CM should prove ‘outsider’ role: Sharad Pawar

Mumbai: Cornering the BJP-led state government on the Bhima-Koregaon violence, Nation Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis should find out the “outsiders” who perpetrated the caste violence at Bhima-Koregaon, Pune on January 1.

After a youth died in the violence, Mr Fadnavis had stated that outsiders, not people from the state, were allegedly responsible for instigating the violence at Bhima Koregaon during the bicentennial anniversary of the Bhima-Koregaon battle. “Few people from outside the state are responsible for disturbing the peace,” chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said.

Some villagers from Bhima Koregaon too mentioned blamed “outsiders” for the clashes.

Mr Pawar expressed the need of an alliance with the Congress to defeat the BJP in the next polls. He was speaking in Akluj, Solapur on Sunday.  “The CM (Fadnavis) says that it is work of outsiders. Not just that, villagers are also saying it. So now the government should find out who exactly did it,” Mr Pawar said.

He also reacted on Shri Shivraj Pratishthan Hindusthan’s Sambhaji Bhide’s controversial statement about loan waiver.

“Few people said there is no need of loan waiver for farmers who have 40 tonne sugarcane crop. This shows how this man think about farmers,” said Mr Pawar.

Mr Bhide had said that loan waiver was politically motivated.

“After Nagpur's legislative session, leaders from both parties are expressing need to work together. It is a good sign. We can come together to defeat BJP,” said Mr Pawar.