Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan stated that memories of former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would be erased from Latur, prompting strong criticism from Congress regarding his legacy and contributions to the state.
India
-Krishna Kripa
Maharashtra
BJP
president
Ravindra
Chavan
recently
made
controversial
comments
about
the
late
Vilasrao
Deshmukh,
a
former
Chief
Minister
and
Congress
leader.
Speaking
at
a
gathering
in
Latur,
Chavan
suggested
that
Deshmukh’s
memories
would
be
erased
from
the
city.
He
urged
party
workers
to
chant
slogans
like
“Bharat
Mata
Ki
Jai” and
“Vande
Mataram,”
claiming
their
enthusiasm
would
wipe
out
Deshmukh’s
legacy.
image
Maharashtra
BJP
president
Ravindra
Chavan
stated
that
memories
of
former
Chief
Minister
Vilasrao
Deshmukh
would
be
erased
from
Latur,
prompting
strong
criticism
from
Congress
regarding
his
legacy
and
contributions
to
the
state.
The
Congress
party
quickly
condemned
Chavan’s
remarks,
accusing
the
BJP
of
attempting
to
undermine
Deshmukh’s
contributions
to
Maharashtra’s
development.
They
described
the
comments
as
arrogant
and
ignorant
of
Deshmukh’s
legacy.
In
a
statement
from
Mumbai,
the
Congress
asserted
that
no
one
could
erase
Deshmukh’s
memories
from
Latur,
highlighting
his
dedication
to
the
district’s
progress.
Congress
Defends
Vilasrao
Deshmukh’s
Legacy
The
Congress
emphasised
that
Deshmukh
had
given
Latur
national
recognition
and
dedicated
his
life
to
its
development.
They
accused
BJP
leaders
of
making
disrespectful
remarks
while
visiting
Latur,
driven
by
power
intoxication.
The
party
questioned
what
such
leaders
knew
about
Deshmukh’s
deep
bond
with
Latur,
warning
that
the
people
would
not
tolerate
insults
to
their
beloved
leader.
Senior
Congress
leader
Balasaheb
Thorat
praised
Deshmukh
as
an
architect
of
modern
Maharashtra.
He
noted
that
Deshmukh’s
work
is
evident
across
the
state,
from
villages
to
cities.
Thorat
argued
that
attempts
to
erase
his
memories
would
only
strengthen
them
in
people’s
hearts.
He
criticised
the
BJP
for
ideological
bankruptcy
in
trying
to
diminish
a
leader
with
an
unshakable
place
in
people’s
minds.
Reactions
from
Congress
Leaders
AICC
general
secretary
Manikrao
Thakare
called
Chavan’s
remarks
unfortunate
and
condemnable.
State
Congress
spokesperson
Sachin
Sawant
criticised
the
BJP
for
wanting
to
erase
Deshmukh’s
memories
13
years
after
his
passing.
Sawant
argued
that
Hindutva
politics
should
not
involve
hatred,
citing
teachings
from
RSS
gatherings
and
Lord
Ram
about
ending
enmity
after
death.
Amit
Deshmukh,
son
of
Vilasrao
Deshmukh,
expressed
deep
distress
over
Chavan’s
comments.
He
stated
that
such
remarks
were
unexpected
from
Chavan
or
the
BJP
and
hurt
the
sentiments
of
Latur
residents.
Amit
emphasised
that
his
father’s
impact
on
Latur
was
profound
and
enduring,
and
no
outsider
could
erase
those
memories
with
mere
words.
Vilasrao
Deshmukh
served
as
Maharashtra’s
Chief
Minister
twice
and
hailed
from
Latur.
His
contributions
to
the
region
are
well-remembered,
with
many
considering
him
a
key
figure
in
its
development.
The
Congress
party
remains
firm
in
defending
his
legacy
against
any
attempts
to
diminish
it.
With
inputs
from
PTI
