Sharad Pawar agrees with Amit Shah, says HM’s views on cooperative sector ‘appropriate’

Baramati (Maharashtra) [India], February 19 (ANI): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday agreed with Home Minister Amit Shah’s views that the cooperative sector in the country should introspect in order to improve its systems.

“Yesterday, Amit Shah was in the Cooperative Council, which was inaugurated by me on the day before yesterday[Friday]. We have no differences on the issues raised by him, our policy issues were discussed, and the ones raised by him [Amit Shah’s] seemed appropriate,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar said talking to ANI.

The NCP chief was talking about Amit Shah’s address during an event in Maharashtra where he had pointed to the drop in the number of cooperative sugar mills in Maharashtra and the rise in the number of private ones.

“I will talk about Maharashtra since I am in Maharashtra. There were 202 cooperative sugar mills in Maharashtra. Today, the number is down to 101. There were 22 private sugar mills in the state, but this has now gone up to 93. They ate up our (cooperative) space. The cooperative sector needs to introspect on why this is happening,” Shah said.

Shah had further assured full support to the cooperative sector in the country from the Central government asserting that the former needs to introspect to improve its systems.

“As far as credit societies, urban banks and district cooperative banks are concerned, a lot needs to be done. We had a series of meetings with the Reserve Bank of India and I can say about the issues that were brought before me here on this platform, we will ensure all these institutions do not face any injustice,” he added.

Talking further about the ongoing ‘bow and arrow’ issue in Maharashtra, Sharad Pawar termed the matter a “separate topic”.

“I do not want to say anything about the issue of bow and arrow that is going on at present, that is a separate topic. I had already put my views on that the day before yesterday,” Pawar said today.

The day before yesterday on Friday, Sharad Pawar remarked on the loss of the “bow and arrow” symbol of his ally Uddhav Thackeray’s faction stating that it would not have any major impact.

Asking Uddhav Thackeray to accept the Election Commission’s decision, Pawar stressed that the people would accept it as well.

“It’s the decision of the Election Commission. Once a decision is given, there can be no discussion. Accept it and take a new symbol. It (the loss of the old symbol) is not going to have any major impact as people will accept (the new symbol). It just would remain in the discussion for the next 15-30 days, that’s it,” Pawar said on Friday after the Election Commission of India allotted the party name “Shiv Sena” and the symbol “Bow and Arrow” to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

He recalled the Congress having to change its symbol from two bullocks with a yoke to hand and said that the people would accept the new symbol of Uddhav Thackeray faction like the way they accepted the Congress’ new symbol.

While the Shinde faction welcomed the decision of being recognized as the real Shiv Sena, the Uddhav Thackeray faction said they will move the Supreme Court.

The Uddhav Thackeray faction accused the Election Commission of haste and said the decision shows “it works as BJP agent”.

The Commission observed in its order that the current constitution of the Shiv Sena party is undemocratic and has been “mutilated to undemocratically appoint people from a coterie as office bearers without any election at all”. It said such party structures fail to inspire confidence.

Calling the poll panel’s decision as “murder of democracy”, Uddhav Thackeray said he will approach the Supreme Court against the decision.

“They should first understand Balasaheb. They have come to know that ‘Modi’s face does not attract people in Maharashtra anymore so they have to put Balasaheb’s mask on their face for their own benefit. I had said that ECI should not give a decision before the SC verdict. If the party’s existence is decided based on the number of MLAs and MPs, any capitalist can purchase MLA, MP and become CM,” Uddhav Thackeray said at a press conference attacking Maharshtra CM Eknath Shinde.

He said they have the support of people and will go to them. “We will surely go to the Supreme Court against this EC order. We are sure that the SC will set aside this order,” Thackeray said.

Shiv Sena was formed by Uddhav Thackeray’s father Balasaheb Thackeray. (ANI)