PM otherwise okay but turns hysterical during polls: Sharad Pawar

Hitting back at Modi, who had said that Pawar was losing his grip over the party due to a rift in his family, the NCP chief said while his family is united, the country does not know whether the person (Modi) has anybody in his family or not.

Pune: Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, NCP president Sharad Pawar Sunday said while the former is otherwise "alright" but turns hysterical during elections.           Advising his party workers not to criticise anybody at the personal level, Pawar quipped that that responsibility has been taken up by the prime minister. He was speaking to NCP workers at Daund in Pune district of Maharashtra. "I would like to tell you that do not criticize anybody at the personal level. When the prime minister of the country has taken up that responsibility, why should you get into that," he said sarcastically. Hitting back at Modi, who had said that Pawar was losing his grip over the party due to a rift in his family, the NCP chief said while his family is united, the country does not know whether the person (Modi) has anybody in his family or not. "How did Modi come to know about any fights in (my) family? We all live together lovingly. We all work in different fields. When I meet him (Modi), I will tell him that my entire family is together and united," the former Union minister said. Referring to Modi, he said the country did not know whether that person has anybody in his family or not. "That person should not talk about other's families. It is not good to talk about someone's house. I will tell him (Modi) when I meet him that if he does not become PM again, he will be an MP and I will also be there (in Parliament )," Pawar said. The veteran politician also said he and Modi enjoyed "good relations". "Everybody knows what he spoke about me in Delhi, in Baramati and at Vasantdada Sugar Institute in Pune. You know one thing about this man. Usually he is okay, but when there are elections, he turns 'hysterical' (angat yete) and he starts speaking anything, so there is no need to pay heed to that," Pawar said in Marathi. He also appealed to the NCP workers to toil hard to win elections. "I found various reasons about what happened the last time (when the Congress and the NCP lost elections against the BJP). Some people said that people (voters) did a mistake (by choosing the BJP), but I would like to tell you that never say that people made any mistake. We fell short somewhere," he said. Addressing a rally at Hadapsar in the city, Pawar said maximum attacks on India have taken place when the BJP is in power. "The (Kandahar) plane hijack happened under the BJP government, so did the attack on Parliament in 2001. Similarly, the attacks on Akshardham temple (in Gujarat in 2002) and recently in Pathankot also happened when the BJP is at the helm," he said. Attacking the BJP, Pawar said the "56-inch chest" has failed to bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav, a former Indian defence officer, who has been lodged in a Pakistani jail on charges of spying since the last 29 months, and is sentenced to death. The case is being heard by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Taking a dig at Modi, the NCP chief said the PM merely assures the citizens of setting everything alright, but still terror attacks are happeing. "Looking at the current situation in the country, some experts are predicting that this would be the last election in this democratic country. I personally do not accept this. I know the people from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will not let this happen and they will not make mistake (of electing the BJP again)," he said.