Apr 29, 2024 08:22 PM IST
The PM, however, stressed that he has a “lot of respect” for the veteran politician.
Days after he was called “(Vladimir) Putin” by Sharad Pawar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shot back at the veteran politician.
“He (Pawar) is proud of receiving the Padma Vibhushan from a government that is headed by someone he sees as Putin. This is a big contradiction,” PM Modi told News18 in an exclusive interview.
HT launches Crick-it, a one stop destination to catch Cricket, anytime, anywhere. Explore now!
The ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister received the country’s second-highest civilian award in 2017, during the Prime Minister’s first term.
Also Read | ‘People who contested polls with us…’: PM Modi says Maharashtra’s sympathy is with BJP
The PM, meanwhile, stressed that he respects the senior leader despite the latter’s strong remarks.
“It does not matter whether people who have been in public life for long, are with or against us. I respect him a lot,” he said.
In November 2016, over two years after becoming PM, Modi had recalled how, during his early days in Gujarat, where he had four consecutive terms as Chief Minister before being elected as Prime Minister in May 2014, Pawar “taught me to walk.”
“I have no hesitation in accepting that he held my hand and taught me to walk in my early days in Gujarat,” PM Modi had said at the time.
What did Pawar say?
Speaking at an election rally in Maharashtra’s Amravati last week, Pawar described Modi as a “Putin in the making.”
“Instead of telling what the Central government did in the last ten years, he (Modi) keeps criticising others. We fear that a new Putin is in the making in India,” the former Union minister remarked.
“I have seen the work of almost every Prime Minister, including Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, including Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, and Manmohan Singh. While they all wanted to create a new India, the incumbent just offers criticism,” Pawar said.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Follow the latest breaking news and developments from India and around the world with Hindustan Times’ newsdesk. From politics and policies to the economy and the environment, from local issues to national events and global affairs, we’ve got you covered.
