Sanjay Raut criticises Sharad Pawar for honouring Eknath Shinde

Mumbai, Feb 12 (IANS) Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Wednesday said NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar should not have attended the programme where the prestigious Mahadji Shinde Rashtra Gaurav award was given to former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Raut, who enjoys a good rapport with Pawar, expressed his anger over the NCP-SP chief giving away the award to “a person who broke the Shiv Sena”.

Shinde, the deputy chief minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet, was on Tuesday honoured with the Mahadik Shinde Rashtriya Gaurav Anwar in Delhi by Sharad Pawar, who is the chairman of the 98th All India Marathi Literary Conference being held in the national capital from February 21 to 28.

“Maharashtra politics is going in a strange direction. Eknath Shinde brought down the Maharashtra government through dishonesty. Our position was that Sharad Pawar should not have gone to Shinde's programme,” said Raut in a rare jibe at Pawar.

“It is not right to give awards to traitors,” he claimed. “Sharad Pawar, you are a senior leader, we respect you. But the Shiv Sena of the late Balasaheb Thackeray was broken by Amit Shah's colleague, you honour such people, Pawar Saheb, we also understand politics,” observed Raut. He claimed that Pawar has not only felicitated Shinde but also Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“Some things are to be avoided in politics. Sharad Pawar has the wrong information about Thane. Eknath Shinde came late to Thane politics and the deterioration of Thane began thereafter,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, the NCP-SP MP Amol Kolhe hit back at Raut saying that Sharad Pawar had set the ideal of statesmanship by remaining present in the programme.

At the function held, Pawar showered praise on Eknath Shinde, saying his contribution is big in taking the state’s politics in the right direction. "Eknath Shinde is one of the leaders in the present day whose name comes first among few others who is well versed with the issues faced by rapid urbanisation. Shinde played his politics by keeping dialogue with leaders from all parties,” said Pawar.

Shinde in his speech said that it was the honour of an ordinary worker saying that he would continue to work for the common man in future too. He recalled the work done by the state government during his chief ministership.