Pawar-Modi bonhomie on stage in Pune becomes talk of the town (WATCH)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday shared the stage at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony in Pune. The event was organized to confer Prime Minister Modi with the Lokmanya Tilak Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership and his role in fostering a sense of patriotism among citizens.

During the ceremony, the two leaders exchanged pleasantries, shook hands, and engaged in light-hearted banter. Their warm embrace was captured in visuals that quickly went viral on social media, sparking speculations among netizens. Despite requests from members of the opposition INDIA alliance to avoid sharing the stage with Modi, Pawar chose not to entertain these appeals.

The decision by Pawar to share the stage with Modi drew attention and criticism from some INDIA alliance members, who believed it could be seen as unfavourable optics for the opposition, especially when they are trying to present a united front against the BJP. Despite efforts from some MPs to dissuade him from attending the event, Pawar maintained his stance.

The BJP lashed out at the Congress for criticising Pawar for sharing the stage with the Prime Minister.

"MVA = Maha Vichitra Aghadi. As usual, the Congress is attacking Sharad Pawar ji -- immature behaviour is their hallmark. Guess they should first ask who are the trustees of the Lokmanya Tilak Trust. Rohit Tilak- Congressman who spoke glowingly about PM Modi. Sushil Shinde ji - Congressman," said BJP leader Shehzad Poonawala

The Lokmanya Tilak Award was established in 1983 to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak and is presented annually on August 1, the death anniversary of Tilak. However, during the visit, some social organizations and members of various political parties staged a joint protest against Modi. The protest, led by prominent social activist Baba Adhav, saw participants waving black flags as a form of dissent.

The protest took place at Mandai, approximately 300 meters away from the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganesh temple where Modi conducted a pooja shortly after arriving in Pune. Members from Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and various social outfits participated in the demonstration.