Maha: BJP worker’s ‘slur’ at Congress leader’s daughter sparks riots, arson; 4 booked

Ahmednagar (Maharashtra): Sangamner town witnessed protests, all-night siege of a police station, arson and roadblocks after a BJP worker made scurrilous remarks against the daughter of a senior Congress leader.

The unlikely venue was a Sankalp Sabha by ex-BJP MP Sujay Vikhe-Patil in Dhandarphal village where one of the speakers and a local bigwig Vasant Deshmukh referred to cancer specialist medico Jayshree Thorat, daughter of the Congress Legislative Party Leader Vijay alias Balasaheb Thorat.

Thorat is the party candidate for the ninth consecutive time from Sangamner and his daughter Jayshree is managing his political affairs this time as he is busy with the seat distribution and campaign for the Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (SP)-Shiv Sena (UBT).

At the public meeting last night, where Sujay Vikhe-Patil was also present on the stage, Deshmukh made certain disgusting remarks against Jayshree and her father Thorat that enraged the Congress supporters in Ahmednagar.

Hundreds of party activists gathered and laid siege to the Sangamner Taluka Police Station from 10 p.m. (Friday) till 6 a.m. (Saturday) demanding stringent action against Deshmukh and Sujay Vikhe-Patil, who is the son of MahaYuti Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil.

With tears welling up in her eyes at the invectives she encountered, Jayshree demanded strong action against Deshmukh and those behind him.

“We were outside the police station the whole night for nearly eight hours. Why so much delay in lodging a complaint? It shows that the police were under tremendous pressure. Who was behind and why are they being protected? The person (Deshmukh) who hurled abuses has fled,” Jayshree told mediapersons on Saturday.

Her aunt and political leader Durga Tambe and cousin Satyajeet Tambe slammed the Vikhe-Patils for the slur on Jayshree, as another sit-in protest continues outside the police station, as the cops booked four persons.

On his part, Sujay Vikhe-Patil claimed that Jayshree was like a "sister", he did not say anything against her, but soon after the meeting, hundreds of angry protestors trooped with cans of petrol and set ablaze several private vehicles in the vicinity.

“I was planning to return home by that road… I was cautioned that there could be an attempt to attack me or torch my vehicle, so I went by an alternate route. The entire state has witnessed what happened last night, it’s a gross violation of the ECI rules,” contended Sujay Vikhe-Patil.

Hoping to assuage feelings, he also sought action against his party worker (Deshmukh), but also to book those who indulged in the violence and arson.

“On one hand they talk of ‘Ladki Bahin’ and on the other, they abuse a daughter in such demeaning terms. Politics has stooped to a new low and the incident must be probed,” demanded Durga Tambe, the sister of Balasaheb Thorat.

The issue snowballed into a huge political row with MVA leaders slamming the MahaYuti government and BJP for degrading political debate with demeaning statements on women merely to seek votes.

Leader of Opposition (Assembly) Vijay Wadettiwar said that never before in history have women been subjected to such abuses in the birthplace of the legendary Savitribai Phule.

“On one hand they go around asking for the opinion on ‘Ladki Bahin’, and then deride them publicly. If someone uses such derogatory language about our mothers or sisters, can the family members remain silent? The time has come to rid the state of people with such disgusting thinking,” demanded Wadettiwar.

SS (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut attacked BJP accusing it of dragging politics and political debate to new depths which is an insult to the entire state, and reiterated that BJP wants to create riots in the state before the November 20 elections.

Congress Chief Spokesperson Atul Londhe questioned BJP how a person with a deranged mentality was allowed to speak on the stage.

Jayshree Thorat said that she was appalled that considering his senior age, Deshmukh did not care to mind his words while speaking on a public platform.