NCP says Modi fears its inclusive nationalism

Mumbai: 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.