Mumbai: Amid grumbling within the larger opposition camp against NCP supremo Sharad Pawar attending a function where the Prime Minister will be conferred the Lokmanya Tilak award, NCP leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule justified her father, saying in a democracy dialogues need to be given importance.
The award, namAwarded after the iconic freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak, will be conferred on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the Lokmanya Tilak Trust during the inauguration of several developmental projects.
Sule emphasized the importance of dialogue in a democracy, stating that there was nothing wrong with Pawar's participation in the event despite the call from NCP's allies and activists urging him not to attend, according to a report published in The Indian Express.
She clarified that the award was being given to the Prime Minister and not to Pawar himself, as the event was organized by the Lokmanya Tilak Trust. She expressed her belief that if the Tilak family deemed it appropriate to honour the Prime Minister, there should be no objections.
She acknowledged the political differences between her party and the Prime Minister, with the Prime Minister having criticized the NCP as well, but pointed out that he had previously honoured Pawar by presenting him with the Padma Bhushan award.
Senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is also a trustee of the trust, refused to comment, emphasizing that his attendance was not political but in his capacity as a trustee.
Meanwhile, NCP's Pune unit chief, Prashant Jagtap, revealed that he attempted to persuade Pawar not to attend the event. However, Pawar asserted that he was attending as a guest at an event where the country's Prime Minister would be present, not at a BJP rally. He clarified that he had personally invited the Prime Minister on behalf of the trust.