‘It is not a political stage’, says Chaggan Bhujbal; shares dias with Sharad Pawar in Pune

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chaggan Bhujbal, who was upset over his exclusion in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, was seen with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at a function in Satara and later in the evening shared a stage with Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) chief Sharad Pawar to mark the birth anniversary of educationist and social reformer Savitribai Phule in Pune.

Fadnavis and Bhujbal attended an event organised at Naigaon village in Satara district to pay tributes to Savitribai Phule on her birth anniversary.

Later, Pawar and Bhujbal unveiled the statues of Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule installed at the premises of Chakan Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC).

Speaking on the occasion, Bhujbal said many were “surprised” at the two sharing a stage but asserted “we will always come together for great personalities like Mahatma Phule, Shahu Maharaj and Babasaheb Ambedkar as we share the same ideology”.

“Many are surprised that Pawar saheb and I have come together on one stage. I want to tell you, be it Mahatma Phule or Shahu Maharaj, Babasaheb Ambedkar or other great reformers, we will always come together for all these great people,” he said, adding that it is not a political event.

The NCP split in July 2023 after Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal and several others joined the Eknath Shinde government.

The NCP name and “clock” symbol was given to the faction headed by Ajit, while the one under his uncle was christened NCP (SP). The two parties have been bitter rivals since.

Bhujbal has been upset with his party, headed by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, after he was not included in the Fadnavis cabinet. In the days following the swearing-in ceremony on December 15 last year, Bhujbal had lashed out at the deputy CM over his non-inclusion.

Speaking at the event organised at Chakan’s APMC, Pawar slammed the Centre for imposing duty on onion exports, which was distressing farmers.

“Long ago, Mahatma Phule had spoken about the pain of these farmers. The central government should follow the example of Mahatma Phule while taking decisions concerning farmers,” the former Union agriculture minister said.

Heaping praise on Mahatma Phule, Pawar said the social reformer promoted science and technology during his time and was a successful contractor who supplied building material for construction projects of the British government, including Pune’s Khadakwasla dam.

Bhujbal said the organisers took the right decision to invite Pawar as the process to build a grand memorial for Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule started when the latter was the chief minister.

Meanwhile, Pawar had to wait for an hour at the Chakan event for Bhujbal’s arrival. Later, both the leaders went to attend a programme in one vehicle.

‘The Mahatma is above Bharat Ratna’

On conferring the Bharat Ratna on the renowned 19th century social reformers, Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai, Bhujbal said, “The ‘Mahatma’ title is bigger than Bharat Ratna. I do not want to disrespect Bharat Ratna, but there are many Bharat Ratnas, but only a few Mahatmas. If we did not seek Bharat Ratna for Mahatma Gandhi, then why Mahatma Jyotiba Phule?”

(With agency inputs)