Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday unveiled a life-size statue of late Congress leader Patangrao Kadam in Sangli district, Maharashtra on Thursday. Kadam held several ministerial positions in Maharashtra and represented the Palus-Kadegaon assembly seat for several years.
Gandhi targets PM Modi
Addressing a public event in Sangli, Congress leader targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the recent collapse of Shivaji Maharaj's statue at Fort Rajkot in Maharashtra's Sindhudurga.
"I give you a guarantee that Kadam ji's (late Congress minister Patangrao Kadam) statue installed will be here even after 50-70 years. Shivaji Maharaj's statue was installed but only a few days later the statue fell. This is an insult to Shivaji Maharaj. The PM should apologise not just to Shivaji Maharaj but also to every person of Maharashtra."
"Narendra Modi has insulted Shivaji Maharaj. He should apologize not only to Shivaji Maharaj but to every person of Maharashtra," he added.
Gandhi also reiterated his party's commitment to conduct a caste census, saying he had said on the Floor of Lok Sabha that Congress would get the caste census done. Our alliance will get it done, he added.
"Congress' ideology is in the DNA of Maharashtra. Earlier, there used to be politics, but today there is an ideological fight in India. We want social progress but they (BJP) want that only a select few get all benefits," Gandhi said.
Gandhi also visited a museum dedicated to the late leader at Wangi.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC in-charge Ramesh Chennithala, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Kolhapur MP Shahu Chhatrapati, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, state Congress chief Nana Patole and Congress Legislature Party Balasaheb Thorat were among those present at the event.
Gandhi meets kin of late Congress MP Vasant Chavan
Earlier in the day, Gandhi called on the family members of late MP Vasant Chavan in Maharashtra's Nanded. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha met Chavan's family members and offered his condolences.
Chavan, 69, died on August 26 in Hyderabad after battling a prolonged illness. Chavan won the Nanded Lok Sabha seat in this year's parliamentary polls after defeating BJP's Pratap Chikhalikar, who was the sitting MP. Born in Naigaon in Nanded district, Chavan started his political journey as a gram panchayat member in 1990 before becoming a zilla parishad member in 2002.
(With agencies inputs)
