Prime Minister Narendra Modi shares stage with Sharad Pawar at Tilak award ceremony in Pune

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday shared stage with NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the Lokmanya Tilak National Award ceremony in Pune. Before the ceremony commenced, the two leaders were seen exchanging jovial banter, with Pawar patting Modi's back, as others, including the NCP chief's estranged nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, looked on.

While CM Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis shook hands with Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar skipped the opportunity, and walked past his uncle.

Modi and Sharad Pawar met for the first time after a split in Pawar's party, following rebellion by Ajit Pawar, who joined the BJP and Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government last month. Pawar attended the event held to confer Modi with the Lokmanya Tilak Award in recognition of his “supreme leadership” and for “awakening the feeling of patriotism among citizens”.

Speaking at the event, Sharad Pawar took a dig at Modi, saying that "Shivaji Maharaj never snatched anyone's land." The remarks are being seen as Pawar's dig over BJP allegedly orchestrating splits in Shiv Sena and NCP.

Ahead of the event, Sharad Pawar did not entertain requests from members of the opposition INDIA alliance to not share stage with Modi.

The INDIA alliance members felt this won't be good optics for the opposition at a time when a united front is being put up against the BJP.

The award was constituted in 1983 to honour the legacy of Lokmanya Tilak and is presented every year on August 1, Tilak's death anniversary.