Sharad Pawar calls PM Modi ‘smart speaker’

Mumbai: In the political circles, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar is known for his elephantine memory and tongue-in-cheek quips. On Thursday, Mr Pawar took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a ‘smart speaker’.  

Mr Pawar was speaking at an event in Nashik, where said, “People said that when Mr Modi came to an event in Pune, he praised me saying, ‘It was I who guided him into politics’. I said this is it. I brought him into politics? He (Modi) is a clever talker. He speaks in such a powerful manner that the person hearing him believes there is something to the man...that he must be having a 56-inch chest,” Mr Pawar said.

It may be recalled that Mr Modi had heaped praises on the NCP chief at an event in Pune in November. “I have personal respect for Sharadrao. He helped me walk in politics by holding my finger. I feel proud to pronounce this publicly,” Mr Modi had said.

Slamming the Centre for the demonetisations move, Mr Pawar said that he wondered if the PM would now go after the gold ornaments worn by the common man. Mr Pawar, who recently shared the dias with Mr Modi in Pune when the latter was laying the foundation stone of the Pune Metro project took several potshots at Modi. He highlighted the problems faced by common people following the Centre’s decision to scrap old `500 and `1,000 rupee notes. “People told me that the next step (after demonetisation) is that the government might go after the gold you wear. This is how things are now,” Mr Pawar said.

The NCP chief who has an excellent rapport with Thackeray family pointed out the rift between the saffron allies. “Modiji said give him 50 days (if demonetisation didn’t succeed, he was willing to bear any punishment meted out by people). Shiv Sena is their ally. Recently, I read Uddhav Thackeray’s speech where he asked which public square should Modi be made to stand,” he said.