Efforts to save grand alliance under consideration: Sharad Pawar

PUNE: Talking about Mulayam Singh's walk out from the alliance, Sharad Pawar said that efforts for unity can be discussed during the meeting scheduled at Mamata Banerjee's place in Delhi on September 22. NCP had walked out of the grand alliance of non-BJP parties in Bihar demanding a higher share of seats.

Pawar said that one rank one pension can give relief to soldiers, provided the government can shoulder the financial burden. The NCP founder thinks that Hardik Patil phenomenon cannot last for long. "Along with the reservations prescribed by the Indian constitution, whoever is financially backward, irrespective of their cast, should get reservation," he said.

About Maharashtra government's order giving powers to police to take action against those that criticise the central or the state governments, Pawar said he opposes this move of the government. "People have clear right to criticise the government, political workers," he said.

Commenting on the murder of Professor MM Kalburgi, Pawar said that after the change of power the confidence of the extreme thinking tendencies has increased and the government should give protection to people who are being threatened.

Pawar said that his government did not support the law on ban of slaughter of cow and cattle and in a drought situation, the government should now give farmers allowance to sustain the cattle.