Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar said on Saturday that the country has never witnessed a situation in which a person who founded a political party has been removed from it, but “this happened with the NCP.” The veteran leader also vowed to rebuild his party.
Meeting a large number of supporters and members of the public at his Govind Baug residence on Saturday morning, Pawar, 83, said that there have been many party disputes in India in the past.
However, he said that not only the party’s name but even the NCP’s iconic ‘Clock’ symbol was taken away, which was not in accordance with the law. He said, "Everybody knows who founded the NCP."
Now the party has approached the Supreme Court for relief in the matter and expressed hope that they would get justice there.
“Nevertheless, there is no need to worry too much about losing the symbol… Till date I have contested 14 elections. Among them five were on the symbol of a ‘Pair of Bullocks’, the ‘Cow-and-Calf’, a ‘Charkha' (Spinning Wheel), the ‘Hand’, and lastly, the ‘Clock’. Taking away the symbol does not mean that the organisation is finished,” Pawar pointed out.
He stressed on the need for his party workers to increase their public outreach and explain to the masses the party's policies and principles and what the party can do for them.
“I don’t think there will be many problems even while starting afresh… We shall go around Maharashtra with a new hope and meet the people, convince them, so there won’t be a great deal of difficulties with a new symbol,” said Pawar optimistically.
This was Pawar’s first official comment after the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar ruled that the ‘real NCP’ belonged to Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Earlier, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had recognised the Ajit Pawar faction and given the NCP name and ‘Clock’ symbol to him. On Ajit Pawar’s recent speeches in the state appealing to the people to vote for him and his candidates, Sharad Pawar said, “It appears that he is trying to gain public sympathy but the masses of the state will take the appropriate decision during the elections.”
'My name is the guarantee of security in the country', PM Modi says in Karnataka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that his name is the guarantee of security in the country, adding it was his primary duty to protect the citizens of the nation.
9 held for gang rape of minors in Meghalaya
Nine persons were arrested by the police in connection with the rape of minor girls in the South West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, officials said on Sunday.
Indian Coast Guard apprehends Pakistani boat with huge consignment of narcotics
In a major success, the Indian Coast Guard, following an overnight aerial-maritime joint operation with the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), on Sunday apprehended a Pakistan boat in the Arabian Sea, west of Gujarat's Porbandar, and seized a large haul of narcotics.
Decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken on next day of Independence, PM Modi says in K'taka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the decision to build Ram Mandir in Ayodhya should have been taken the very next day after the country achieved Independence in 1947.
Rahul slams BJD-BJP in Odisha rally, says both in collusion to benefit few corporates
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, stepping up the party’s campaign in Odisha on Sunday lashed out at the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government and the opposition BJP while accusing them of having ‘married’ each other for personal gains and befooling the public.
PM Modi has already scored a century in first two phases of LS polls: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already scored a century of seats in the first two phases of Lok Sabha polls.
Govt extends shutdown of schools in Tripura till May 1, heat wave alert extends
In view of the intense heat wave, the Tripura government has announced an extension of shutdown of all government aided schools and privately managed schools till May 1 next.
Despite having a woman CM, females in West Bengal most unsafe: JP Nadda
BJP national president J. P. Nadda on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, saying that despite having a woman chief minister, females in the state are most unsafe.