People don’t want BJP in power again: Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar has said that there is an environment of change prevalent in the country and that people do not want the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in power again. The people gave an opportunity to the BJP on its development plank, but the party failed to utilise it, he said.  

“In Maharashtra, the Congress-NCP combine is going very strong. The fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been forced to hold multiple rallies in the state is an indication that the people want change,” said Mr Pawar in Kolhapur.  

Speaking to reporters, the NCP chief made a scathing attack on Mr Modi. “The Prime Minister has failed to fulfill the promises and is hence trying to create confusion in the minds of the people. Mr Modi first criticised me. After failing to get response, he tried to speak good about me. He also leveled allegations at me about Kashmir. However, our party and former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti have no connection. The BJP was in power with her party in Kashmir,” he said.  

Mr Pawar alleged that the BJP had laid siege to important institutions in the country and was using them for its own benefits. “It is very serious when Judges of the Supreme Court have to conduct a press conference,” he said.  

In an unprecedented move, four Judges of the Supreme Court had held a press conference on January 12, 2018, in which they raised a litany of problems - including the issue of assigning of cases - plaguing the apex court. The historical press conference was held by Justices J. Chelameswar, Madan B. Lokur, Kurian Joseph and Ranjan Gogoi (current CJI).

Mr Pawar also attacked the BJP and Mr Modi for “politicising” the Army, adding that all other parties had ensured that the armed forces were not politicised.

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