Maharashtra BJP president says remarks on ex-CM Vilasrao Deshmukh not political, apologises to his sons

The BJP leader on Monday said memories of the late Congress stalwart would be 'wiped out' from his hometown Latur.

Mumbai: As the campaign for the forthcoming Maharashtra municipal corporation elections peaked, BJP state president Ravindra Chavan came under intense fire for his comments about "wiping out the memory" of Congressman Vilasrao Deshmukh. He later tendered an apology after the former chief minister’s sons slammed him.

Deshmukh (26 May 1945 – 14 August 2012), popularly known as Vilasraoji, was a two-time Maharashtra chief minister and former Union minister.

Chavan’s comments came in Latur, the hometown of the Deshmukh family.

Addressing an election meeting, Chavan said: “Everyone, raise your hands and say Bharat Mata ki jai…on seeing your enthusiasm, (I can say) 100 per cent that the memories of (former chief minister) Vilasrao Deshmukh would be wiped out from this city.”

Deshmukh’s three sons - Amit, Riteish and Dhiraj - hit out at Chavan.

Amit, a three-term MLA from Latur City and a former minister, said that the statement shows the level of BJP’s politics.

“He should have been aware that this is not the culture of Latur or Maharashtra. I strongly condemn his statement in the harshest terms. A similar condemnation is being seen across the entire state of Maharashtra,” he said.

Riteish, who is an actor and filmmaker, said: “I say with both my hands folded that the names of those who lived for the people are etched on their minds. What is written can be erased, but you can’t erase what is etched.”

Dhiraj, a former MLA from Latur Rural, said: “It is unfortunate and heartbreaking…we did not expect such a statement from him or from the BJP. This statement has hurt the sentiments of all of us, the Latur residents. We condemn that statement in the strongest terms.”

Chavan, however, on Tuesday, tendered an apology.

“Civic amenities should be the focus of these local body elections. Who will address these issues in a faster manner is important. I have not criticised Vilasrao Deshmukh in my statement. But the Congress is demanding votes in the name of Vilasrao Deshmukh there (in Latur). He was a big leader and served as chief minister. But if the feelings of his sons are hurt, I apologise to him. The statement should not be seen politically,” he said.

The state Congress hit out at the BJP leadership. “The BJP, (prime minister) Narendra Modi, (Union home minister) Amit Shah, (Maharashtra chief minister) Devendra Fadnavis, and Ravindra Chavan are immersed in the arrogance of power. Modi treats himself as if he is God, and his followers continue to make uncivilized and distorted statements,” state Congress president Harshavarshan Sapkal said.

“The BJP's mindset is such that it wants to erase not only the contributions of Vilasrao Deshmukh , but also those of (former prime minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee and (former Union ministers and BJP stalwarts) Pramod Mahajan and Gopinath Munde. They only want two names—Modi and Shah. They intend to replace the portraits of Hedgewar and Golwalkar at Resham Bagh with those of Modi and Shah,” he said.