Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar shared the stage at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony on Tuesday in Pune. During the event, Modi was conferred with the Lokmanya Tilak Award, recognizing his exceptional leadership and his efforts to instill a sense of patriotism among citizens.
Despite requests from members of the opposition INDIA alliance to refrain from sharing the stage with Modi, Pawar chose to attend the ceremony, dismissing concerns about optics and maintaining a united front against the BJP. Some MPs tried to dissuade him from attending, but Pawar went ahead with his decision.
The Lokmanya Tilak National Award was established in 1983 to honor the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak and is traditionally presented on August 1, Tilak’s death anniversary.
However, the visit was not without controversy, as some social organizations and members of various political parties staged a joint protest against Modi. Led by prominent social activist Baba Adhav, the protesters waved black flags during the demonstration held at Mandai, about 300 meters from the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple, where Modi performed a pooja upon reaching Pune. The protest saw the participation of leaders from Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and various social outfits.
