Ajit Pawar likens Shiv Sena to ‘two-faced earthworm’

Pune (Maharashtra), Oct 20 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party senior leader Ajit Pawar on Friday equated the Shiv Sena with a "two-faced earthworm" which wants public sympathy but does not want to quit the state government.

"You want the peoples' sympathy and also continue in power. If you want to work among the people, then get out of the government. Your behaviour is like a 'two-faced earthworm' now," Pawar said in a sharp attack on the ruling alliance partner.

His remarks came while addressing a large gathering of party activists in his home turf, Baramati on the occasion of Diwali New Year on Friday afternoon.

Pawar said the Shiv Sena is a facing a piquant situation - it remains in the government and yet carries out agitations on various issues to gain the support of the masses.

"This is nothing but a double game. If you really want to work for the people, you can do it in the government, no need to lead agitations outside. Do you think people are fools," asked Pawar, a former Deputy Chief Minister and nephew of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.

He told the Sena that agitations on any issue is the prerogative of the people, which can be taken up against the government through the local party activists, the legislators or parliamentarians, and the opposition parties.

But, the Shiv Sena is "totally confused" and does not know what to do and cited the example of the ongoing four-day long strike by employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) which the Sena Transport Minister Diwakar Raote has failed to end.

Both, NCP the other main opposition party Congress have squarely blamed the ruling BJP-SS alliance for its incompetence to handle the State Transport Corporation workers strike which has caused massive inconvenience to millions of passengers at the height of Diwali.