Rahul Gandhi should not politicise Pune car accident, says Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said it did not "behove" Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to "politicise" the car accident involving a teenage driver in Pune.

Commenting on Sunday's incident in Kalyani Nagar in which two persons were killed, Gandhi had said if an ordinary truck or cab driver were to cause such an accident, he would be jailed for years, but there was different justice for the son of a rich man, and Congress wanted to change this system.

Asked about Gandhi's video message, Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said, "Pune police acted in the right way. But the decision (to grant bail to the boy who was allegedly driving the high-end car) was taken by the juvenile court".

"Pune police have also challenged it in the higher court. Politicising an accident does not behove Rahul Gandhi. It is not right to see everything through the prism of votes. Had he obtained information properly, Gandhi would not have made such a comment", Fadnavis told reporters.

The Juvenile Justice Board, while granting bail to the 17-year-old accused hours after the accident, asked him to write a 300-word essay.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis joined the chorus of criticism against the Board's "lenient" order.

"My heartfelt condolences to the families of Aneesh Awadhiya and Ashwini Kostha. The culprit...should be hard punished. Shame on Juvenile Justice Board", she said on X.