Pawar busy with 'Beti Bachav' mission: Fadnavis

NCP chief Sharad Pawar is engaged in a "Beti Bachav" (save the girl child) mission for his daughter Supriya Sule, the party's Baramati MP and candidate, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Saturday.

Fadnavis was addressing a public rally in Khadakwasla area of the constituency in support of BJP candidate Kanchan Kul.

Lauding Kul for putting up a strong challenge before Sule, the chief minister took a dig at Pawar, saying he "took one thing from Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

"Modi gave the slogan 'Beti Bachav...and Pawar is doing the same thing in Baramati (trying to save his daughter from defeat)," he said.

Sule too aped one of Modi's slogans, Fadnavis further said.

"Modi warned Pakistan that we will thrash you by entering your home. Sule, while threatening a BJP worker, said the same thing," he quipped.

Fadnavis was apparently referring to an allegation made by BJP worker Rahul Shewale, which Sule has denied.

Taking a swipe at Pawar for dropping his plan to contest the Lok Sabha election from Madha, Fadnavis said at the start of the election season, the NCP "captain" declared that "he would open the innings, would hit fours and sixes and would hit a century", but later "he received such a googly that he withdrew and became a non-playing captain."