Ajit Pawar supports PM’s ‘ek hai’ message; terms ‘batenge, katenge’ slogan inappropriate | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party Ajit Pawar on Tuesday supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of ‘Ek hai toh safe hai’ but rejected Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ‘Batenge toh katenge’ slogan, calling it ‘inappropriate ‘ and disconnected from Maharashtra’s ideological legacy.
“There is nothing wrong with that (PM Modi’s slogan), I don’t see any problem here. If we stick together, everyone will prosper,” Ajit Pawar told news agency PTI.
However, he expressed his disapproval over Yogi Adityanath’s ‘benefit’ slogan. “The comment ‘Batenge toh katenge’ is inappropriate. The thoughts of people in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh are different, but such statements do not work here. The use of such words, in my opinion, has no meaning in Maharashtra,” Ajit Pawar said. .
“Maharashtra is the state of Chhatrapati Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Shivaji Maharaj. The people of Maharashtra are different and think differently. If anyone leaves the ideology of Shahu, Shivaji, Phule and Ambedkar, Maharashtra will not spare them.” the deputy CM added.
‘Doesn’t like coming Baramati‘: Ajit Pawar on opponent Yugendra Pawar
Speaking about his cousin and now rival candidate Yugendra Pawar, Ajit Pawar claimed that he is not interested in politics and does not even like to stay in Baramati.
Ajit targeted Yugendra Pawar’s candidature, which was filed against him in Baramati by Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and cited his mother’s plea to the senior Pawar to avoid election contests on family basis. “I made (wife) Sunetra Pawar contest against Supriya Sule in the Lok Sabha elections. This hurt (Sharad Pawar) badly, that’s why they fielded Yugendra Pawar against me,” the NCP chief said.
“Yugendra has no interest in politics… he doesn’t like to come to Baramati. He likes to stay abroad,” Ajit Pawar noted, adding, “I don’t know what happened to him.”
“My mother told Pawar Saheb that there should be no competition within the Pawar family, but they have fielded a candidate. Sharad Pawar is a great leader. I don’t want to talk about it. But despite messages from my mother, he took such a decision,” the NCP chief added.
Ajit expressed confidence about retaining his seat in the Baramati assembly and highlighted his contributions. “People there know that several people were involved in the development of Baramati, but I put in the most effort, and Baramati knows that. I worked there and my work speaks for itself,” he stated.
He acknowledged the significance of the Maratha factor in state elections and acknowledged Manoj Jarange’s influence on the elections Maratha reservation movement. Regarding the ‘Ladki Bahin Yojana’, he clarified that this is a government initiative that will benefit all Mahayuti partners.