Pune: Rupali Patil Goes All Out Against Rupali Chakankar In Ashok Kharat Case – Here's What She Said

Pune: The case involving Ashok Kharat, a self-proclaimed ‘godman’ from Sinnar tehsil in Nashik district, has taken a serious and widespread turn. The case repercussions are now hitting state politics.

Arrested on grave allegations of sexual exploitation of women, Kharat has been remanded to police custody until 24th March. As investigating agencies expand the scope of their inquiry, the controversy has cost Rupali Chakankar her position as the Chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission.

Following intense pressure from the opposition and meetings with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Sunetra Pawar, Rupali Chakankar resigned on Saturday.

Chakankar announced her resignation late on Saturday night through an X (formerly Twitter) post.

Now, Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Patil Thombare has launched a scathing attack on Chakankar over the matter. Rupali Patil and Chakankar have locked horns even before this on multiple occasions, despite being from the same faction of the NCP.

‘She Visited Nashik Every 15 Days’

In an interview with Saam TV, Rupali Patil Thombare stated that the “guru” of this Chakankar, who allegedly engaged in perverted acts, is this fraudulent baba (Bhondubaba) who has been arrested recently.

“She used to visit Nashik every fifteen days. Whether she called him 'Papa', 'Daddy', or ‘Sugar Daddy’ every two weeks, I don’t know. While every woman has the personal freedom to decide where to go and whom to talk to, an individual holding a constitutional post must act with extreme responsibility,” Thombare criticised.

‘Are You Crazy, Woman?’

Rupali Patil Thombare further remarked that Chakankar’s resignation photo showed she had no sense of public or personal shame.

“It was evident from the photo of her resigning yesterday she was smiling. What ‘personal reason’ was there? Are you crazy, woman? Are you a psychiatric patient? What kind of narrative are you trying to set? "What personal reason?" Rupali Patil said.

“You can make your husband touch the feet of that fraudulent baba; we don’t care. However, Maharashtra will not tolerate this childishness from someone sitting in such an important position,” she added.