by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
￭ Pawar looking for a new role
New Delhi, Dec. 3
In a reversal of stand, the National Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday joined the chorus in parliament seeking the removal of Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti as Union minister of state for food processing for her expletives at a public rally in Delhi a few days ago.
Though the Congress & other Opposition parties have been asking for the minister's resignation despite tendering an unqualified apology in both the Houses of parliament, the NCP had been somewhat maintaining a distance. Six NCP MPs including Sharad Pawar maintained a studied silence and did not go to the Well of the House or issued any statement.
However, with the Shiv Sena finally joining the BJP government in Maharashtra, the NCP is now charting out a new role. Hence, the NCP MPs stalled the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha though in Lok Sabha its MPs watched the disruptions during the Question Hour quietly.
D P Tripathi, NCP spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP told Lokmat, "We have demanded Sadhvi's resignation and we are part of the agitation." He said that the NCP had always stood for secular values and opposed to the divisive politics. The sooner the BJP sack the minister the better it would be for the polity, he added.
Political observers in Maharashtra say that with the BJP-Shiv Sena joining hands, the NCP will move towards consolidation of the like-minded parties. Sharad Pawar being the senior-most Central leader of this plank, he may even emerge as a rallying point.
The leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Janata Dal (U), RJD, INLD and JD (S) are meeting over lunch on Thursday to form a new party. The objective is that all five parties merge and form a new party to take jointly on the Modi government.
Sharad Pawar, on his part, will try forge a new alliance with other like-minded parties.
Sources say that even in Maharashtra, the NCP will form a joint front with the Congress.
The Sadhvi issue has given these parties a breather to come together. Therefore, the NCP joining the chorus to be seen in this perspective.
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