Mumbai, May 14 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said that while his former colleagues Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare are capable leaders, the current leadership of their party may have a different assessment of them.

“I don’t have to comment on the happenings in the other party. But both Patel and Tatkare have worked with me for several years and have undertaken several responsibilities. Therefore, I know their capabilities very well. Maybe the leadership of their party has a different assessment of them,” said Pawar.

He was commenting on the ongoing developments in the ruling NCP, where Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Sunetra Pawar, in her letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), omitted both leaders from the party’s national executive.

The omission of the two senior leaders is being seen as an attempt by Pawar and her son Parth Pawar to sideline them.

Tatkare has since met Sharad Pawar, a meeting he described as non-political and only meant to inquire about the veteran politician’s health.

The NCP, which is already witnessing turbulent internal developments, also saw its senior leader, former Lok Sabha MP and spokesperson Anand Paranjape quit the party.

Paranjape was said to be interested in the Rajya Sabha seat that fell vacant after the resignation of Sunetra Pawar, but was reportedly sidelined within the party.

Paranjape has since gone incommunicado, though sources close to him said he is in touch with Shrikant Shinde, Shiv Sena MP and son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Earlier, Pawar termed the current situation in the country as grave and demanded that a meeting of all national leaders should be convened in the presence of the Prime Minister.

Pawar noted that although several all-party meetings had taken place over the last three to four years, the Prime Minister did not attend any of them.

“If the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers are claiming the situation is serious, then everyone should address it with equal seriousness,” he said.

He further remarked: “Since this morning, I have been watching on TV; someone is travelling by motorcycle, someone else is walking. One person even announced that since he is a minister, he has reduced his fleet of cars from 17 to eight. I was shocked to learn he had 17 cars in the first place and even after reducing them, he still has eight.”

Addressing the conduct of political leaders, Pawar said: “At this time, the Chief Minister and other ministers should use their language carefully. The words used by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding Rahul Gandhi were inappropriate.

“Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. The Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional post representing the people. Therefore, using such language for a person holding that position is wrong. I do not wish to say anything further on this matter.”

Chief Minister Fadnavis had said: “I am not sure how much Rahul Gandhi has understood what the Prime Minister meant. We don’t give much importance to what he says. Rahul Gandhi is a rejected neta. He is a rejected commodity.”

Regarding the falling rupee and the war-like global situation, Pawar said: “We must think about why the rupee is falling. The current issue with Iran certainly has an impact, but is that the only reason?”

–IANS

sj/pgh