Pune Family Hopes for Reunion After Missing Man’s Photo Appears in Pilgrimage Campaign Ad With Eknath Shinde

Days after his photo appeared in a pilgrimage campaign advertisement alongside Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the family of a man who has been missing for the past two years now sees hope for a reunion.

According to a report by The Indian Express, Pune rural police have already begun their search for the man. Inspector Deepratan Gaikwad of Shikrapur police station said that Bharat lodged a missing complaint on Saturday night after the cops approached him.

The man, named Dnyaneshwar Vishnu Tambe, left his home in Pune’s Shirur taluka in December 2021. Since then, his family has not seen or heard from him. However, their hopes were reignited after they claimed to have spotted him in the advertisement with Eknath Shinde.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government clarified that they have not used the missing man's photo in any official communication. “The state government has not posted this ad on any of its social media accounts. It has also not been issued via the government in any form,” stated the Director General of Information and Public Relations.

Wadettiwar slams Mahayuti

After the photo and claim went viral, Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar criticized the government, saying that Mahayuti's schemes and advertisements were “hollow.”

The photo was alleged to have appeared on the Instagram account of the ruling Shiv Sena, promoting the “Mukhyamantri Teerth Darshan Yojana.” This scheme offers a subsidy of up to ₹30,000 to senior citizens for pilgrimages to key religious destinations both within and outside the state. With Assembly elections approaching later this year, the state government and CM Shinde’s party have been actively promoting this initiative.