MUMBAI: Responding to Praful Patel’s comment of writing an “explosive” book on Sharad Pawar’s talks with BJP, the NCP chief on Saturday said his former aide should write a chapter on how his property was attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Patel, once a close aide of Pawar, has joined deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction. Patel has said that Sharad Pawar was behind the talks with the BJP but he at the eleventh hour backtracked. Patel said he has enough “explosive material” and soon a book will come out where there will be a lot of revelations about Sharad Pawar.
Pawar senior said he is more than happy to read the book by Patel “But I also wish he would write one chapter about why he and other people left the NCP and what was the real reason behind it. Besides, he should also write one more chapter about why his residential property was attached by the ED. This will surely help to add the knowledge to him,” Pawar said.
Pawar senior said Patel lost the Lok Sabha election in 2004 despite the party making him the Union minister. “So, how much should the party give him?”
He said it is true that there was talk in his party to join hands with the BJP and there was an offer as well, but one section of the NCP did not want so they decided to follow the pulse of the people.
“We believe in Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar’s secular and progressive ideology and want to stick with it only. People voted for us because of this ideology so it is not right to cheat the people and join the hand with the different force for power. We will again nurture the young leadership in the party and they will represent the party in the state assembly and Parliament,” Pawar added.
Pawar said this is not the first time people left him. “I have been in politics for the last 60 years and seen a lot of ups and downs and therefore I am not concerned and worried about the personal criticism by the people who left us. We hope they live happily. We are prepared to fight our battle. As long as I have the support of the people and youth, I am not concerned about political opponents,” Pawar said.