Mumbai: Taking the cue from Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) leader Mahadev Jankar that some in the party were needlessly harassing him, rebellious senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Eknath Khadse without naming former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis alleged that some leaders in the party were creating a situation that he should quit the party. Speaking at the function organised by Pankaja Munde to mark 70th birth anniversary of her late father Gopinath Munde at Parli Vaijanath, he remarked that Pankaja Munde’s defeat was not sudden, but engineered slowly, he added that do not count him in the list of party deserters.
The hostility of the crowd towards the presence of state BJP president Chandrakant Patil on the dais was such that the former MLC Pasha Patel had to wind up his speech within few minutes. Finally, Pankaja Munde had to intervene and reprimand the crowd to behave properly and hear the speech of Patil and other speakers.
He said that he had been repeatedly asking the leadership as what was his crime for which he was left out of the ministry? The senior BJP leader in jest remarked what fate befell on him, Pankaja Munde should not face the same fate. He said that he took it in his stride after being denied the party ticket, but was against giving his daughter Rohini the party ticket at the last minute. Khadse stated that the people of Maharashtra have not accepted what has happened in the BJP. Although he said that he was in mood to change the party, he added “indirectly you are telling us to go out of the party”.
Venting his ire on Fadnavis, referring to the 80 hour government of Fadnavis he expressed surprise over sudden clarifications on social media about clearing the proposal for construction of Gopinath Munde memorial, Khadse claimed that it was during his stint as the Revenue minister he had cleared the memorial site at Aurangabad and even allocated funds for it. Referring to the claim from the Fadnavis camp, he sarcastically remarked “what claims of great benevolence”. He added that the late Gopinath Munde who strived hard to raise the party in the state never back-stabbed anyone.
Earlier, speaking at the mammoth rally, RSP leader Mahadev Jankar stated that leaders like him stood with the BJP even though some leaders tried to trouble him a lot. He said that he had decided not to leave the BJP fold just for the sake of late Gopinath Munde. Sounding apologetic, Patil stated that it was good on the part of Khadse to have cleared his conscience. He however, urged the rebels not to abuse the party for the mistake of some leaders.
Patil added that late Gopinath Munde had showed leaders like him how to take on political opponents like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar. He assured the disgruntled rebellious leaders in the party those there grievances will be looked into and action taken “Do not create wounds with your words that will not heal and will make you regret at what you have done later on when everything is fine”, remarked Patil.
