Sharad Pawar is not casteist; Raj Thackeray's comments very wrong: Ramdas Athawale
Latur, Apr 13: Slamming MNS chief Raj Thackeray for accusing Sharad Pawar of playing caste politics in Maharashtra, Union minister and Dalit leader Ramdas Athawale on Wednesday said the NCP chief never played caste-based politics but always took all sections of society along.
Raj Thackeray had recently accused Pawar-led NCP of playing a caste card in Maharashtra's politics.
"On the other hand, Pawar is a leader who takes Dalits and nomads along. He is known for his secular credentials in politics. It is very wrong on part of Raj Thackeray to say that Sharad Pawar is 'jatiyavadi' (casteist). I think Raj Thackeray is losing his (mental) balance," Athawale said in a press conference in Latur.
He also called for unity among leaders and activists who believe in the Republican ideology, observing that obtaining power solely on one's strength has become difficult at the Centre and in Maharashtra.
The Dalit leader, who heads the Athawale faction of the Republican Party of India (RPI), said he was willing to compromise for such unity.
"Different groups are being formed but that will not help in obtaining power. Prakash Ambedkar (of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi) made good efforts but failed to come to power which is necessary for the development of Dalits," he said.
Athawale also said that he is an activist of the Dalit Panther which has completed 50 years and called for Republican leaders to join hands.
"I don't run after cabinet berth. But when the party I align with comes to power, I get a ministerial post," he said.
Udgir in the Latur district is hosting the 95th All India Marathi Sahitya Sammelan scheduled between April 22 and 24.
When asked if he had received an invitation as a poet to attend the literary meet, Athawale said he is a poet in Parliament.
"If I get an invitation for the Sahitya Sammelan at Udgir, I will attend," he said.
Athawale said the Narendra Modi government has launched various schemes for the welfare of Dalits.
"PM Narendra Modi is better for the Dalit community. It is because of him that the Constitution is being protected. He is not anti-Dalit," Athawale added.
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Paper leak mafia thriving under BJP's double-engine governments: Bhagwant Mann
Shimla (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday slammed the Centre over the alleged NEET paper leak and said that such incidents are surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments.
He said the leak and cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance test (NEET) 2026 examination is a major failure on the part of the Union government.
"This is not the first time that a paper leak has happened. Such incidents have surfaced in 2017, 2021, 2024, and now even in 2026 and every time, a CBI inquiry is initiated, arrests are made, yet after a short while, the accused are released on bail," he said.
Mann, who arrived at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium to boost the morale of the Punjab Kings team ahead of their upcoming IPL match, told the media that lakhs of students toil day and night, harbouring dreams of transforming their families' fortunes, but when exams are cancelled due to paper leaks, these students are left heartbroken.
The NEET 2026 paper held on May 3 was cancelled on May 12 after reports of a paper leak in Rajasthan.
He said that the paper leak mafia is predominantly surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments. "Paper leaked, dreams shattered, the country's administrative system is unable to conduct even a single examination properly", he added.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mann said that while Modi imposes various restrictions on the public, he himself continues to embark on foreign tours.
He asserted that the public deserves to know the country's true economic situation.
"The prime minister must disclose the current status of the country's oil reserves, the extent of our gold reserves, and fundamentally why restrictions are being imposed on every single commodity", he said.
No other nation has imposed such restrictions and the ongoing war is being used as a pretext, even though the country's economy is already in a precarious state, Mann added.
Regarding the ongoing campaign against drugs in Punjab, Mann said that the state government is continuously taking action against drug traffickers and asserted that a large number of traffickers are being sent to jail and that Punjab will soon move towards becoming drug-free.
Speaking about the upcoming IPL match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians to be held in Dharamshala, Mann said that he also holds the portfolio of Punjab's sports minister and has arrived in Dharamshala to cheer the team.
