Congress flays Pawar for ‘bowing’ down to Thackeray

The meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray at the latter’s residence in Bandra on Sunday night has left the Congress fuming.

Although the stated purpose of the meeting was to request
Thackeray to withdraw his threat of not allowing Australian players in the IPL, the Congress has dismissed the developments as “dirty politics”. The party has accused its alliance partner of surrendering before Thackeray.

“There will be no lowering of guards against Shiv Sena or anybody else who are trying to take law in their hands. The state government is confident and it will provide full security to IPL players,” said chief minister Ashok Chavan.

Angry Congress leaders have written to party president Sonia Gandhi expressing their resentment. “By visiting Mumbai Rahul Gandhi has demolished the Sena dadagiri. But unfortunately, Pawarsaheb was seen pleading before Thackeray to allow the Australians to play. Are the Thackerays more powerful than the state government,” wrote a senior Congress minister.

Backing the minister’s words, senior AICC functionary Mohan Prakash said, “Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Mumbai was to openly challenge and combat the fear politics unleashed by the Sena.”
NCP spokesperson DP Tripathi underplayed the development.

“The meeting was confined to cricket,” he said. Some senior NCP leaders explained the meeting saying that the Thackeray- Pawar friendship is old. “There is nothing wrong if Pawar pleads him to cooperate by withdrawing the threat against the Australians,” said one. However, in the past, state NCP leaders were not happy when former home minister Jayant Patil visited MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s residence for tea.

Congress spokesperson Hussain Dalwai said, “What moral authority will home minister RR Patil have to wield lathis against Sena activists when his boss Pawar bows before Thackeray?”
Meanwhile, BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde said, “Pawar’s actions always have something more than what meets the eyes.”

The BJP wondered why Pawar, who went the extra mile to greet Thackeray to avoid huge monetary losses in IPL, did not display the same spirit while tackling rising food prices. “I wish he called for an all-party meeting to discuss how to check skyrocketing food prices.”