india

Updated: Sep 17, 2019 19:36 IST

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday slammed union home Amit Shah over his remarks questioning the former’s contribution to address Maharashtra’s farm distress. Pawar said those who have been in jail are now asking what I have done. Pawar also said he has never been in jail for his actions.

He was speaking at a gathering of NCP workers in Solapur district. Pawar also held a meeting of office bearers of the district as part of his statewide tour from Tuesday following en masse defection of sitting MLAs and senior leaders from the NCP. The tour is seen as an exercise to rebuild confidence and morale of NCP cadre.

On September 1, Shah questioned Sharad Pawar’s contribution to address farmer distress in Maharashtra when the latter was a minister in the erstwhile UPA government at the Centre.

“Sharad Pawar should call a press conference and give the details of how much financial help he had given so far to Maharashtra,” Shah had said. The home minister was in Solapur to attend the conclusion of the second leg of the ‘Maha Janadesh Yatra’ launched by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ahead of the state assembly polls.

“Some people have questioned what Sharad Pawar has done? I want to tell them, Sharad Pawar has never been in jail for his actions. Those who were in jail are now asking what I have done,” Pawar said taking a dig at the union home minister.

He further said he waived off Rs 71,000 crore loan of the farmers when he was the union agriculture minister in the erstwhile Congress-NCP government at the Centre.

“Have I become too old?” he asked the gathering, adding, “I still have to send many people back to their home.”