Mumbai: Bharatiya Janata Party’s Maharashtra president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Monday criticised Sharad Pawar for his “Manipur-like violence in Maharashtra” comment. Bawankule said he did not expect a leader of Pawar’s stature to make a statement about the possibility of violence in the state. Expressing concern over the growing discontent between the Maratha and OBC communities regarding the reservation issue, the NCP founder has said he feared that Maharashtra might face violence similar to that in Manipur.The BJP leader said that Maharashtra has got an able home minister in Devendra Fadnavis and violence will not happen under his watch. “Sharad Pawar must explain the motive for talking about the possibility of riots and violence in the state. Bawankule said violence won’t happen in Maharashtra under the watch of an able home minister like Devendra Fadnavis. “Sharad Pawar is defaming Maharashtra and its people for politics. No one can think of violence in the state. Devendra Fadnavis is capable of controlling any situation. I urge Sharad Pawar to not stoop to this level,” he said.Bawankule urged the NCP founder to come forward to stop anyone who he thinks could cause violence instead of “instigating” people. He said, “Sharad Pawar used language that could instigate riots, but the people of Maharashtra are intelligent and will not resort to rioting. Some people are trying to create a rift between communities and staging agitations.”The BJP leader further alleged that some leaders in the opposition parties are trying to create unrest based on caste to achieve their political goals. “During the Lok Sabha elections, we saw how some opposition leaders created a narrative to pit one caste against another. The people of Maharashtra are aware that opposition parties, particularly the Congress, are trying to create confusion. In the upcoming assembly election people with their votes will give a befitting reply to the opposition bloc,” he said.Addressing a Social Unity Conference in Navi Mumbai on Sunday evening, Pawar also criticised the Centre’s handling of the ethnic strife in Manipur and Maharashtra could face a similar situation. Maharashtra is witnessing growing tensions between the Maratha community seeking the reservation under the OBC category and the backward classes. Referring to it, Sharad Pawar said, “In our state also the situation could become like Manipur. The entire responsibility of creating unity in the society is of the government which is not doing it. All should come together to ensure social unity is not disturbed.”
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