"Na tired, na retired" Sharad Pawar quotes Vajpayee to counter age jibe by nephew Ajit

In a recent response to his nephew Ajit Pawar's ageist remarks, veteran politician Sharad Pawar, 82, drew inspiration from former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Quoting Vajpayee, Sharad Pawar emphasized that he is neither tired nor retired, as he embarked on a mission to revitalize his 24-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Referring to the time when Atal Bihari Vajpayee handed over the leadership of the BJP to Lal Krishna Advani, Sharad Pawar recalled Vajpayee's words, "Na tired, na retired. Lekin ab Advaniji ke netritva mein vijay ki aur prasthan kijiye" (Neither tired nor retired. But now, move forward under Advaniji's leadership to achieve victory).

Ajit Pawar, in an attempt to criticize his uncle, had previously suggested that Sharad Pawar should retire, pointing out that even in politics, BJP leaders retire at the age of 75, citing the examples of L.K. Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi. However, this remark drew criticism from various politicians, including Supriya Sule and Lalu Prasad Yadav, who highlighted that there is no retirement age in politics.

Undeterred by the age jibe, Sharad Pawar reaffirmed his effectiveness in politics, asserting that his age, whether 82 or 92, does not hinder his commitment to serving the people. As he launched his mission to rebuild the NCP on Saturday, he reminded everyone of Morarji Desai, who became the Prime Minister at an advanced age.

Recalling past challenges, Sharad Pawar mentioned that he has experience starting from scratch and expressed his determination to rebuild the party once again. Refuting the notion of a family split, he stated that he does not believe such a division has occurred.

As a cancer survivor, Sharad Pawar has openly discussed his battle with oral cancer, which led to the removal of all his teeth. Despite concerns about his health and age raised by Ajit Pawar, he assured the public that he is fit and remains the president of the NCP.

The recent political turmoil unfolded on July 2 when Ajit Pawar took the oath as the Deputy Chief Minister after breaking away from the NCP and staking a claim to the party's symbol. The power struggle between uncle and nephew escalated when Ajit Pawar declared himself the president of the NCP, resulting in a heated exchange of personal attacks.