"Communal fever" spreading with BJP in power: Sharad Pawar

MUMBAI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar today said "communal fever" is spreading after BJP came to power in a veiled attack on the ruling party over the alleged involvement of a radical Hindu outfit in the murder of a techie in Pune.

"Fifteen days have passed since BJP has come to power with absolute majority and a communal fever is spreading. Communal violence had rocked some places in the State and a young professional was killed," Pawar said here.

He was addressing a NCP meeting to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its formation.

"This has not happened before. Certain ideologies which were lying low all these years are now raising their heads and some sections of the society are living in fear," Pawar said.

"Images of noted figures are morphed to create divisiveness in the society. Modern technology is used to spread hatred," the former Agriculture Minister said.

Objectionable posts of warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji and Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray posted on Facebook by unknown people had triggered violence in Pune in which a young software professional Mohsin Shaikh was bludgeoned to death allegedly by activists of a little known Hindu radical outfit.

Police have arrested 17 persons with suspected links to Hindu Rashtra Sena(HRS) in this connection.

Pawar asked the party workers to stand by the deprived sections of the society.

He said the recent elections was an eye-opener for NCP. Referring to certain high-ranking government officials joining the BJP ahead of polls and becoming MPs, Pawar said that, "Certain elements of police force subscribe to a specific ideology which is harmful for administration.

"The (former) Army chief, Mumbai Police Commissioner and Union Home Secretary joined BJP on the eve of elections and became MPs. It is our mistake that we trusted these people to work in our administration," he said.

He was referring to former Army Chief Gen V K Singh, former Union Home Secretary R K Singh nd ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh.

Pawar said appointments to sensitive posts have to be made carefully.

Pawar, meanwhile, rejected demands being raised in some sections of his party that he be made the chief ministerial candidate in the upcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra and said the NCP will go to polls with a collective leadership.

"Don't try to create something out of nothing. NCP will go to the Assembly elections with a collective leadership. Elected MLAs will decide their leader," he said.

"...I am doing well for myself in spending time out of power. There are a lot of things to do...read and travel and see for myself if government schemes reached the people," Pawar said.