As the Opposition parties rally against the ruling BJP government at the Centre, all eyes are on an award event in Pune on Tuesday that will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi being conferred the Lokmanya Tilak National Award.
Though it is Modi who will receive the award, the spotlight is on whether or not NCP chief Sharad Pawar, the prominent face of the state's opposition coalition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA), will attend the event.
Pawar has been invited as the chief guest for the event to be held at 11.45 am in Pune. Though the NCP leader has so far not commented anything about his attendance at the event, the trust's vice president Rohit Tilak's has stated that Pawar would be there.
"There is no change in the programme. Pawar Saheb, who is the chief guest, will attend the event. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, and Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is also a trustee, will also be attending the event," Tilak told reporters.
The MVA and the Opposition parties believe that Pawar attending the event may give a wrong message to the people. The leaders of INDIA bloc believe Pawar's presence was "bad optics for the alliance" considering how his nephew Ajit Pawar had revolted against him and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena government in Maharashtra.
While Congress has said that Pawar sharing the stage with Modi was "his personal decision", Shiv Sena (UBT), another MVA member, said that there could be confusion regarding Opposition's unity. "When a leader from the opposition coalition — MVA or INDIA — chooses to attend such a function, then confusion is bound to happen. Pawar is an experienced leader, we do not have to tell him all this, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.
Urging Pawar to clear the air, Raut said that the Opposition parties were together and both the MVA and INDIA coalition are stronger.
However, many opposition leaders have urged Pawar in person to stay away from the event, including Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad and socialist and former MLA Dr Kumar Saptarshi.
Opposition protest
The members of the opposition bloc INDIA are also planning a protest against PM Modi's visit on Tuesday. The Congress' youth wing in Pune has put up posters with the message "Go Back Modi" in some parts of the city.
Meanwhile, the Opposition leaders said they have been slapped with notices by the police for planning to protest.
NCP city unit president (Sharad Pawar faction) Prashant Jagtap, who is going to take part in the agitation, said he has been served a notice by the police under Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) section 149 (police to prevent cognizable offences). He added that that he was told agitations and rasta rokos (road blockade) where five or more people may assemble have been prohibited in public as well as private spaces as per the Maharashtra Police Act.
"We are going to stage a protest against Modi. Since they do not want this agitation or black flags to be waved, we have been served notices," he said. Mohan Joshi, Maharashtra Congress vice-president, said he, too, has received a police notice, but asserted the protest will take place as planned