Put Modi’s role in riots to rest: Pawar
KOLHAPUR: Union agriculture minister and
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said there should not be any discussion on Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi's role in the 2002 riots since he has been given a "clean chit" by the courts.
"Since Modi has got a clean chit following a judicial probe, the matter should be put to rest. It's a simple logic. We live in a country where we abide by court's decisions. Once a court has pronounced its verdict on the Gujarat riots, it is not advisable to discuss the judgment," Pawar told newspersons here barely days after similar remarks were made by party colleague and Union minister Praful Patel.
Pawar, however, ruled out any pro-BJP sentiment in the country following the recent elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi and Chhattisgarh. "The BJP has won where it has been in the government for the past one or two decades. These states have favourable views on the BJP, but the party is limited to some specific regions only. Winning the state elections does not mean that the party has the capacity to achieve the number required to form the Union government," he added.
Pawar said it is most important to have a stable government at the Centre and claimed that only a Congress-led alliance could ensure that. "I expect a clear majority for the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the Lok Sabha elections. A stable government is the need of the hour for the country. Past experiences show that instead of having an alliance of 8-10 political parties, an alliance of a limited number of parties led by the Congress has provided the country a stable government," he said.
Refusing to comment on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi being projected as the party's prime ministerial candidate by some leaders, Pawar said, "We cannot comment on who would lead the Congress. At the same time, it cannot tell us who our leader should be."
On the performance of the UPA-2 government, he said, "I had expressed my dissatisfaction with some policy decisions of the UPA a couple of years ago. I am now satisfied with the UPA's performance.
Food Security Act is the biggest evidence of the agriculture sector's performance. We can ensure agriculture produce for 71% people of the country. At present, we are the number one exporter of rice and number two in cotton, wheat and sugar. This has been possible because of the policies."
On the
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-government in Delhi, he said, "We agree that the people of Delhi had voted in favour of a new political party with great expectations. But within a short time, AAP has disappointed them. I cannot say that there wasn't any economics related to the election in Delhi. Besides, AAP had the support of the media. Several facts are, however, now emerging."
Despite repeated prodding, Pawar did not elaborate what he meant by "economics related to the election" and "facts that are emerging now".
Put Modi’s role in riots to rest: Pawar - The Times of India
