Sharad Pawar Announces Next Opposition Meet To Be Held In Bengaluru, Attacks Modi Govt On UCC, Manipur

Targeting the BJP government in centre over the Uniform Civil Code debate, Pawar said "before talking about the UCC, the Centre should first bring reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies."

New Delhi: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar on Thursday announced that the next Opposition meeting will be held in Bengaluru on July 13-14 and not Shimla. Targeting the BJP government in centre over the Uniform Civil Code, Pawar said "before talking about the UCC, the Centre should first bring reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state Legislative Assemblies." Addressing a press conference in Maharashtra's Pune, the NCP Chief also slammed centre on Manipur violence. He said "Manipur is 'burning', but the Modi government is not taking any steps to bring the situation under control."

Pawar also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had become anxious after the Opposition parties’ meeting in Patna.On the UCC debate, he said the NCP will make its stand clear after assessing the suggestions and demands of various communities. But before that, reservation should be given to women in Assemblies and the Lok Sabha, which is a long-pending demand, the senior leader said.

On Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s claims about Pawar being aware of the BJP’s plans to form government in Maharashtra along with a group of NCP MLAs led by Ajit Pawar in 2019, the senior Pawar said Fadnavis should focus on women’s security in the state instead of making such comments.