PUNE: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday distanced himself from the ongoing controversy around the Shiv Sena party’s name and party sign. “I don’t wish to get into whatever is going on about the bow and arrow (Shiv Sena party symbol). I have already said this yesterday (Saturday),” he said, while speaking to the media in Baramati.
Pawar also said that he did not have much difference of opinion with the Union home minister and cooperation minister Amit Shah when it comes to cooperative policies. When asked about the alleged transfer of funds from the Sena’s account to a private account of Uddhav Thackeray, Pawar refused to comment. “It is not appropriate for me to speak on an issue that I don’t know about. So, I will not comment,” he said.
The NCP chief went on to say, “Amit Shah was at a programme related to the sugar industry. I had gone for the inauguration and he was at the concluding ceremony. We have no differences in issues raised by him. There were some policy matters that we discussed and he spoke about it later.”
The Maharashtra strongman’s support for Shah’s call to cooperatives to improve processes as a first step contrasted with his refusal to wade into the debate on ally Shiv Sena’s name and symbol going to the Eknath Shinde faction. The Election Commission on Friday recognised Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena and allotted the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to it.
The Shiv Sena symbol had been long claimed by both the party’s rival factions, led by Shinde and former CM Uddhav, respectively. As of now, the two factions were using separate party names and symbols allotted to them after the EC ‘froze’ the Shiv Sena name and party symbol until the dispute was decided by it.
Pawar on Friday had said that Uddhav should accept the decision and go ahead with it. “The citizens will accept him. Such a loss of party symbol is not the first case in our country,” he had said.
Pawar also said that he did not have much difference of opinion with the Union home minister and cooperation minister Amit Shah when it comes to cooperative policies. When asked about the alleged transfer of funds from the Sena’s account to a private account of Uddhav Thackeray, Pawar refused to comment. “It is not appropriate for me to speak on an issue that I don’t know about. So, I will not comment,” he said.
The NCP chief went on to say, “Amit Shah was at a programme related to the sugar industry. I had gone for the inauguration and he was at the concluding ceremony. We have no differences in issues raised by him. There were some policy matters that we discussed and he spoke about it later.”
The Maharashtra strongman’s support for Shah’s call to cooperatives to improve processes as a first step contrasted with his refusal to wade into the debate on ally Shiv Sena’s name and symbol going to the Eknath Shinde faction. The Election Commission on Friday recognised Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction as the ‘real’ Shiv Sena and allotted the ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol to it.
The Shiv Sena symbol had been long claimed by both the party’s rival factions, led by Shinde and former CM Uddhav, respectively. As of now, the two factions were using separate party names and symbols allotted to them after the EC ‘froze’ the Shiv Sena name and party symbol until the dispute was decided by it.
Pawar on Friday had said that Uddhav should accept the decision and go ahead with it. “The citizens will accept him. Such a loss of party symbol is not the first case in our country,” he had said.