'There Is No Other Leader With Popularity Like PM Modi', Says Ajit Pawar

PM Narendra Modi works for 18 hours a day, Ajit Pawar said as he heaped praise on the prime minister.

Pune: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Tuesday said late Rajiv Gandhi was known as `Mr Clean', and Prime Minister Narendra Modi enjoys the same reputation. Pawar, who split the Nationalist Congress Party and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government last month, was speaking to reporters here after attending a ceremony where Modi received the Lokmanya Tilak National Award. People of Pune welcomed Modi by standing on both sides of roads when his convoy was passing, Pawar said.

"I and Devendra ji (deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis) were in the same car in the convoy. We did not see any black flags during Modi's journey to the venue. In fact, we saw that people, standing on both sides of the road, welcomed and greeted him," said Pawar, when pointed out that NCP workers (of the rival faction) staged a protest and showed black flags during the prime minister's visit.

"Any prime minister will think of having a good atmosphere in the country from the law and order point of view. Nobody supported whatever that is happening in Manipur. The prime minister has taken cognizance of the issue. Chief Justice of India too has taken cognizance. Everyone has condemned whatever happened there," said Pawar, the nephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar.

आज पुणे व पिंपरी चिंचवड शहरांतील विविध विकास कामांचा शुभारंभ आणि मेट्रो लोकार्पण सोहळा पंतप्रधान मा. श्री. @narendramodi जी यांच्या शुभहस्ते पार पडला. या कार्यक्रमात सहभागी होऊन उपस्थितांना संबोधित केलं.

पुणेकरांच्या आनंदात सहभागी होण्यासाठी स्वतः आदरणीय पंतप्रधान नरेंद्र मोदीजी… pic.twitter.com/8MYkFkikxE — Ajit Pawar (@AjitPawarSpeaks) August 1, 2023

The Centre and the Manipur government are ensuring that the culprits of the incident of May 3 (where two women were paraded naked) are punished, he added.

Modi works for 18 hours a day, Pawar said. "During Diwali, while the rest of the country celebrates Diwali at home, he celebrates it with army soldiers on the borders," he said.

"We have been seeing his work for the last nine years. There is no other leader with popularity like Modi at the international level. The truth is the truth. I want development. Being in an opposition party, we can stage protests and take out morchas, but the decision lies with those who are in power," Pawar said.

He joined the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance government for all-round development of Maharashtra, the NCP leader added.

"There is no other personality in the country who has popularity like Modi ji. Look at the work he has done in terms of infrastructure, the kind of respect India gets at the global level," the deputy CM said.

"Indira Gandhi used to get a similar kind of respect (when she visited other countries)... Rajiv Gandhi had an image of Mr Clean. Similarly, we are seeing (that) in the form of Modi," Pawar said.