Pune: Taking a pot-shot at the BCCI chief Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has questioned his understanding of cricket.

"Has Sharad Pawar ever held bat or ball in his hands? He is devoting too much of his time to cricket affairs at the cost of his obligations as the Union agriculture minister," he said addressing the Patrakar Din (Journalists Day) function here last night.

In an oblique reference to Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray's statement supporting Pawar as Prime Ministerial candidate of the third front, the MNS president said "We will feel happy if he becomes Prime Minister. But would he find time to address Maharashtra's problems?".

Thackeray said Mumbai was bursting with a non-stop exodus into the metropolis from outside states and Pune that has expanded in a phenomenal way, too was meeting the same fate with Marathi speaking people getting a raw deal at all levels.

Pune, once called Cultural capital of Maharashtra and now an international IT hub and seat of education, was rapidly losing its roots and identity, he added.

Nine journalists were felicitated on the occasion by Maharashtra state Marathi Patrakar Sangh. They included Harish Joshi (PTI), Rajesh Korde (Times Of India, Pune), Pankaj Khelkar (Aaj Tak) and senior journalist V D Ranade (former editor of Sakal) and Swapnil Pore (Kesari).

Star TV's Marathi channel Satr Mazaa's editor Rajiv Khandekar, was the chief guest.

Source : PTI