Sharad Pawar, nephew Ajit to Share Stage at Lokmanya Tilak National Award Event

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to receive the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune on August 1, as announced by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust. The event will witness a significant development as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar will be present together, marking their first public appearance since the party split.

The esteemed award, consisting of a memento and citation, acknowledges the Prime Minister's exceptional leadership and his endeavors to instill a strong sense of patriotism among the citizens, stated the Trust.

"In recognition of PM Modi's tireless efforts and accomplishments, which have not only fostered patriotism but also projected India on the global stage, the trustees of the Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust have unanimously chosen him for this award," expressed the Trust.

The ceremony will commemorate the 103rd death anniversary of the freedom fighter Lokmanya Tilak. The official release from the Trust revealed that Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party chief, will grace the event as the chief guest in Pune.

Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NCP chief Sharad Pawar are expected to deliver speeches during the ceremony.

Other distinguished guests anticipated to attend the award ceremony include Maharashtra Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, as well as Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde.

This occasion marks the first time that Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar will be seen together at an event since the split in the NCP, which had a significant impact on Maharashtra politics.

On July 2, Ajit Pawar, along with eight other NCP MLAs, joined the Maharashtra government, surprising his uncle Sharad Pawar. In response to the split, Pawar later reminded Prime Minister Modi of his recent comments regarding alleged "corruption" within the NCP leadership and urged him to take appropriate action against those found guilty.

"It appears that the Prime Minister has cleared the NCP and all those against whom he made allegations. Today, I am pleased that he has included some NCP colleagues in his cabinet. It shows that the corruption allegations were baseless. I am grateful to the PM for this," said Sharad Pawar.

During a conversation with Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) booth workers in Bhopal on June 27, PM Modi referred to various allegations of scams worth approximately Rs 70,000 crore involving the NCP. These accusations included the Maharashtra Cooperative Bank scam, an irrigation scam, and an illegal mining scam.