Pune: Congress leader and MP Digvijay Singh has criticised Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for not following the state tradition of going to Pandharpur to perform puja of Lord Vithoba and his consort Rukhmai. Mr Singh further criticised Mr Fadnavis for being allegedly responsible for the ongoing agitation related to Maratha and Dhangar reservation.
Mr Singh, who has been offering prayers at Pandharpur for 27 years, spoke to the media in Pune on his return from Pandharpur. “This is the tradition of the chief of the state. The chief minister should have offered prayers,” he stated.
Blaming Mr Fadnavis for the growing Maratha agitation, the Congress MP said, “Mr Fadnavis only gave assurances that he would give reservation to the Maratha and Dhangar communities within one month. But he not fulfill his promise, which has angered both communities.”
On whether the Congress would support regional parties to defeat PM Narendra Modi, Mr Singh said, “Mr Modi is not important for us, but the ideology he represents, which spreads hatred and division among communities is. We oppose that ideology.” He added, “The next election will be fought on ideologies. It will set the stage for India to decide whether it needs the ideology of Gandhi and Nehru or Hedgewar, and Golwalkar.”
25 detained
25 Maratha Kranti Morcha activists were detained before the CM’s programme at Pimpri on Monday, where he inaugurated the Krantivir Chafekar National Museum. Before the programme, the Pimpri police detained 25 activists suspected of creating problems. Maratha Kranti Morcha’s Pravin Gaikwad criticised the CM for the arrests.
