Shirdi: Nationalist Congress President Sharad Pawar on Thursday visited the revered Sai temple in Maharashtra's Shirdi to pray for the drought like situation in the state and the distressed farmers. Sources said that the NCP President Sharad Pawar along with Supriya Sule paid obeisance at the Sai Baba temple in Shirdi and prayed for the welfare of farmers in Maharashtra.
The Nationalist Congress President, who is on a two-day visit to Shirdi arrived at the Sai Baba temple on Thursday morning along with Supriya Sule. The two NCP stalwarts also visited Sai Baba's Samadhi. On this occasion, Pawar also performed Padya Pooja of Sai Baba and a short aarti of Shirdi maje Pandharpur. Tukaram Hulhule, Chief Executive Officer of Saibaba Sansthan, felicitated Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule by presenting a shawl and a mini Sai Baba idol to the NCP chief.
Pertinently, Sharad Pawar and his party NCP finds itself embroiled in a controversy after party leader Jitendra Awhad said that Lord Ram was a “non-vegetarian” triggering a backlash from devotees. Addressing a function in Maharashtra's Shirdi on Wednesday, Awhad said, "Lord Ram is ours and belongs to the Bahujans.
Ram who hunts and eats is ours and we belong to the Bahujans. The ideals of Lord Ram is that he was not a vegetarian”. Awhad had also questioned as to how a person like Lord Ram who was living in the forest for 14 years found vegetarian food. "Am I correct or not? Tell me if I'm saying wrong," he said at the gathering.
The statement has caused a political uproar with the BJP registering an FIR against the NCP leader.
