PM gets 'hysterical' when elections are approaching, claims Pawar

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar opined that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gets "hysterical" when elections are around the corner.

"There is one thing about this man (Prime Minister Modi). Normally, he speaks fine. But when elections are approaching, he gets hysterical. There is no need to focus on that," he said while addressing party workers here on Sunday.

Pawar, who was campaigning for his daughter Supriya Sule, who is contesting from Baramati constituency in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, said leaders should avoid making comments on a personal level.

"Do not make personal comments. What is the need for making personal comments when the Prime Minister has taken responsibility of doing the same? He is expected to visit Baramati on April 10, let's see what he says then," he quipped.

The NCP chief also rubbished Prime Minister Modi's claims of a feud going on in his family.

"Recently, he (Prime Minister) went to Wardha, which is around 600-700 kilometers away from here, and said there are fights going on in my family," Pawar claimed. "We all live in different cities and there is no fight. We don't know who lives in his house. But he should abstain from speaking about anybody's family in this manner."

Pawar asserted that as the mood of the nation has changed, Modi will not remain Prime Minister for long. "The nation's mood towards Prime Minister Modi has changed. He is not going to stay for sure after this election."

"When I meet him in Delhi, I will tell him that if he does not become the Prime Minister, he will remain an MP in Parliament where I will also be there," he added.

In Daund, Pawar raked up the issue of former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav being detained in Pakistan and said: "From the last 2.5 years, Kulbhushan has been lodged in Pakistan jail but this man with 56-inch chest (Modi) could not get him back. He says 'Behno aur Bhaiyon sab thik kar dunga', then how are we facing (terror) attacks."

"The time when the plane was hijacked (Kandahar), it was BJP government in power, when the attack happened on our Parliament, it was BJP government in power, Pathankot attack happened during BJP government's tenure. All the terror attacks that happened in the country in the recent period have happened during BJP rule," he added.

Taking a jibe at Modi's alleged proximity to businessmen, he said: "Recently one (businessman) has been caught in England and his name is also Modi. There is one big Modi and one small Modi. Nobody knows who is bigger Modi and who is smaller."

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said after demonetisation to hang him after 100 days at any corner if he failed now. Which corner should we choose?" Pawar quipped.

He also accused the BJP government of failing to fulfill its promises on Ram Temple and cleaning river Ganga. "They have one person named Sakshi Maharaj who said before 2018, we will build Ram Mandir. Where is the temple?"

Polling in Maharashtra is scheduled to be held in four phases - on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.