Modi govt seeking political gains from soldiers' sacrifices: Sharad Pawar
Mumbai:The opposition alliance in Maharashtra led by the Congress and NCP Sunday kick-started its Lok Sabha poll campaign from Karad in Satara district with a blistering attack on the ruling BJP-Sena combine.
NCP chief Sharad Pawar said the Narendra Modi government was trying to make political gains from the valour and sacrifices of soldiers.
In a swipe at PM Modi, Pawar said if the PM possessed a "56 inch chest", he should bring back former Navy officer Kulbhushan Jadhav who is jailed in Pakistan over alleged spying charges.
"The jawans are willing to undergo any sacrifice for our country. But the current government is trying to make political gains from it," Pawar, a former Defence minister, said.
"If you really have a 56-inch chest, bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav," Pawar taunted Modi.
Dwelling on poll mathematics, former chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said the BJP won the 2014 Lok Sabha polls because the oppositions' votes got splintered.
"The BJP secured only 36% votes in 2014. The opposition was divided then, but as they are united this time, I do not think Modi will be prime minister after 2019 general elections," Chavan said.
Hitting out at Modi, Chavan said the PM was a "dictator" who had managed to complete only "28 per cent" of his poll promises.
Pawar and Chavan, during their speeches, also raised the Rafale fighter jet purchase deal.
While Pawar spoke of the government's reluctance to hold an inquiry into the allegations over the deal, Chavan dubbed it the "mother of all scams".
The BJP-led Union government has routinely refuted these allegations and has claimed Rafale jets were being procured as per laid down rules.
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Whoever wins heart of Gandhi family in Congress will become CM: Basavaraj Bommai
Gadag: In Congress, whoever wins the hearts of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi will become the Chief Minister. This is a shame for the democratic system, said former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai.
Speaking to the media in Gadag, he said there is a clash among leaders due to excessive desire for power. Cabinet ministers are trying to retain their positions. Some leaders are demanding ministerial posts saying they have won elections multiple times, while newcomers are also seeking ministerial positions. He added that the Chief Minister is trying to retain his position.
Bommai said Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader and feels he should have been given the Chief Minister post fairly.
He further said that Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar function as the high command, referring to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, and added that Congress is a family-based party. He reiterated that whoever wins the support of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi becomes the Chief Minister, calling it a shame for the democratic system and alleging that the party has weakened internal democracy.
Responding to a question about allegations that officials in the government are not working, he said, “The people who made them are angry. The Congress has cheated the people who elected them. The government is completely at a standstill. No work has been done. About Rs 14,000 crores provided in Siddaramaiah's last budget have not been used. About Rs 10,000 crores were not used in the year before that either. How will the officials work if there is political conflict? If the CM says one thing and the DCM says another, this government has completely come to a standstill in the eyes of the people.”
