Sharad Pawar slams PM Modi over ‘one nation, one election’
PM in his I-Day speech had pitched for ‘one nation one election’ and ECI on Friday announced three-phase polls in J&K and a single-round voting in Haryana.
Nagpur: The Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday wondered why the upcoming state Assembly elections are not being held simultaneously with Jammu and Kashmir and Haryana despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushing for ‘one nation one election’.
Speaking to journalists in Nagpur on the sidelines of an event on Saturday, the 82-year-old politician said there is no “truth in what PM Modi says”.
Modi in his Independence Day speech had pitched for ‘one nation one election’ and the Election Commission on Friday announced three-phase polls in J&K and a single-round voting in Haryana in September-October. It said assembly elections in Maharashtra, which were held along with Haryana in 2019, will be announced later due to security requirements for J&K.
“Election dates in two states have been announced but polls in Maharashtra have not been declared. Hence, there is no truth in what he (PM Modi) says. The Election Commission’s decision to leave Maharashtra defeated Modi’s one nation one election proposal,” said the NCP (SP) chief.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar announced on Friday that Assembly elections in Maharashtra have not been announced due to Ganeshotsav, Pitrupaksha, Navratri, and Diwali. However, he added that the elections will be held before the term of the present Legislative assembly expires.
Shiv Sena UBT also criticised the non-declaration of Assembly elections in Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray said that the EC has busted the propaganda of the Union government.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (SP) had earlier criticised the Election Commission over the poll schedule and said it seemed the BJP-led Mahayuti wanted more time to “fool” the people of Maharashtra with its fake promises.
To a query about tension in Nashik and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar over alleged objectionable remarks by Hindu religious leader Ramgiri Maharaj, Pawar said such a situation was not in the interest of society. The religious leader had justified his remarks by saying these were in reaction to the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh.
Pawar said that he never thought that what happened in Bangladesh would have consequences in Maharashtra. He was reacting to the recent violence in a few cities in protest against the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh.
Tensions escalated in two cities in Maharashtra on Friday as protests against the atrocities faced by Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh turned violent. In Nashik, two groups clashed during a bandh organised by the ‘Sakal Hindu Samaj’. The confrontation resulted in stone-pelting, injuring 18 police officers and several others. Similar incidents of stone-pelting were reported in Jalgaon during a protest march.
Today, there is a need for peace, unity and harmony among all sections of society.
Pawar said that government policy, government action, and responsibility for the Home Department can be commented on. “I don’t want to make any comment as I feel peace and harmony are more important,” he said.