MUMBAI: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday criticised Maharashtra water resources minister Girish Mahajan for his remarks against former prime minister Indira Gandhi and Operation Blue Star. He said speeches like Mahajan’s could tarnish the image of the country.Mumbai, India. June 10, 2026 - Sharad Pawar, chief of the National Congress Party (NCP/SP), addressed party members at the YB Chavan Centre in South Mumbai during the party's 27th foundation day anniversary. The event marked the party's foundation day, and Jayawant Patil, Shashikant Shinde, Supriya Sule, Rohit Pawar and other leaders were also present. Mumbai, India. June 10, 2026. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)Pawar also defended the Nehru-Gandhi family while responding to remarks made by Mahajan, who had described Operation Blue Star as a “black day”. Mahajan also referred to those killed during the military action as “martyrs” and criticised then prime minister Indira Gandhi, who had ordered military action against militants holed up in the Golden temple in Amritsar. He made these remarks at an event to commemorate the anniversary of Operation Blue Star in Amritsar on June 6.While underlining his respect for the Sikh community and its contribution to the nation, Pawar said certain historical events could not be ignored. “Some people misled young minds with extremist ideologies and pushed them down a different path. Many killings took place as a result. Among those who contributed to the country’s security and freedom were military officers whose sacrifices must also be remembered. One of the country’s army chiefs was assassinated, and some people took the position that Sikhs were involved in that killing,” he said at a gathering organised to mark the 27th foundation day of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), in Mumbai on Wednesday.Referring to the turbulent period in Punjab during the 1980s, Pawar said the country must acknowledge both the sacrifices made by the Sikh community and the violence that occurred during that era. He then quickly added, “But these are matters that we should now move beyond. There is no need to repeatedly revisit them.”The NCP (SP) chief also said India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru cannot be compared with prime minister Narendra Modi, arguing that Nehru’s role in the freedom struggle and nation-building transcends the length of his tenure in office.He was responding to the BJP’s celebration on Modi completing 4,399 consecutive days in office as of June 10, 2026, thereby surpassing Nehru’s record of 4,398 uninterrupted days as prime minister.“What I find surprising is the attempt to compare today’s leadership with Jawaharlal Nehru. The argument being made is that prime minister Modi has now served as many days in office as Nehru did. But can Nehru’s achievements and contributions be measured merely by the number of days he held office,” Pawar asked.The NCP faction led by Sunetra Pawar will celebrate its foundation day on Thursday, at a gathering at the Shanmukhananda Hall in Sion.