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Saturday, Sep 22, 2007
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Pawar criticises BJP

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has accused the BJP of dividing people on the issue of the Ramar Sethu for the sake of capturing power

Addressing a meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party here on Friday evening, Mr. Pawar said that different people could have different views and beliefs and India, in the neighbourhood of instability, had remained united and stable by respecting such diversity. But the BJP was raising emotive issues at the cost of unity for the sake of getting power, he said.

Apparently referring to arguments between the BJP and DMK leaders, he said, “We burn the effigy of Ravana unlike the people in South” and the latter have different sentiments. “Indulge in whatever politics you want but do not divide the people,” he told the saffron party.

Mr. Pawar said that the entire Sethusamudram project was conceived by the BJP-led NDA government when Ms. Jaylalithaa was in power in Tamil Nadu and the then Defence Minister, George Fernandes, had gone to Chennai to explain it.

He told the NCP workers that it would be necessary to tell people who came out with the project and the BJP would be required to answer questions about its present stand. “The BJP did raise the issue of Ram temple and martyred a mosque which led to the killing of hundreds of people; and that was an attack on the country’s constitution and unity.”

He denied the alleged wheat scandal and said: “Where is the question of misappropriation when no wheat was bought?”

Defends nuclear deal

Mr. Pawar defended the nuclear deal and said that all care about the security needs of the country was taken care of and the deal was honourable.

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