Amid the controversy surrounding Congress leader Kanhaiya Kumar’s remarks targeting the wife of Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP leader expressed frustration over the personal attacks. Fadnavis claimed that his opponents, realizing they couldn’t defeat him through political means, resorted to disparaging him and his wife.
Fadnavis stated, “The Prime Minister is right to emphasize women’s development and social reforms led by women. But when Kanhaiya Kumar couldn’t find anything against me in the investigations he conducted over the last five years, he started launching personal attacks. His troll army began accusing my wife over Instagram reels she made.”
He further emphasized that truth would eventually prevail. “If any civilized person saw the trolls targeting my wife, they would be ashamed. I told my wife that, as public figures in politics, we must remain patient. Truth can be tested, but it cannot be defeated.”
Fadnavis condemned the trolls’ behavior, saying, “They should be ashamed of themselves for making memes and writing derogatory things about my wife. If they want to fight, they should face me directly instead of fighting in such a cowardly way. I am patient and understand their tactics, but I will defeat them.”
The controversy began when Kanhaiya Kumar, during a rally in Nagpur, mocked Fadnavis’ comments on the upcoming elections, calling it a “Dharamyudh” (a righteous battle). Kumar criticized Fadnavis for mixing religion with politics while his wife focused on making Instagram reels.
Fadnavis countered by praising the BJP’s women-centric policies in Maharashtra. He observed increased participation of women in rallies, noting that earlier, 75% of attendees were men, but now, women make up 50% of the crowd. “This shift shows that our policies are resonating with women voters, giving us an edge as we head towards forming a government with an absolute majority,” he said.
Meanwhile, Fadnavis took aim at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, accusing him of being the “Bhishma Pitamah” of breaking political parties and families in Maharashtra. “Pawar has been a master at dividing and reuniting parties and families for personal gain,” Fadnavis asserted, pointing to various political splits, including the Shiv Sena’s fallout and the tensions within the NCP.
The campaigning has intensified ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections, with both the ruling Mahayuti alliance and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) making significant efforts to attract voters. The results will be counted on November 23.