PUNE: Terming his cabinet colleague Nitesh Rane’s statement about Muslims “misleading, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday advised restraint to political leaders in the state.It should be ensured that statements in public do not cause a communal rift, said Pawar who heads the Nationalist Congress Party.He was responding to a question about minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane’s recent claim that Muslims were not part of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s army.Pawar was speaking in Karad after paying tributes at the memorial of late Congress stalwart and the first chief minister of the state Yashwantrao Chavan on his birth anniversary.”Some individuals, from both sides of the political divide, sometimes make statements that are detrimental to Maharashtra’s rich cultural heritage. In the past, leaders in the state have always strived to maintain communal harmony, ensuring that different communities coexist peacefully,” he said, when asked about Rane’s remarks.Pawar further said that while founding a sovereign state, Shivaji Maharaj never discriminated against any one on the basis of caste or creed.”Political leaders, whether in the government or Opposition, must exercise caution while making statements, to ensure that communal discord is not created. Maharashtra is home to a large number of patriotic Muslims. There is evidence that during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s reign, several Muslims played a key role, including that of overseeing his ammunition department,” Pawar said.He did not understand the purpose behind “such misleading statements,” the deputy CM further said.
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