'Gungi gudiya' remark neither abusive nor unparliamentary: Harshwardhan Sapkal on Congress' criticism of Sunetra Pawar

Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Tuesday defended his party's use of "gungi gudiya" (mute doll) remark for Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, saying the expression was neither abusive nor unparliamentary, and that people in public life should accept criticism positively.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said people should quit politics if they are unable to tolerate criticism.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Sapkal said the term 'gungi gudiya' had earlier been used for former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who later proved her leadership through her work and was described as "Durga" by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.


"Sunetra Pawar should also establish her leadership through her work," he said.

The remarks were political and not personal, Sapkal said, adding that criticism should be viewed positively in public life.

The issue flared after the Congress posted a video on social media in which NCP leader Dhananjay Munde reportedly shielded Sunetra Pawar from a journalist's question about the law and order situation in Beed district.

In the video, Munde is seen interrupting a journalist's question. Pawar did not respond to the question but left the venue once Munde announced the interaction as over.

The Congress posted the video on its social media handle, labelling her a "gungi gudiya".

Pawar is the guardian minister of Beed district, where Munde's close aide Walmik Karad is the prime accused in the murder of Massajog village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

Referring to the Munde-Pawar press conference, Sapkal said the local legislator (Munde) sitting beside Pawar allegedly tried to silence a journalist who was asking questions, while the deputy CM neither intervened nor responded.

Explaining the Congress' criticism, Sapkal alleged that the deputy CM has so far remained silent on several important issues and avoided answering questions from journalists.

Pawar has not spoken on issues concerning her party, including the probe into the plane crash in which NCP chief Ajit Pawar died, the alleged absence of a criminal case in the matter, and what he claimed was the BJP taking away the finance portfolio from her.

Meanwhile, NCP spokesperson Suraj Chavan and few others came to the Congress office in south Mumbai and shouted slogans to protest over the "gungi gudiya" remark. Sapkal was in the office at that time. The protesters later dispersed.

Sawant condemned the NCP's reaction, and said his party will not bow to "thuggery". He accused the ruling NCP of trying to silence legitimate political criticism by resorting to violence.

In a statement, he alleged that the "attack" (protest) reflected the influence of the BJP on its ally, and questioned whether this was the purpose for which the ruling alliance had come to power.

The Congress also criticised the police, asking why they failed to prevent the incident. It also claimed that law enforcement routinely deployed heavy security to curb protests organised by the opposition.

"Criticism is inevitable in politics. If you cannot tolerate criticism, you should quit politics. No abusive language was used," the statement issued by Sawant said.

The Congress also questioned why the alleged aggression was absent when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the premises of Ajit Pawar's family members.

Asserting that it would not be intimidated, the party said it would not bow before "thuggery", and would continue to raise issues against the government.

During the press conference, Sapkal targeted Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, alleging that the recent fraud involving salaries and allowances being withdrawn by people posing as government employees exposed serious corruption and administrative failure in the home department.

He compared the alleged fraud to the reported theft of donations from the Ram temple in Ayodhya, claiming that Maharashtra's treasury had similarly been "looted".

Sapkal demanded that the chief minister explain how such large-scale financial irregularities occurred despite money being transferred directly into bank accounts.

The Congress leader also demanded an inquiry into the alleged theft of donations from Mumbai's Shri Siddhivinayak Temple, and urged the government not to suppress the matter "like what happened in the Ram temple donation case".

Asked about RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's proposed interaction in Mumbai with Gen Z and Gen Alpha students, Sapkal said Bhagwat should explain why the RSS had not been formally registered, why details of donations received by the organisation were not made public. He also said questions relating to the organisation's history, its stand on the national flag and social issues should also be addressed.