Pune: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said some people with “urban Naxal links” had intruded into the Warkari sect in the state but they were disowned by the Warkari community.Fadnavis’s statement came as a reaction to NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar‘s claim that the followers of ‘regressive ideology’ are intruding the Warkari sect and nearly 60% of the speakers from the sect are making statements to help ‘fanatics’. Pawar expressed his opinion in an interview given for a souvenir published on the occasion of the first Marathi literary conference of women administrative officers in Delhi which was inaugurated by Fadnavis on Saturday evening.In the published interview, Pawar claimed that majority of the speakers in the Warkari sect are making speeches that will benefit the followers of regressive ideology. “Warkari sect has a long tradition of promoting thoughts of progressiveness and equality. However, the followers of regressive ideology are intruding in the sect.There are only 40% of the Warkaris who through kirtans and speeches are spreading the progressive thoughts. Another 60% of the speakers are speaking the language favouring ‘fanatics’,” Pawar mentioned in the interview, adding that a list of such regressive followers within the Warkari community is being prepared by his party.Countering Pawar, Fadnavis said the NCP (SP) chief’s claim is totally wrong and he was disappointed that Pawar gave such an interview. “Sharad Pawar was in alignmentwith the ideology of the Warkarisect. He and his supporters spread a movement promoting ‘non-religious’ thoughts and therefore, he might not be having correct information about the Warkari sect,” Fadnavis said while interacting with the media in Delhi.“The tradition of the Warkari sect is more than 1,000 years old which spreads the thoughts of faith, brotherhood and purity of mind. In the past, some people intruded in the community which were spreading thoughts which were against the tradition of Warkaris. Such people were fortunately identified and disowned by the sect. The dossier of some people with ‘urban Naxal links’ is with me already,” Fadnavis said.
