Sharad Pawar's defence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's international role drew public disagreement from his Maharashtra opposition allies. Speaking at a Lakshmanrao Gutte Rural Development Foundation event on May 19, the NCP(SP) chief said political differences should not prevent recognition of a prime minister's work to protect India's standing abroad.
The New Indian Express reported that Pawar also opposed politicising the prime minister's foreign visits when they served national interests. He referred to Indira Gandhi, P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh as earlier leaders who had placed the country's reputation ahead of individual political considerations. His remarks presented continuity between different governments' international responsibilities.
Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena (UBT) rejected that comparison. In comments reported by The New Indian Express, he contrasted earlier prime ministers' interaction with journalists with Modi's approach to press conferences. Raut's objection focused on public accountability, while Pawar's remarks had focused on the country's external image.
The Indian Express separately reported Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal's criticism that Modi had failed citizens and that the BJP should answer for its government's record. Together, those responses showed that Pawar's appeal had not become a common position of the Maha Vikas Aghadi's principal parties.
An unnamed senior NCP(SP) leader told that newspaper that Pawar's comments should be understood against the fuel pressures and wider consequences of the West Asia conflict. The leader argued that the government needed opposition cooperation during the crisis, but said this did not mean the party would overlook its failures. That was the party leader's explanation, not a separate policy announcement from Pawar.
A senior BJP leader quoted in the same report welcomed Pawar's call for unity on global issues. The immediate result was an exchange over how opposition parties should respond during an international crisis: Pawar urged support for India's standing abroad, while his allies insisted that criticism of the government's conduct remained necessary.
