My soul is ‘restless’ for common man, farmers: Pawar hits back at Modi’s jibe

Pune: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took an indirect dig at Sharad Pawar by calling “Bhatakti Atma” (wandering soul), the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief on Tuesday hit back, saying his soul is “asvastha” (restless) for the cause of farmers and the common man, and ready to be restless “100 times” to highlight their plight.

“There is a ‘bhatakti atma’ (wandering soul) in Maharashtra. If it does not manage success, it spoils others’ good work. Maharashtra has been a victim of it,” Modi had said at a rally in Pune on Monday, hitting out at Sharad Pawar without taking his name.

Sharad Pawar while addressing an election meeting at Otur recalled how PM Modi’s 2016 statement about having come into politics holding the former’s finger, and said “Modi is angry with me of late”.

“Yesterday, he said a ‘restless’ soul in Maharashtra has been causing restlessness across the state for the last 45 years. Modi had also said this soul was creating obstacles for the government. He also spoke about the need to safeguard against this soul,” Pawar said while addressing an election meeting at Junnar tehsil for NCP (SP)’s Shirur Lok Sabha candidate Amol Kolhe.

Pawar said he has read Modi’s speech and the (‘bhatakti aatma’) statement.

“It is correct that the soul is ‘asvastha’ (restless) but not for self but to highlight the hardships faced by farmers. I am restless to put forward the plight of the common man suffering from inflation. I am ready to be restless 100 times to highlight the woes of the people,” the veteran politician said.

Pawar criticised the prime minister for dubbing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi a ‘shehzada’ (prince), saying three generations of his family had served the country and sacrificed their lives.

In Pune, Uddhav Thackeray while addressing a rally at Warje for Supriya Sule, criticised the prime minister for divide and rule policy as a part of his politics.

Thackeray said, “The prime minister and the entire BJP are working against Maharashtra. but on the eve of Maharashtra Day, I must say that Maharashtra will teach them a lesson. Even during the Sayukta Maharashtra movement, the then Jansangh and existing BJP did not join hands with Sayukta Maharashtra and remained separate from the then elections.”

Without taking names, Modi had said, “There are some wandering souls (Bhatakti Atma) whose wishes are unfulfilled, and they keep wandering. Around 45 years ago, a senior leader from this region started the game to fulfil his ambitions. Since then, Maharashtra has been pushed into political instability.”

Thackeray said, “I was with the prime minister and the BJP. But never seen Modi visiting the state for campaigning so many times in the past. But this time, they are aware that Maharashtra will teach them a lesson, so he is visiting multiple times.”