Taking the battle right into the enemy’s camp, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hit Pawars where it hurt them the most — their home turf of Baramati in western Maharashtra — by exhorting the voters to “free” themselves from the slavery of “chacha-bhatija” (Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar).
Addressing a huge public rally at Baramati in Pune district, Modi said: “I would like to tell all those political pundits who are unable to assess as to what will be the outcome of the Assembly polls in Maharashtra: Please look at the massive gathering of people here. You will know for yourself where the wind is blowing. You will be able to assess as to what will be the fate chacha-bhatija in the polls”.
“I do not think that the large gathering of people has come to elect a Government. I also do not think that the people have come here to choose their next elected representative. I believe that this massive gathering is fighting their second war of independence. They want to free themselves from the slavery of chacha-bhatija. They have come here to free Baramati the clutches of uncle and nephew,” he said.
Modi, who was the first Prime Minister after late Mrs Indira Gandhi to campaign in the Pawars’ political bastion of Baramati and that too after a gap of 34 years, launched a broadside at both NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his former deputy Chief Minister-nephew Ajit Pawar for treating Baramati as their fiefdom for years on end.
“The Pawars have occupied every inch of Baramati. Neither is the farmers’ land safe here. Nor their dreams are intact. The people here have to depend on Pawars for everything—be it a job or irrigation water,” Modi said.
Appealing to the people to support the BJP and its allies to seek independence from Pawars, Modi said: “The October 15 election provides them an ideal opportunity to show the door to Pawars. If they do so, the people chart a new course for their lives. I know the people her ready for a change”.
Demanding a report card from the NCP and Congress for their 15-year rule in the State, Modi alluded to former deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s “urination in dam” controversy and:”Here are people who could not even provide water to people. Don't you remember what he (Ajit Pawar) told you when you asked for waterIJ It was only water you had asked for. It is unthinkable that such people become ministers, my head hangs in shame... It is for this reason that you deserve yourself from the slavery of this kind of people”.
It may be recalled that the then deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had in April last year taken exception to a farmer-activist from Solapur Prabhakar Deshmukh, who had undertaken a dharma in Mumbai demanding water from Ujani dam for irrigation in his district, and had wondered: “Who is this DeshmukhIJ What is the point of his uposhanIJ Will it yield waterIJ When there is no water where will I arrange water fromIJ Should I urinate (in the dam)IJ”. The remark had sparked a major political controversy, prompting Ajit Pawar to tender public apology for his questionable comment.
"Gandhiji shook the British empire with a handful of salt at Dandi. You don't have to even use your fist to get freedom. What you need is a finger to press on BJP's lotus symbol and freedom will be yours," Modi said.
Slamming the NCP for its failure to deliver goods, Modi ironically remarked: “The NCP’s clock (party symbol) has stopped working. .... The NCP’s clock shows that the time is 10 past 10 which means that in 10 years, the party has multiplied corruption by ten folds in the state. That’s why the NCP has no place for itself in Maharashtra politics”.
A sitting MlA, Ajit Pawar is re-contesting the State Assembly polls from Baramati. His uncle Sharad Pawar had represented Baramati constituency for five terms in a row from 1991 to 2009. Sharad Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule has been representing the Baramati lok Sabha constituency since 2009.
Castigating the NCP for its failure to do justice to the backward Dhangar community, Modi said: “Tell me why the community members are fighting for their rights. At least the Congress-NCP alliance government should heard the grievances of the Dhangar community that had stood by the two parties all along. What you did was to stab this community in the back”.