The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, November 12, came down heavily on Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole over his purported ‘dog’ remark targeting the BJP leaders, saying the party was “frustrated” and “dejected” with his losses in the elections.
Dubbing the remarks as “Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi (misfortune spoils the mind)”, BJP leader Anurag Thakur said Maharashtra will give a strong answer to the Congress for such remarks at the saffron party.
Speaking a public rally at Akola of Maharashtra, Nana Patole targeted the BJP for disrespecting the OBC community in the district and said it was time to make the party a “dog”, stirring a controversy.
Campaigning for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, Nana Patole said, “I want to ask, will the OBC people of Akola district vote for the BJP who are calling you dogs? It is time to make the BJP a dog now; they have become so arrogant.”
Speaking to ANI, Anurag Thakur said that every time Congress makes such comments, it has to pay a heavy price and dubbed the remarks as "Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi."
The former Union Minister said, “Vinash Kale Viprit Buddhi. Whenever Congress shows such a low mentality, makes dirty remarks, and throws mud, the lotus blooms even more. Every time Congress makes such comments about BJP, it has to pay a price. The people of Maharashtra will give them a strong answer.”
BJP National General Secretary Dushyant Kumar Gautam also rebuked Nana Patole and reminded him how Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge was insulted and treated like an “untouchable” during Priyanka Gandhi's nomination filing.
He said, “While using such words, he should remember that they kept their party's national president outside like untouchables during nomination filing. You insulted your own national president. We know how much you respect your MPs and MLAs. How will someone who doesn't respect their national president respect someone else?”
Nana Patole is not the first leader to make controversial remarks against their opponents. Earlier, Congress' alliance party Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Arvind Sawant referred to Shaina NC – who defected from the BJP to Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena – as “imported maal.”
Arvind Sawant said, “Look at her condition. She was in the BJP all her life and now she went to another party. Imported 'maal' doesn't work here; only original 'maal' does.” He later apologised for this remark.
The voting in Maharashtra has been scheduled for November 20 and the counting of votes will take place on November 23.
