Latur (Maharashtra) [India], January 7 : Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan on Tuesday issued a clarification regarding his remarks about late former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, following a strong reaction from actor Riteish Deshmukh, the son of the former CM.
Chavan, while addressing an election rally in Latur on Monday, expressed confidence in the party's prospects in the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections, citing strong enthusiasm among party workers in Latur and suggested that the influence and legacy of Vilasrao Deshmukh would no longer hold sway in the city.
Clarifying his remarks, Chavan, in a video statement released by his office, said his comments were not intended to disrespect Vilasrao Deshmukh. "Vilasrao Deshmukh was a very tall leader, and my statement was in no way against him," he said.
Chavan explained that his remarks during an election rally in Latur were aimed at highlighting the contrast between Congress' campaign strategy, which he said was centred around Vilasrao Deshmukh's legacy, and the BJP's focus on developmental works by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Maharashtra.
"Everyone, raise your hands and say Bharat Mata ki Jai... In a true sense, seeing your enthusiasm, one can notice that it's a 100% fact that memories of Vilasrao Deshmukh will be wiped out for this city, and there is no doubt about it," Ravindra Chavan said.
"When I reached in Latur, I saw that overall, Congress campaign for Municpal election was completely centralised on just Vilas Rao Deshmukh and his personality, so there was one Congress agenda of seeking votes only in name of Vilasrao Deshmukh and on the other hand, we BJP have developmental works done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fernandes in Maharashtra, so I was trying to compare the agenda of both parties which can take the city forward with vision of development. So I made that statement," he said.
Regretting saying that statement, Chavan further added, "When I saw the statement of Vilas Rao Deshmukh's son (Actor Ritesh Deshmukh), who is my good friend, I want to only say that if my statement had hurt his (Ritesh's) sentiments, I regret that statement. But I had no intention to demean the late Vilas Rao Deshmukh ji."
The clarification comes after Riteish Deshmukh, on Tuesday, reacted strongly to Chavan's remarks about his late father and former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, saying that what is merely written can be erased, but memories etched in people's hearts cannot be erased.
Responding to his remarks, Deshmukh, in an emotional video, said, "I say this with folded hands: the name of a person who lives for the people remains engraved in their hearts. What is merely written can be erased, but what is engraved can never be removed. Jai Maharashtra."
Vilasrao Deshmukh, a prominent Congress leader in Maharashtra, served as the state's 14th Chief Minister, holding office in two terms--from October 18, 1999, to January 16, 2003, and later from November 1, 2004, to December 5, 2008.
The political battle in Maharashtra has intensified ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other municipal corporation elections across the state.
Polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.