‘I will never support the saffron party’: Sharad Pawar

TIL Desk/National/Panaji/ NCP supremo Sharad Pawar has scotched rumours that his party was cosying up to BJP, saying it will never support the saffron party nor join hands with communal forces and compromise on secularism.

“There are rumours being spread that NCP is growing close to BJP. This is absolutely false news. NCP will never support BJP,” he said addressing a public meeting in Vasco last night where he was canvassing for his party candidate Jose Philipe D Souza.

“We will never compromise on secularism. NCP will never be with the communal forces. Those who are favouring and spreading communalism, we will never be with them,” said Pawar, who was recently honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, country s second highest civilian award.

With Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray calling off their two-decade-old alliance with the BJP, speculation was rife that it could look at NCP to fill the crucial gap ahead of civic polls in Mumbai and other places in Maharashtra.