MahaYuti slams state Cong chief for comparing Fadnavis’ governance with Aurangzeb’s

Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) The MahaYuti legislators in the state Assembly strongly condemned Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshwardhan Sapkal’s statement comparing the governance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis with that of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s.

BJP chief whip Randhir Savarkar demanded the state Assembly reprimand Sapkal as he likened Fadnavis to that of Aurangzeb’s.

Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Gaikwad also slammed Sapkal.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that the members should refrain from making such statements while alleging that it would have been done to make the party leadership happy. He assured the House: “We will check the statement and, if necessary, will take the action.”

However, after strong attack from the treasury bench members, Sapkal clarified: “The current brutal governance in Maharashtra is deeply troubling. The gruesome murder of Santosh Deshmukh, the Swargate rape case, farmer suicides, and increasing atrocities against women paint a grim picture of the Fadnavis government’s rule. In this context, comparing Fadnavis’ governance to that of Aurangzeb highlights the similarities between their regimes, not the individuals themselves. However, some BJP leaders are now equating Fadnavis with the cruel Aurangzeb.”

Sapkal questioned why BJP leaders were so agitated when Aurangzeb was mentioned.

“I did not use derogatory language against Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, nor did I address him disrespectfully. Yet, BJP leaders are resorting to personal attacks against me. When I compared the governance of Aurangzeb and Fadnavis, BJP leaders themselves declared that I was equating Fadnavis with Aurangzeb,” Sapkal said.

He reiterated that he had made the same statement in Ratnagiri on Sunday and during the Sadbhavana Yatra in Beed district on March 9.

Responding to BJP State President Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s remarks, Sapkal challenged him to explain how criticizing Devendra Fadnavis’ governance hurts Marathi identity.

“Doesn’t the disrespect shown to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj harm Marathi pride? When Koratkar and Solapurkar insulted Shivaji Maharaj, why did Bawankule remain silent? The Congress Party has values. Santosh Deshmukh, the Sarpanch of Massajog, was a BJP booth-level leader. Yet, after his murder, BJP President Bawankule did not even visit his family to offer condolences. Instead, he attempted to negotiate a settlement. In contrast, as Congress State President, I visited Deshmukh’s family and organised a Sadbhavana Yatra from there,” Sapkal said.

“I come from a humble background, but BJP leaders like Bawankule and Narayan Rane have resorted to personal attacks against me, revealing BJP’s true face,” he added.

Sapkal acknowledged that Aurangzeb was a cruel ruler, but he reminded people that Maharashtra’s soil buried him—a testament to the bravery and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

“Some forces are trying to erase this history and Shivaji Maharaj’s valour. If Aurangzeb was cruel, so were the British. Then will Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad dare to demolish statues, memorials, and institutions that honour those who helped the British regime?” Sapkal questioned.

–IANS

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