NCP says Modi fears its inclusive nationalism

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Saturday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he was afraid of the nationalism of the Sharad Pawar-led party which was inclusive.

Modi, at a poll rally at Ahmednagar in Maharashtra, had accused Pawar of keeping mum on issues of national security despite quitting the Congress in the name of country.

"Your party's name is 'Rashtravadi' and still you see the country through a foreign lens," Modi had said.

Countering the prime minister's barbs, NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said, "Yours is a cultural nationalism of (former RSS chiefs) Hedgewar, Golwalkar in which only the people belonging to a specific class of society have a place.

"Our nationalism propagates ideals of (reformers) Chhatrapati Shahu, Mahatma Phule, (B R) Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi, Maulana Azad," he said, claiming that NCP's nationalism was all-inclusive.

"We believe in social equality. This nationalism has strengthened the people of India. We will defeat your nationalism with our ideals, and that is why you fear our nationalism," Malik added.