Shruti Suman
New Delhi
On Monday, organizers announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be honored with the Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune on August 1. The event will have Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar as the chief guest. PM Modi has been selected for this prestigious award, which includes a memento and citation, in recognition of his exceptional leadership and his efforts in instilling a sense of patriotism among citizens.
Sources said, Sharad Pawar has been invited in the ceremony as the chief guest, while his nephew and Dy C.M Ajit Pawar are among the invitees.
In a statement, Deepak Tilak, the President of Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh), said that “The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust will confer the Lokmanya Tilak National Award upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 1 on 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak.”
The statement highlighted that under the supreme leadership of the Prime Minister and the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), India has made significant progress.
“PM Modi has awakened the feeling of patriotism among citizens and placed India on the global map. Considering his dedication, efforts, and acknowledging his work, the trustees of Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust have unanimously choosed him for this award,” the statement added.
Other personalities also invited to the ceremony like Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
It is worth noting that on July 2, Ajit Pawar and eight MLAs of NCP joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government, causing a major upheaval in state politics.
After Ajit Pawar took oath as Deputy Chief Minister, Uncle and leader of NCP Sharad Pawar reminded PM Modi of his recent remarks about the alleged corruption of NCP leaders and urged him to take action against those found guilty.
“It seems the Prime Minister has absolved the NCP and all those against whom he had made allegations. Today, I am happy that he inducted some NCP colleagues into the cabinet. It shows that the allegations of corruption were baseless. I am grateful to the Prime Minister for this,” Sharad Pawar had said.
In 2016, during an event, PM Modi had acknowledged that Sharad Pawar supported him during his early days in Gujarat politics.
