After Amit Shah’s “Treachery” Attack, Sharad Pawar’s “Decorum” Counter

New Delhi:

Pouring cold water on speculation that his party has softened its stance towards the BJP, NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar has hit out at Amit Shah and accused him of not maintaining the decorum of the Home Minister’s post. The senior leader was reacting to Mr Shah’s remarks that the BJP’s thumping victory in the Maharashtra Assembly elections had ended the politics of “treachery and betrayal” started by him in 1978.

Mr Shah’s attack, seen as a reference to Mr Pawar walking out of the then Vasantdada Patil-led government in Maharashtra in 1978 with 40 MLAs and then becoming the chief minister, was made while he was addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi on Sunday.

Hitting back on Tuesday, Mr Pawar said, “I was the chief minister in 1978. I am not aware of his (Amit Shah’s) whereabouts then. When I was the chief minister, there were people like Uttamrao Patil from (BJP’s predecessor) Jana Sangh in my ministry.”