Nagpur: The political turmoil surrounding the Rajkot Fort incident continues to escalate in Maharashtra. Opposition parties, seizing the opportunity, have intensified protests across the state, targeting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and both Deputy Chief Ministers, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. In a striking development, posters have surfaced in South-West Nagpur, with the words “Maharaj, forgive us” emblazoned on them. These posters have been put up by Congress leader Prafull Gudhde Patil, who is expected to challenge Fadnavis in the upcoming assembly elections.
The controversy dates back nine months when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a statue at Rajkot Fort. However, in mid-August, the statue was toppled by strong winds and heavy rain, sparking political tensions. Opposition parties, including the Maha Vikas Aghadi, have been vocal in their criticism of the Shinde government and the Deputy Chief Ministers, even accusing them of corruption in the statue’s construction. In response, both the state government and Prime Minister Modi apologized to the public and announced plans to erect a grander statue at the fort.
Despite this, opposition protests have persisted, with Fadnavis being a primary target. Leaders from the Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena are united in their efforts to corner Fadnavis. In this context, Congress leader Prafull Gudhde has plastered posters across key areas of South-West Nagpur, particularly from Omkar Nagar to Chhatrapati Square, areas with a significant Maratha population, bearing the message “Maharaj, forgive us.”
An Attempt to Leverage the Incident in Elections
With assembly elections approaching, Gudhde is positioning himself as a formidable opponent to Fadnavis. He has been relentless in his criticism of the Deputy Chief Minister, tapping into the discontent among the Maratha community, which has shown signs of frustration towards Fadnavis over the reservation issue. Notably, Maratha leader Manoj Jarange Patil has publicly criticized Fadnavis, portraying him as a villain in the ongoing reservation debate.
The Congress seems keen to capitalize on the Rajkot statue incident in the election campaign, with Gudhde ensuring the issue remains in the public eye by putting up these posters. As political temperatures rise, it’s clear that this incident will continue to be a focal point in the run-up to the elections.
