"From Disappointment To Dejection": BJP On Maharashtra Congress Leader's "Dog" Remark

The BJP today doubled down against Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole's purported 'dog' remarks targeting its leaders and described it as Congress's frustration ahead of Assembly polls. BJP leader Kirit Somaiya said the remarks prove that the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance has gone "from disappointment to dejection"

Speaking to ANI, Mr Somaiya said, "They are going from disappointment to dejection. Sharad Pawar is saying something; Uddhav Thackeray is verbally abusing Election Commission. Now, Rahul Gandhi's Congress is calling the BJP a 'kutta' because opinion polls show a clear majority for Mahayuti. So, I can understand their disappointment."

The Congress leader said during a poll campaign in Akola yesterday 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."

The comments seeking to blame the BJP for disrespecting the OBC community are expected to intensify the ongoing political rivalry between the MVA and Mahayuti ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections.

BJP national spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said, "Nana Patole is frustrated because when he travels on ground, he can understand that the Congress is not going to form a government in Maharashtra. But in his frustration, he has said that he wants to tame the BJP as dogs... This shows the 'Emergency' mindset of the Congress party that it wants to tame its rivals and bring them under control; it wants to file cases against them and silence them. If they come to power in Maharashtra, they will file cases against whoever speaks against them.

"That is why we say that Congress wants to damage the Constitution. Babasaheb Ambedkar's Constitution gives you freedom of speech. I condemn the word used by Nana Patole but it also shows their inferiority complex. Yesterday, Karnataka Congress leader Zameer Ahmed used the term 'kaala' for his rival. It is a racist term. Today, they are using the term 'kutta'...I can understand the frustration of Nana Patole. When they are not forming their government, they get frustrated and say absurd things," the BJP spokesperson added.

The opposition MVA coalition, comprising Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the NCP (SP), aims to reclaim power in the state, challenging the Mahayuti alliance, which includes Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP, and Ajit Pawar-led NCP.