name is among three parliamentarians who have done excellent work with 90 per cent attendance So far no one has levelled a single allegation against her I have nominated her to put forth your side in Parliament I would like to ask you to vote for the new symbol of his party after split in NCP man blowing tutari which has reached the grassroot level in the constituency he saidIn Baramati Sule is pitted against Ajit Pawars wife and NCP candidate Sunetra PawarThe Lok Sabha elections 2024 to the 48 seats in Maharashtra will be held in five phases from April 19 to May 20In Baramati polling will be held on May 7With inputs from PTI