It's Devendra Fadnavis vs Sharad Pawar over alleged plot to assassinate PM Narendra Modi

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday slammed Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar for suggesting that the BJP was playing a "threat letter card" to gain sympathy.

Pawar was alluding to an alleged Maoist letter recovered from a person arrested in connection with the 'Elgar Parishad' organised in Pune.

Speaking at a function to mark the 19th anniversary of the NCP, Pawar had said, "The BJP has realised that they are losing popular support. In order to gain sympathy, the BJP is now playing the threat letter card. However, I am sure that the people will not fall prey to such tactics.

Hitting out at Pawar for his comment, Fadnavis on Sunday tweeted that the former was not expected to "stoop down to this level".

"It is very unfortunate that Sharad Pawar ji is raising doubts about the communication ceased by the police which revels the plot to assassin Hon PM Narendra Modi ji. Hon PM Narendra Modi ji is the leader of our nation and not just of a political party," Fadnavis tweeted.

"@PawarSpeaks is not expected to stoop down to this level. Police has all the evidences and truth will prevail," his tweet further stated.

In a tweet in Marathi, Fadnavis said that "Pawar ji should play politics of the nation and not politics of hatred."

Speaking at the NCP function in Pune today, Pawar had also raised doubts on the veracity of the threat letter.

"I have spoken to a senior retired police officer who told me that when such letters come they do not go to the media but to security agencies which make sure that adequate security measures are taken," the NCP chief said.

According to police probing the January 1 Bhima-Koregaon caste violence, a letter recovered talks about the ultras' mulling a "Rajiv Gandhi-type incident" and suggesting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be targeted during his "road shows".

The letter was recovered from Rona Wilson, one of the five people arrested from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi in connection with 'Elgar Parishad' held in Pune in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district.