Row over Sharad Pawar party leader’s wife comparing Abdul Kalam to Osama bin Laden

Ruta Awhad, wife of Nationalist Congress Party — Sharadchandra Pawar (NCP-SP) leader Jitendra Awhad, stoked a political controversy after drawing parallels between terrorist Osama bin Laden and former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
During a public event in Thane on Thursday, Awhad suggested that Osama bin Laden was not born a terrorist but was driven to it due to societal factors.
In her speech on the importance of education, she called on students to read bin Laden’s biography to understand how he became a terrorist. A video of her remarks is being widely circulated.
“You must read the biography of Osama bin Laden. How APJ Abdul Kalam became the president is similar to the way Osama bin Laden became a terrorist. But why did he become a terrorist? It was society that forced him to become that way,” Awhad said.

The remarks immediately drew criticism from the BJP, with party spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala taking to X (formerly Twitter) to slam Awhad and the NCP-SP.
“NCP Sharad Pawar faction leader Jeetendra Ahwad’s wife defends and eulogises Osama bin Laden, compares him to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam! Says society made him a terrorist! Jeetendra Awhad had defended Ishrat Jahan (LeT terrorist). INDI-Congress-NCP Pawar-SP alliance leaders have routinely defended Yakub, Afzal, SIMI, Kasab & others too (sic),” Poonawala wrote.
BJP spokesperson Pradip Bhandari accused the opposition INDIA bloc, of which the NCP-SP is a member, of resorting to appeasement politics in the run-up to assembly elections in Maharashtra.
“In order to appease it’s Vote Bank now INDI alliance & MVA has started a new strategy – Encourage wife of Leaders to give statements that indicate soft support to terror! Does Sharad Pawar and Rahul Gandhi endorse the view that Osama Bin Laden was a ‘Happen to be terrorist’ and children should read biography of ‘Terrorists’? (sic)” Bhandari tweeted.
The controversy has added fuel to the ongoing political battle between the Eknath Shinde-led coalition government and opposition parties ahead of upcoming polls in the state. Neither Jitendra Awhad nor the NCP leadership has responded to the controversy yet.