Home Minister has degraded his office, says Sharad Pawar

KOLHAPUR, Jan 23: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar today censured Home Minister L K Advani for "devaluation of...

KOLHAPUR, Jan 23: Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar today censured Home Minister L K Advani for "devaluation of the high office he held." On Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray’s withdrawl of the agitation against the India-Pakistan cricket series, he said, "An Alsatian does not go beyond the limits of his compound wall."

Speaking informally to reporters after Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s rally at Shivnakwadi near Ichalkaranji, Pawar said Advani has devalued the Home Ministry, a position once occupied by stalwarts like Vallabhbhai Patel and Yashwantrao Chavan.

The Home Ministry’s image has been severely damaged by Advani’s decision to bow down before Thackeray.

"We will not be surprised if they bow to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim to solve the law and order issue," he quipped.

"In the aftermath of the attack on its office, the Board for Control of Cricket in India cannot be blamed if they decided to shift their office to Calcutta,” Pawar said.

Despite being the vice-presidentof the BCCI and president of the Bombay Cricket Association, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi said he would abide by Thackeray’s decision, said Pawar.

He accused Joshi of forgetting his role as Chief Minister. It was his duty to protect the Constitution, he added.

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When reminded that his government had not arrested Thackeray, Pawar said they had filed over 30 cases against him, all of which were withdrawn by the alliance government.

Asked if Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s rally was the start of the election campaign, he said the Congress policy for now was to revive the party.