Nationalist Congress Party leaders on Monday openly told their alliance partner Congress to stop criticising them and its national president Sharad Pawar.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and home minister R.R. Patil warned the Congress, and especially chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, to observe restrain and not to target the NCP.
The Congress, in the recent times, has tried to corner the NCP on various issues including the police firing on farmers in Mawal, load-shedding, giving priority to industries over agriculture in water distribution etc. The NCP leadership is scheduled to hold a meeting on November 2 to discuss the party’s strategy on how to deal with the criticism.During the Congress rally, which was held just after the defeat of the NCP candidate in the Khadakwasala bypoll, Congress leaders had commented that their party has a good chance of strengthening its position in Western Maharashtra without depending on the NCP.
Reacting to the comment, Mr Ajit Pawar said, “In an alliance government, everyone should speak the language of cooperation and understanding. Just because you get an opportunity to poke fun at somebody (the alliance partner), you should not try to capitalise on the same.”
Meanwhile, Mr Patil went a step ahead, and even said that the NCP will have to take to streets if the criticism does not stop. “There is a limit to everything. How long can one bear the false, unwarranted criticism? If the criticism on the person, who has taken so many decisions for the benefit of farmers (Mr Sharad Pawar) are not stopped, we will be required to agitate on the roads with all our might,” said Mr Patil.
State NCP chief Madhukar Pichad said that the party will decide its strategy for elections in the November 2 meet.