File Photo: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and NCP Chief Sharad Pawar
Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar was today unanimously re-elected as the president of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and used the occasion to launch a broadside against Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of indulging in game of politics on foreign soil.
74-year-old Mr Pawar's re-election was declared by NCP General Secretary T P Peetambhar Master at the party's sixth national convention here. Mr Pawar's nephew and NCP legislature party leader Ajit Pawar was conspicuous by his absence.
Mr Pawar has held the post ever since he founded the party in 1999 after parting ways with Congress.
Attacking PM Modi, he said, "Indulging in the game of politics on foreign soil is a serious issue and in doing so, the country's image had taken a beating."
PM Modi had hit back at the opposition over its criticism about his frequent foreign visits, saying he was being attacked for "tireless" work and had asserted that if it was a "crime" he would continue to do it.
The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also taken potshots at previous governments which practiced 'Look East' policy, saying India has had enough of it and it's time to 'Act East'.
Mr Pawar also lashed out at the PM Modi government for using all means at its disposal to implement its "saffron" agenda and ideology.
"Recently some experts from IIT met me in Delhi and told me how the saffron agenda was being pushed through in education,"he said.
Speaking at the national convention of the party where he was re-elected president, Mr Pawar said, "In the name of development, saffron ideology is being implemented. It is a challenge and NCP has a national duty to counter it."
Mr Pawar described the upcoming Bihar assembly elections as
the defining moment for politics in the country.
"It is our responsibility to bring all democratic parties on a single platform to ensure huge defeat of BJP," Mr Pawar said.
Stating that Bihar was the route of every big change that takes place in Delhi, Mr Pawar said reality of false assurances and hollow slogans of PM Modi government will be exposed in the Bihar polls and BJP would bite the dust.
Stating that lack of social harmony was a big challenge posed by PM Modi government in addition to increasing uncertainty in agriculture and economy, Mr Pawar said india was a live example of unity in diversity.
"It will be injustice to the basic characteristic of India to impose uniformity on it", he said adding, "If not checked strictly, then it will have far reaching repurcussions."