‘What’s This Hypocrisy?’: Owaisi After Sharad Pawar Shares Stage With PM Modi; NCP Responds

New Delhi: All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday reacted to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar sharing the stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at an event in Maharashtra’s Pune and asked ‘what is this hypocrisy’.

“While in Lok Sabha, NCP & other opposition parties have been protesting over Manipur; Sharad Pawar is happily sharing the dais with Narendra Modi in Pune. What’s this hypocrisy? At the same time, BJP is happily getting Bills passed without discussion,” Owaisi said in a tweet. 

The Pawar-led party, however, rubbished Owaisi’s remarks, and questioned his ‘lack of political awareness’. 

“Owaisi needs to keep his eyes and ears open before making statements showing his lack of political awareness. Sharad Pawar Saheb attended the function as a mark of respect to Lokmanya Tilak. Does Owaisi know the importance of Tilak ji & has he ever paid any respect to him?,” NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto tweeted.  

“My respect for Sharad Pawar Saheb has risen manyfolds today because he kept his promise to organizers of ‘Lokmanya Tilak National Award’ and as a mark of respect to Lokmanya Tilak, attended the function despite having to share the stage with people responsible for breaking our party,” he added.

Earlier in the day, Modi and Pawar were seen exchanging jovial banter before the ceremony commenced. Pawar was also seen patting Modi’s back, as others, including the NCP chief’s estranged nephew and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, looked on. 

While Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis shook hands with Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar skipped the opportunity and walked past his uncle. 

Modi and Sharad Pawar met for the first time after a split in Pawar’s party, following a rebellion by Ajit Pawar, who joined the BJP and Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government last month. 

Pawar attended the event held to confer Modi with the Lokmanya Tilak Award in recognition of his ‘supreme leadership’ and for ‘awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens’. The award was constituted in 1983 to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak and is presented every year on August 1, Tilak’s death anniversary.

Ahead of the event, Sharad Pawar did not entertain requests from members of the Opposition block INDIA to not share the stage with the prime minister. 

The INDIA members felt this won’t be ‘good optics’ for the Opposition at a time when a united front is being put up against the Bharatiya Janata Party.