Pawar attended the event, organised to confer the Lokmanya Tilak Award on PM Modi, recognising his “supreme leadership” and his role in fostering a sense of patriotism among citizens.
Despite requests from members of the opposition INDIA alliance, Pawar decided to share the stage with Modi. The INDIA alliance members were concerned about the optics of such a move, especially when they are attempting to present a united front against the BJP.
PM Modi and Sharad Pawar together on stage in Pune; Congress, Shiv Sena uncomfortable
Even though some MPs tried to dissuade Pawar from attending the occasion, he remained firm in his decision to grace the event.
The Lokmanya Tilak Award, established in 1983 to honor the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak, is presented every year on August 1, coinciding with Tilak’s death anniversary.
Some social organisations and members of various political parties staged a joint protest against Modi during the visit. Prominent social activist Baba Adhav led the protest where the participants waved black flags.
The alliance members held the protest at Mandai, around 300 metres from the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple where Modi performed pooja soon after reaching Pune.
Leaders of Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) and members of various social outfits took part in the protest.
Sharad Pawar could have turned his back on event: Shiv Sena (UBT)
The Shiv Sena (UBT) on Tuesday said NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who shared stage with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony in Pune, could have turned his back on the event to clear doubts about him among those who have taken a dim view of it.
An editorial in the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ claimed PM Modi accused the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) of corruption and then engineered a split in the party and muddied the politics in Maharashtra.
“Still Sharad Pawar will welcome Modi and this has not gone down well with some people. This was a good opportunity for Pawar to turn his back on the programme and clear the doubts about him among people,” the Marathi daily said.
Confusion over Pawar’s stand
“When leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) or INDIA go to such events, confusion is created in the minds of the people… There is some confusion about him (Pawar) not about the INDIA coalition. There may be confusion about his stand, and he has to clear that confusion. But we are together, MVA and INDIA are firm and strong,” said Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.
Leaders of opposition parties failed to meet Pawar
Congress leaders said they tried to get an appointment with Pawar from Sunday night but failed to meet him. “A delegation of opposition leaders was planning to meet Pawar with the help of NCP workers, but he reached Pune late in the night on Sunday. Therefore, we could not meet him. We tried on Monday also, but we did not get the appointment,” Congress leader Mohan Joshi told TOI.
‘Pawar must let Modi know what he is doing is against the ideology of Lokmanya Tilak’
“If Sharad Pawar is going to attend this event, it is expected he should pull his disciple’s ears. People don’t want Sharad Pawar to share the stage with the person who has threatened the country’s democracy, Constitution, and the ideology of Shiv, Shahu, Phule, and Ambedkar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had once said in Pune itself that Sharad Pawar was his guru, he joined politics holding Pawar’s finger. Now, if the teacher and his disciple are coming together, Pawar must let Modi know what he is doing is against the ideology of Lokmanya Tilak,” said Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe.
PM in Pune
Upon arriving in Pune, PM paid his respects to the eminent freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, fondly remembered as Lokmanya Tilak, on the occasion of his death anniversary. Additionally, he conducted a pooja at the renowned Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple in Pune.
Immediately after arriving from Delhi, the prime minister made a visit to the iconic Ganesh temple located on Shivaji Road. This visit marked him as the first serving PM to pay homage at the temple and perform the sacred pooja, as confirmed by the temple trustees.
This award, established by the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust in 1983, commemorates the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak, a renowned freedom fighter and social reformer. The award recognises individuals who have made remarkable and extraordinary contributions to the progress and development of the nation.
The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust takes pride in being a non-political organisation, and the award has historically been presented to exceptional individuals from various fields.
Prime Minister will become the 41st recipient of the award. The former recipients include luminaries such as Shankar Dayal Sharma, Pranab Mukherjee, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Indira Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, NR Narayana Murthy, and E Sreedharan, among others.
