BJP MP Piyush Goyal slams Sharad Pawar’s ‘externment’ comment on Amit Shah; demands apology for 'false allegations'

MUMBAI/AKOLA/SAMBHAJINAGAR: Sharad Pawar must apologise to Union home minister Amit Shah for his statement that Shah had been externed by SC for misusing the law, Union minister and BJP MP from Mumbai North Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. While BJP state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule said the courts had given Shah a clean chit, BJP minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil said Pawar should refrain from making personal attacks.
Pawar had made the “externment” taunt after Shah called the NCP (SP) chief the “kingpin of corruption.”
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state headquarters, Goyal said it was the UPA govt, of which Pawar was an important part, which had filed a false and baseless case against Shah, which was ripped apart by Supreme Court.
Goyal said, "Sensing the increasing popularity of then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi and aware it was losing the next elections, the UPA govt tried to make out a false case against Shah so it could also ensnare Modi. Pawar was a cabinet minister and was part of this conspiracy.”
Bawankule said, “The court has already given Shah a clean chit and therefore, Sharad Pawar’s statement is uncalled for. The allegations against Shah were made during the Congress era.”
He alleged the Congress and Pawar’s political ideology revolves around power and money. “Amit Bhai does not speak unless he has concrete information. Criticising him is like showing a lamp to the sun,” Bawankule said.
Responding to this, Pawar said, “The lamp (diya) they are alluding to, we have witnessed him in Maharashtra’s prisons.”
Vikhe Patil said Pawar’s criticism was out of frustration. He further stated, “There are also allegations against Sharad Pawar on issues related to bomb blast accused which people know about. But that doesn’t mean we should keep on discussing the issues politically.”
Vikhe Patil added that the SC had given a clean chit to Amit Shah on the issue. “Amit Bhai is our leader… He was Union home minister in the past and is the minister in the current govt of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his tenure, he has done away with Article 370. Wonder why it could not happen earlier.” Pawar had said on Friday, “We have a home minister who was banished by the Supreme Court. It is astonishing that the individual responsible for the country’s security and who is helming the home ministry was once expelled from Gujarat by the Supreme Court.”