Joining issue with Sharad Pawar for his personal attack against BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the party’s former president Nitin Gadkari said on Monday that with the electoral defeat staring in the face of ruling UPA, the NCP chief had lost his balance and spoken against Modi in such a disturbed mental state.
A day after Pawar went for the jugular of Modi for his oft-repeated “Congress Mukta Bharat” (free Congress of India) slogan and said the latter needed to be treated to be in a good hospital for his sickness after the lok Sabha polls, Gadkari said that it was rather unfortunate that the otherwise calm and composed NCP chief had chosen to indulge in a personal attack against BJP’s prime ministerial candidate.
Hours after Modi — at his election rally at Amravati in Vidarbha region on Sunday morning — came down heavily on the Union Agriculture Minister for his lack of initiative to prevent farmers’ suicides in his home State, Pawar had hit back at the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and rubbished the latter’s “Congress Mukta Bharat” slogan.
“Someone who hasn’t done anything for the country either during the freedom struggle or society in general, is now talking of ridding the country of the Congress. Something has gone wrong with him. let the elections get over, we’ll defeat him and then get him treated at a good hospital,” Pawar said at a rally at Ghanswangi in Jalana lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra on Sunday.
Pawar — who apparently had not taken kindly to Modi’s criticism of his that he had more time to speak on issues of cricket rather than worrying about the unabated farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha region – said that the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate was not bothered about the plight of the farmers affected by the recent hail storm and unseasonal rains in Maharashtra.
Pawar was also critical of Modi for his failure to visit Congress’ former MP Ehsan Jafri and other minority community members killed in Gulberg society the 2002 riots in Gujarat. “Modi is dangerous for the country,” the NCP chief said, while indicating that it was not in the nation’s interest that the current Gujarat chief became the country’s Prime Minister.
Reacting to Pawar’s criticism, Gadkari told media persons in Nagpur: “Even toughest politicians crack up. when defeat stares them in their face. Pawar does not speak like the way he has done. It is unfortunate that there have been two to three occasions in the recent past when he lose composure (and made faux pas). He has never before in his political career indulged in such personal attacks against his opponents. If he has done so now, it is because defeat has become imminent for him and he has lost his balance”.
“Given that he (Pawar) has made such comment in a mental state he is in, we should be magnanimous towards him and excuse him for his remarks against Modi,” Gadkari said.
Known for his excellent personal rapport with Pawar, Gadkari said: “I don’t want to be harsh on Pawar. But, it is rather unfortunate that the other-wise calm and composed has made such comments against Modi. But, having known and interacted with him for years despite our ideological differences, I can only attribute his comments (against Modi) to his loss of composure arising out of the prospect of imminent defeat in the polls”.