Former Union minister and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar is not convinced about the alleged threat to the life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by Maoists. Expressing doubts about the recent claims by Pune Police that they have unearthed a Maoist assassination plot, Pawar referred to an interaction with a retired senior police official who noted such information is never shared with the media.
While speaking at his party's foundation day function on Sunday, Pawar said the plot to assassinate the prime minister could well be just another trick by the BJP to gain sympathy of people. The party was losing support in all sections of society, and hence such information could be used to gain sympathy of the masses, said Pawar.
Pawar reportedly said that he had spoken to a retired senior CID official who told him that such information is never shared with the media. It is immediately brought to the notice of the home department and action is taken accordingly, the official is said to have told Pawar.
Pune Police recently arrested five persons who were allegedly part of an urban Maoist front and claimed that they had seized documents and letters from them that revealed a 'Rajiv Gandhi type incident' to kill Modi.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reacted to Pawar's statement on social media. In a tweet, he said that “it is very unfortunate that Sharad Pawar ji is raising doubts about the communication seized by police which reveals the plot to assassinate Hon PM Narendra Modi ji.”
“Hon PM is the leader of our nation and not just a political party. @PawarSpeaks is not expected to stoop down to this level. Police has all the evidence and truth will prevail,” tweeted Fadnavis. It would be pertinent to note that Fadnavis too has received two threat letters.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray expressed grave concern over the threat to the lives of the prime minister and the chief minister. In an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamna, Thackeray said that there is a need to strengthen the security provided to the prime minister. There is also a need to provide 'Mossad-like' security cover to Fadnavis, Thackeray wrote in the Saamna editorial.