NCP workers alienated?

Mumbai: Ever since Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar batted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intentions behind the controversial Rafale deal, there seems to be unrest in the party rank and file. In Delhi, NCP Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP) Tariq Anwar has resigned from the party, after which his Mumbai supporter and former chairman of the state minorities commission, Munaf Hakim, too, has quit the party.

Sources told this newspaper that Mr Pawar’s extending support to Mr Modi had not gone down well with many NCP leaders but they dared not say anything in public.

Friday morning, Mr Anwar declared in the national capital that he was quitting the party. The resignation sparked tensions in the NCP over Mr Pawar’s statement about the Rafale deal. After Mr Anwar, NCP state general secretary and former chairman of the state minorities commission, Munaf Hakim, too, tendered his resignation. “I have political and personal relations with Mr Anwar. I am grateful that NCP has given me an opportunity to work with it over the years. I am now resigning from the posts,” he said.

Party sources confirmed that the state leadership was in shock over Mr Pawar’s comments. “We were having a meeting with Maharashtra Congress leaders for the alliance when this
news (Mr Pawar’s support to Mr Modi over Rafale) came in. You can imagine our position,” a senior leader and former minister told The Asian Age.

“We are raising the Rafale issue in every meeting. Our leaders have reached all corners and are getting huge response everywhere.

On this backdrop, this news of Mr Modi getting a clean chit from our leadership has shocked our workers,” said a senior leader from Mr Pawar’s inner circle.

Meanwhile, NCP national spokesperson a-ggressively denied repo-rts of Mr Pawar supporting Mr Modi. He took on the Bharatiya Janata Par-ty chief Amit Shah on Twitter saying, “Mr Shah since you accept what Pa-war saheb has said, now also accept our demand for a JPC and disclosure of the actual cost of the Rafale aircraft. Don’t be
selective.”

Misunderstanding upsets Sule

Meanwhile, Mr Pawar’s daughter and Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, too, expressed disappointment at people “not hearing” Mr Pawar’s statement properly. She said that Mr Pawar had specifically spoken about the need for disclosure of prices of the jets as well as formation of a JPC. “Mr Pawar has clearly raised three questions. First, what is the justification for 300 per cent price increases from Rs 526 crore to Rs 1,670 crore. Second, if such doubts are being raised but the government is so confident, then why they are shying away from setting up a JPC? Three, the same BJP, which raised price and specification issues during the Bofors allegations, is now hiding behind the excuse of the secrecy of agreements,” she said.