Congress Leader's Scathing Attack on Maharashtra Government
In a fiery press conference on Wednesday, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Harshavardhan Sapkal launched a blistering attack on the BJP and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, accusing them of orchestrating the kidnap and assault of Ahilyanagar district Congress president Sachin Gujar. Sapkal described the incident as extremely serious and condemnable, occurring on the significant date of November 26, which is observed as Constitution Day in India.
Alleged Assault Coincides with Constitution Day
Sapkal stated that the BJP effectively throttled democracy first thing in the morning on Constitution Day. He drew a stark parallel, noting that on the same date—26/11—when Pakistani terrorists attacked India, Fadnavis's supporters in Ahilyanagar chose what he called an auspicious moment to kill democracy. The Congress party, he asserted, will not tolerate the kidnapping and beating of a district president of a national party in the middle of elections.
This event, according to Sapkal, raises a grave question about the survival of democracy in Maharashtra. He accused the BJP government of openly displaying its misdeeds and claimed this was not an isolated incident in Ahilyanagar. Sapkal recounted that two other Congress workers who wished to contest municipal elections were previously arrested at night, kept in custody, beaten, and then taken by police to former BJP MP Sujay Vikhe Patil and Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil to pressure them. He remarked that the entire sequence felt like a movie plot.
Historical Comparisons and a Warning
The Congress leader's rhetoric escalated as he compared Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis's rule to that of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. He went further, stating that Fadnavis's working style resembled the cold-blooded killing associated with Nathuram Godse. Sapkal defended his party's previous characterization of the CM as a beast, stating that the Ahilyanagar incident had proven their description true.
Sapkal concluded that the BJP accepts neither democracy nor the Constitution and has started a regime of brute force. He questioned whether the opposition can even contest elections freely and issued a warning, saying it doesn't take long for the arrogance of power to crumble. He called on Devendra Fadnavis to rein in his goon supporters.
Sachin Gujar, the Ahilyanagar district president of the Congress, was allegedly kidnapped and assaulted early on Wednesday while he was on a routine morning walk in Shrirampur town. Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat met with Gujar, condemned the attack, and demanded the arrest of the perpetrators. In a related development, the alleged attacker released a video on social media admitting to beating Gujar, claiming the Congress leader had used derogatory language while referring to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
