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Updated: Jan 24, 2019 13:35 IST

After Congress president Rahul Gandhi appointed sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh East on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the party with dynastic politics barb during his interaction with the BJP worker in Maharashtra while praising Nationalist Party or the NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Addressing the BJP workers at Baramati, Sharad Pawar’s home town, via video-conferencing, PM Modi hit out at the Congress calling it “parivarwadi” (dynastic) party and referred to an alleged “ill treatment” offered by it to NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

PM Modi’s comments came on the day when Priyanka Gandhi was officially given a bigger role in the Congress by the party president. Priyanka Gandhi had till now actively supervised electioneering only in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the parliamentary constituencies of Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi respectively. Now, Priyanka Gandhi has been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh East, a region in which PM Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi is also situated.

Also Read: Tactical or strategic: Decoding Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s big role in UP politics

PM Modi said the Congress has repeatedly insulted Pawar, who “worked” for people while being in public life. He said, “You know how Congress treated the leader of Baramati. Personally, I have high regard for him. He worked for people for many years while in public life.”



Watch: Priyanka Gandhi is a mature and knowledgeable woman: Sheila Dikshit

“As senior Congress leader, he was insulted by Congress party. His only mistake was to aspire for Congress president post for which he was shown doors. This can happen only in dynasty-based parties,” said Modi referring to Pawar’s expulsion from Congress in 1999 when he opposed Sonia Gandhi’s candidature as the party president.

PM Modi’s praise for Pawar has come at a time the NCP president is seen to be proactively working for a possible united front of opposition parties including the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. However, this is not first time PM Modi has praised Pawar. Earlier in November 2016, PM Modi had said that it was Pawar who hand-held him into politics.

Besides workers from Baramati, PM Modi also interacted with booth-level workers from Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Nanded and Nandurbar as a part of the BJP’s programme, “Mera booth sabse majboot” (My booth, most powerful) to galvanise party cadres at the ground level.

Also Read: ‘Most awaited entry in Indian politics’: JD(U) no.2 Prashant Kishor on Priyanka Gandhi’s new role in UP

While distinguishing BJP from other parties, PM Modi said decisions in the party are not taken on the wishes of one person or one family. “We take decisions on the basis of what workers feel. While most parties in the country are family ruled, in the case of BJP, party itself is the parivar,” Modi said answering a BJP worker’s question on how party is different from other political outfits.

PM Modi began his interaction by offering tributes to late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray. He said the state government has approved Rs 100 crore for Balasaheb’s memorial in Mumbai so that next generations is inspired by his work.