Pawar's remarks uncalled for: CM Fadnavis

Mumbai: A day after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar claimed that the late Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Goa chief minister Manohar Parrikar had quit the defence ministry and returned to his home state as the Rafale jet deal was unacceptable to him, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis slammed the veteran leader and said it was wrong to make such statements after his party colleague's demise.

The NCP chief on Saturday made a startling allegation in Kolhapur, claiming that the former defence minister quit his post at the Centre, as he did not agree with the controversial Rafale fighter aircraft deal over which the Opposition has alleged corruption.

Attacking the NCP chief, the chief minister clarified that eight days prior to his demise, the late leader had said that he should get the chance to campaign for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in at least two rallies.

The 48-year-old BJP leader also said that Congress president Rahul Gandhi too had attempted to say something on the lines of Mr Pawar's claims earlier and called it a crass joke.

Mr Fadnavis said, “Rahul ji too had attempted to say something like this earlier. It was a crass joke but Manohar ji was alive then, so he could give a reply. Giving statements like this after his death is not right. Manohar Parrikar ji had given a reply to this. He was such a man that eight days before his death he had said that he should get the chance to campaign for Modi ji in at least two rallies as there wouldn't be (another) PM like him.”

Mr Parrikar, who lost a battle with pancreatic cancer in March this year, had said that he always wanted to work in Goa. He returned as the state's chief minister after the Assembly polls in 2017 amid demands by the BJP's allies that he should be leading the alliance government.

Earlier, BJP president Amit Shah had accused Mr Pawar of spreading falsehoods, claiming that he was doing so because of his party's falling fortunes and family fights over seats.