News Politics National Pawar slams Modi, warns against "power concentration" in one man

Pawar slams Modi, warns against "power concentration" in one man

Mumbai: NCP chief Sharad Pawar feels there are grim portents for Indian democracy in “concentration of power” in the hands of BJP's PM aspirant Narendra Modi as seen by the marginalisation of party veterans like

“There is historical evidence that we have seen in many countries, including Germany which I have alluded to. In a country like India, we cannot surrender to one man, it has to be a team,” the NCP president said.

Asked to comment on opinion polls suggesting BJP and NDA had stolen a march over UPA, Pawar retorted, “Just see the 2004 opinion polls. Vajpayee was ruling for six years, there was feel good factor, India was shining, but results were different.

“After Emergency was lifted, people thronged our meetings but defeated us, they defeated even Mrs (Indira) Gandhi. When she apologised publicly for imposing Emergency and Janata Dal government was not performing, the same people gave us a clear-cut majority. People are smarter than us. People always think about the nation,” he said.