MUMBAI: Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal strongly criticized Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for using offensive remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the ongoing bogus voting controversy.
Rahul Gandhi had alleged that over one lakh fake votes were cast in the Maharashtra assembly elections to help the ruling Mahayuti alliance. Responding to the claim, Fadnavis said Gandhi had "lost the chip of his head" and that his "hard disk is corrupted."
Sapkal hit back, saying Fadnavis, as Maharashtra’s CM, should maintain dignity in his speech. "He may disagree with Rahul Gandhi, but that doesn’t give him the right to use such language," Sapkal said. Mocking Fadnavis, he added, "He is not a Chief Minister but a 'Chip Minister'."
Sapkal accused Fadnavis of crossing all limits of political decency. "Maharashtra has a tradition of respecting the opposition, but Fadnavis is breaking that," he said. He also reminded that BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar had used abusive language in the assembly, and instead of taking action, Fadnavis defended him.
Questioning Fadnavis’ aggressive defense of the Election Commission, Sapkal said, "Why does he get so angry when someone questions the EC? Is he its lawyer or spokesperson?" He alleged that the BJP is nervous because Gandhi has exposed a major voting scam.
Sapkal said Gandhi provided strong evidence of electoral fraud, yet the government refused to order a fair probe. "Instead of forming an SIT or allowing a Supreme Court-monitored investigation, they asked Gandhi to file an affidavit—which is a joke," he said.
The Congress leader pointed out that as per EC rules, any complaint about voting irregularities must be probed immediately. "So why is there no investigation?" he asked.
The Congress has announced a state-wide protest against alleged voter fraud, including rallies and marches across Maharashtra.