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I did not apologise to Pawar: Joshi

Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi has vehemently denied that he apologised to leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sharad Pawar for speaking bitterly about him in the legislative assembly during the tabling of the Justice B N Srikrishna Commission report.

In a rejoinder issued in Bombay, Joshi described as incorrect the statement made by Pawar at a media conference claiming that he (Joshi) had apologised over telephone. Joshi said he had only told Pawar that it was not his nature to indulge in personal criticism or character assassination.

''In no way does this mean that I expressed any regrets for what I spoke about Mr Pawar,'' Joshi said.

Joshi said he did not even mention Pawar by name in the assembly. He had just posed a counter-question to the opposition: ''If they were to demand the arrest of a patriotic leader like Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, then why don't they demand the arrest of those who had links with Dawood Ibrahim and had carried anti-social elements in their aircraft?''

''Why should this hurt Mr Pawar?'' the chief minister asked.

Joshi clarified that he had phoned Pawar in a different context. What Pawar spoke to the media was absolutely untrue and misleading, he added.

UNI

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