"In Maharashtra personal relationships are very important," said Supriya Sule of the NCP.
Highlights
- Sharad Pawar said PM Modi had proposed "working together"
- "It was the PM's magnanimity if he made the offer," Supriya Sule said
- "The party will decide about Ajit Pawar," she said on her cousin
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule, responding to her father Sharad Pawar's claim that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered that they "work together", said today that it was "magnanimous" of the PM but her father had "humbly" said no.
"I was not in that meeting. That was between two seniors. It was the PM's magnanimity if he made the offer. In Maharashtra personal relationships are very important, even if there are ideological differences," Supriya Sule, 50, told NDTV.
"But if you hear what Pawar-ji said, 'I humbly say no'," she added.
Mr Pawar told a Marathi channel on Monday that PM Modi had proposed working together but he had turned down the offer. "PM Modi offered that we work together. I told him that our personal relations are very good and they will remain that way but it is not possible for me to work together," Mr Pawar told the channel.
The NCP chief also dismissed reports that the Modi government had offered to make him India's President. "But there was an offer to make Supriya a minister in the Modi-led cabinet," said the 79-year-old who played a big role in forming the unthinkable Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance that came to power in Maharashtra last week.
"Pawar is not just my father but my boss too. And you know the boss is always right," Ms Sule quipped, as she reacted to that interview.
Asked about her cousin Ajit Pawar, who made a comeback after a dramatic act of revolt that saw him joining the BJP's Devendra Fadnavis in a surprise oath ceremony and then quitting after three days, Ms Sule said the party would decide.
There has been talk about Ajit Pawar getting back the post of Deputy Chief Minister despite his stunning betrayal, but he was not sworn in when Uddhav Thackeray took oath as Chief Minister last Thursday with six ministers.
"The party will decide about Ajit Pawar. He is first my big brother. I have five brothers and he is my second big brother. We are a joint family," said the NCP leader, whose warm welcome hug to Mr Pawar after his return to the fold had grabbed headlines.
"If my son makes a mistake, I have the right to pull his ear and scold him. But Ajit Dada is older, he has the right to pull my ear..."
Ms Sule had expressed her shock after Ajit Pawar's revolt by changing her WhatsApp status message to: "Party and family split".
Asked whether she would forgive him, the MP said: "If a family can't stand with each other, who will? It's like a bad dream. When you open your eyes, the dream is over."
On Uddhav Thackeray, who became Chief Minister after allying with the ideologically contrasting NCP and Congress, Ms Sule said he had "good clarity in thinking" and was not confused.
"When Balasaheb (Thackeray) died, no one was kind to Uddhav Thackeray. Everyone speculated the party will collapse. But today, he is the Chief Minister."