Sharad Pawar slams Neelam Gorhe for her ‘Mercedes will fetch you post in SS-UBT’ remarks (Ld)

Mumbai, Feb 24 (IANS) NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday deplored the statement made by Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Legislative Council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe statement at the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan held in Delhi that “two Mercedes will fetch you post in the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena.”

Terming it “foolish”, Pawar said: “There was no need for the statement made by Neelam Gorhe in the Sahitya Sammelan. Neelam Gorhe has been elected for term as the state council member and the entire Maharashtra knows how she got the party nomination.”

He further added: “I think she should not have mentioned such things on the Sahitya Sammelan platform. She was in NCP, in the Shiv Sena, she was working under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. After that, now she is working in Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena. She has experienced almost four parties in a limited period of time. It would have been right if she had not commented on her experience. Sanjay Raut’s stand in this regard is right. The organisers of the Sammelan have also expressed their disapproval.”

Pawar further said that the office bearers of the Sahitya Sammelan have already apologised. “So I now say bring the curtain down on this matter. If Sanjay Raut wants to put the responsibility on me, I have no complaint because I was heading through reception committee of the Sahitya Sammelan. I have no complaint against Sanjay Raut. Neelam Gorhe’s statement was foolish. I will not say anything more than this,” he added.

Pawar chose to clear his stand on the raging controversy after Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said the former should speak out as he was heading the reception committee. Raut also wanted Pawar to clarify whether it was proper on Gorhe’s part to make political statement using the Sahitya Sammelan platform.

Earlier, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena deputy leader Sushama Andhare on Monday said that a defamation case will be soon filed against Shiv Sena leader and the Maharashtra Legislative Council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe for allegedly tarnishing the image of the party and the party chief Uddhav Thackeray. The trigger for the Shiv Sena UBT was Gorhe’s statement made at the 98th Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Sammelan that “in the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena without giving two Mercedes cars, no one was given any post. This is a fact.”

Gorhe, who crossed over to Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, further added that “when Balasaheb Thackeray was alive, he kept watch everywhere. After him, the Sena slide began. When Uddhav Thackeray became the Chief Minister, the Sainiks were overjoyed because we thought Balasaheb Thackeray’s son had got the post. But soon things began to surface… even MLAs were denied meetings.”

Gorhe’s statement evoked angry reactions from the Thackeray group saying that the party did not give importance to the betrayer. However, the party asked Gorhe, who was nominated for four successive terms and twice as the deputy chairperson of the state council, should provide the receipts of eight Mercedes that she had purportedly gave to Thackeray.

Andhare said that “Shiv Sena is known as a party that works for the poor and represents the smallest section of the society. Neelam Gorhe made a very absurd statement yesterday with the intention of deliberately tarnishing the image of the party and party chief. The Shiv Sen founded by Balasaheb Thackeray has a noble and magnificent tradition. If Gorhe wants to please the ruling Shiv Sena and the MahaYuti and win the Rajya Sabha or ministerial posts, he should do so. However, while doing so, she has tried to throw mud at the party and party chief, which is extremely obscene.”

Andhare further targeted Gorhe saying that “an incompetent woman who has been made a legislator for four terms and who has not been able to to establish a single party Shakha in her area, has indulged into mudslinging”.

Gorhe has not made any statement in the wake of raging controversy.

However, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Rut claimed that Gorhe is a shameless woman and alleged that as the deputy chairperson of the state council she takes money from the proposer to include it in the house agenda. “I am ready to face privilege motion as I have proof,” he said.

Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat came to Gorhe’s defence and warned the Thackeray camp that he will expose the party with regard to how the nominations were given by taking money.

–IANS

sj/pgh