Uproar in Maha as Cong leader compares Fadnavis to Aurangzeb

The ruling Mahayuti members in both houses of the Maharashtra legislature on Monday condemned state Congress head Harshvardhan Sapkal's remarks comparing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and demanded strict action against him.

IMAGE: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Photograph: ANI Photo

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said in the state legislative assembly that the remarks will be verified and action will be taken accordingly as per the law.

'Certain comments are made to please party seniors and grab eyeballs. But their vote share gets decreased and their true colours are seen. If such wrong remarks are made against persons in important positions, they will be verified and action will be taken,' Pawar said.

Sapkal on Sunday said, "Aurangzeb was a cruel ruler. Today, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is an equally cruel ruler. He always takes support of issues related to religion but does nothing about cases like the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh."

The state legislative council on Monday witnessed an uproar after the ruling Mahayuti members raised the issue of Sapkal's remarks, and the proceedings were suspended for 10 minutes.

Bharatiya Janata Party group leader Pravin Darekar raised the issue in the Upper House as soon as the day's proceedings began.

Darekar said, "Comparing the chief minister, who is governing the state efficiently, to Aurangzeb is a highly condemnable act and an insult to Maharashtra."

He also demanded that a case be filed against Sapkal and strict action be taken to set an example.

Nationalist Congress Party member Amol Mitkari also criticised Sapkal's statement.

Opposition leader Ambadas Danve expressed his disapproval of personal attacks, but accused the government of having an "Aurangzeb-like mentality".

While Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar legislator Shashikant Shinde echoed similar sentiments, Congress leader Bhai Jagtap refuted the allegations, claiming that Sapkal never made such a statement.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule assured the House that the government would seriously consider strict action against Sapkal for his 'objectionable' remarks.

In the assembly, BJP MLA Randhir Savarkar also demanded action against Sapkal.

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, who was present in the Lower House, assured that the comments will be verified and action will be taken if any rule has been broken.