Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar is known for his memory and quips. On Thursday, he took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a ‘smart speaker’.
Mr Pawar was speaking at an event in Nashik, where he said, “People said that when Mr Modi came for an event in Pune, he praised me saying, ‘It was I who guided him into politics’. I said this is it. I brought him into politics? He (Modi) is a clever talker. He speaks in such a manner that the person hearing him believes there is something to the man (sic) that he must be having a 56-inch chest,” Mr Pawar said.
It may be recalled that Mr Modi had heaped praises on the NCP chief at an event in Pune in November. “I have personal respect for Sharadrao. He helped me walk in politics by holding my finger. I feel proud to pronounce this publicly,” Mr Modi had said.
Slamming the Centre for the demonetisation move, Mr Pawar said he wondered if the PM would now go after the gold ornaments. “People told me that the next step (after demonetisation) is that the government might go after the gold you wear. This is how things are now,” Mr Pawar said.
