Fadnavis Should Refrain from Making Irresponsible Statements: Congress Spokesperson Gopal Dada Tiwari

Pune, August 23: Maharashtra Pradesh Congress senior spokesperson Gopal Dada Tiwari has sharply criticised Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for repeatedly making what he described as baseless and misleading statements against the Congress.

Tiwari said that while Fadnavis’s political compulsion to constantly criticise the Congress, allegedly to please the BJP’s central leadership, may be understandable, he appears to be forgetting that he holds the office of Chief Minister. “The dignity of the office demands restraint, responsibility and factual accuracy,” Tiwari said, sarcastically questioning Fadnavis’s repeated remarks against the Congress.

Tiwari pointed out that the Women’s Reservation Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha in September 2023 with near-unanimous support, does not state that women’s reservation cannot be implemented until the completion of delimitation. He questioned why Fadnavis continues to claim that the Congress is opposed to women’s reservation.

“If the Chief Minister is unaware of these basic facts, he should first familiarise himself with the provisions of the legislation before making public statements. Repeatedly making factually incorrect claims only exposes his lack of understanding of the issue,” Tiwari said.

He further alleged that the BJP’s approach to women’s representation was exposed during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, when, according to him, the party failed to provide adequate representation to women either through the promised reservation framework or by fielding a corresponding number of women candidates.

Tiwari said the BJP-Mahayuti alliance won only 17 of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress-led MVA secured 31 seats. He urged Fadnavis to acknowledge the electoral reality instead of repeatedly making what he termed “irrational and misleading statements” against the Congress.

“Rather than engaging in political rhetoric, the Chief Minister should demonstrate intellectual maturity, uphold the dignity of his constitutional office and speak on the basis of facts,” Tiwari said.

Tiwari issued the statement in response to what he described as Fadnavis’s incorrect and misleading remarks concerning Rahul Gandhi and the Congress’s position on women’s reservation.