CM Fadnavis Urges Pune To Celebrate Ganeshotsav 'Completely Culturally' Amid DJ Row - WATCH VIDEO

Pune: Amid the ongoing controversy over DJ use during Ganeshotsav celebrations in Pune, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday appealed to citizens to celebrate the festival in a “completely cultural” manner, saying the city has the capacity to set an example for the rest of Maharashtra.

“I want to tell Pune residents that Pune has the capacity to celebrate the festival in a completely cultural manner. Only Pune can do this,” Fadnavis said while addressing the Maharashtra BJP State Executive Committee meeting at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch in Pune. He urged citizens not to get caught up in the controversy and instead demonstrate how Ganeshotsav could be celebrated culturally.

The meeting, chaired by state BJP president Ravindra Chavan, was attended by senior party leaders, ministers, MPs, MLAs and office-bearers from across Maharashtra.

In his concluding address, Fadnavis also asked BJP workers to prepare for what he described as a “new method” of political opposition. He attacked the Congress and Rahul Gandhi on issues including women’s reservation, Hindutva and the Kumbh Mela.

Referring to the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), Fadnavis said, “CJP means Congress Jitao Programme.” He claimed the organisation was not merely a small outfit and alleged that 80 organisations associated with the Bharat Jodo movement were involved with it.

Fadnavis also accused the opposition of attempting to create a negative narrative around Hindu institutions after finding it difficult to directly oppose Hindutva and the Ram temple.

“If Hindutva cannot be opposed, they keep talking about how Hindus make mistakes and how wrong things happen in their temples,” he said. He further claimed that the opposition’s “next target was the Kumbh Mela”.

“Yanche pudhche target he Kumbhmela aahe,” Fadnavis said, alleging that opposition leaders were trying to raise corruption allegations over Kumbh-related works. He said the tenders were being audited in four stages and accused the opposition of following a “lie repeatedly and forcefully” strategy.

“We are not merely people who take the name of Ram; we are people who run the government according to his principles,” he said.

The CM also attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “Chhatron Ki Goonj” programme. Calling it “not students’ voice but the voice of lies”, Fadnavis said several claims made by Gandhi about women and Indian society were false. He claimed that a young woman who fact-checked 40 points raised by Gandhi had found 29 to be false.

Fadnavis also targeted Gandhi over women’s reservation, alleging that Congress and its allies had opposed the legislation. “The real killers of women’s reservation are Rahul Gandhi,” he said, adding, “Rahul Gandhi beheaded the women’s reservation law.”

He claimed the BJP-led government had taken several measures for women and said, “I have faith in my leader; in 2029, they will bring women’s reservation.”

On the economy and self-reliance, Fadnavis said he believed that by 2030, farmers would meet 50% of the country’s petrol and diesel requirement and another 50% would be met through electric vehicles (EVs). He said India was moving towards self-reliance and claimed that some global forces were uncomfortable with the country’s rise.

Fadnavis also addressed the politically sensitive issue of reservations amid renewed demands concerning Maratha reservation. He said the government would not take away the reservation of one community and give it to another.

“There is no question of taking from one person’s plate and giving it to another’s,” he said, assuring that no community would be wronged. He also highlighted the government’s decision to establish 72 hostels for OBC students.

Throughout his address, Fadnavis urged BJP workers to understand what he described as changing tactics by the opposition and counter them with facts.

“I will not call the opposition our enemies,” he said, stressing the need for the party to understand and respond to their “new methods”.