On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and Bharatiya Janata Get together union chief Ravindra Dangekar focused Medha Kulkarni and accused her of disturbing peace and concord in Pune.
“She is an MP and hails from Kotrud, however to this point she has not spoken out in opposition to the Gaiwal gang who’re spreading menace there. She can also be silent about Jain belief properties being handed over to builders. However she is displaying aggression to disturb the concord within the metropolis,” Dhangekar instructed the media.
Not solely the Shiv Sena but additionally the Congress celebration (Ajit Pawar) has attacked Kulkarni, and celebration chief Rupali Thombre has referred to as for a police criticism to be filed.
“Kulkarni is deflecting the difficulty and creating pressure between two communities. I demand that she be filed with the police. There was a grave on the premises for a number of years. Providing prayers will not be against the law. She has created pointless controversy,” Thombre instructed the media on Monday.
“I’m not agitating in opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Get together, however in opposition to Kulkarni. Our leaders ought to advise her. Our celebration believes within the ideas of Phule, Shahu and Ambedkar and respects the Structure,” Thombre mentioned, referring to Jyotirao Phule, Rajyarush Shahu Maharaj and Dr BR Ambedkar.
Nonetheless, in opposition to this backdrop, the BJP requested its alliance companions to comply with the ‘Mahayuti’. Dharma‘.
“Mahayuti’s companions ought to comply with Mahayuti,” BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadi mentioned in an interview with ThePrint. Dharma. When the time comes, such points will likely be mentioned on applicable platforms. ”
“Till Meda thisshe is aware of how Punekarth feels. She at all times takes up points which are near the guts of the individuals of Punekhar and has their help,” he added.
However this isn’t the primary time Medha Kulkarni has taken a tough line. The 55-year-old has served as the company officer of the Pune Municipal Company 3 times and was the Kotold councilor from 2014 to 2019. Nonetheless, in 2019, she was refused a rally ticket which was given to Chandrakant Patil on her behalf. After that, Kulkarni, a longtime celebration supporter, felt considerably out of contact for 5 years from 2019 to 2024, earlier than being named Prime Minister of India in 2024.
“Whereas she does make offensive statements, we really feel that this communal politics is a deliberate try by Medha Kulkarni to raise the ranks of the Pune management. Additionally, given the upcoming native physique polls, this can solely profit the celebration,” political analyst Hemant Desai instructed ThePrint.
ThePrint contacted Medha Kulkarni over telephone. This report will likely be up to date if she responds.
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Corporations enter parliament in opposition to native Bharatiya Janata Get together
Medha Kulkarni, a lecturer by career, belongs to Pune’s Brahmin group, a vote financial institution loyal to the Bharatiya Janata Get together.
She was a company employee in Kottold, west of Pune, for 15 years earlier than the celebration gave her the primary rally ticket in 2014.
She gained the Brahmin-heavy Kottold Meeting seat by defeating Chandrakant Mokate of the then-undivided Shiv Sena by a margin of 64,000 votes. As Pune developed, many Brahmins from the previous metropolis migrated to Kotordo and Media Kulkarni gained new help.
Nonetheless, in 2019, when she was the sitting MLA, the celebration dropped her and gave the seat to Chandrakant Patil from Kolhapur. Kulkarni didn’t like that and she or he publicly expressed her displeasure.
The BJP angered not solely Kulkarni but additionally the Brahmin group by not fielding him as a candidate in 2019.
In opposition to this background, Kulkarni took an aggressive stance in opposition to Chandrakant Patil and native leaders.
From championing Pune’s surroundings and talking out in opposition to Patil-led improvement tasks to expressing her displeasure with celebration leaders claiming credit score for the development of the Chandani Chowk flyover, which she had been pushing for since she was an MLA in 2014, Medha Kulkarni began attempting to verify her misfortune didn’t go unnoticed.
Kulkarni posted on Fb through the inauguration of the flyover. She mentioned she by no means spoke publicly about feeling ignored or ignored, even when she wasn’t consulted earlier than making necessary choices. “However now I really feel the necessity to share.”
“The brochure for the Chandani Chowk inauguration ceremony in Kotordu was initially disappointing. Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis deserve credit score for the Chandani Chowk mission. However who began this with them?” Kulkarni wrote whereas sharing a poster of the occasion, which didn’t have her identify on it.
She added, “In an earlier speech, Mr. Gadkari mentioned, ‘I pursued this difficulty on the recommendation of the then MLA Medha Kulkarni.’ I’ve been concerned on this difficulty even earlier than the emergence of the present distinguished Kothrod leaders. Now it appears that evidently the present Kothrod leaders are claiming all of the credit score and have nearly erased individuals like me. Are they attempting to erase individuals like me?”
She accused the native BJP unit and leaders like Chandrakant Patil and Mridhar Mohol of attempting manipulative politics and mentioned her loyalty to the celebration was of no worth to them.
This was in 2023, when Kulkarni additionally returned to the political scene in Maharashtra because the nationwide vp of the BJP ladies’s wing.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari soothed her when she visited the flyover a day after her Fb publish.
The BJP additionally misplaced the by-poll in Kasba Peth for the primary time in three many years together with the necessary Brahmin vote financial institution in Kasba Peth as Congress chief Ravindra Dhangekar marked victory in 2023. The celebration felt that the BJP had fielded OBC candidate Hemant Rasane from the seat, which was one of many the reason why it couldn’t obtain victory. Nonetheless, a part of the explanation for the defeat was the denial of tickets to Mukta Tilak’s household, whose dying necessitated a by-poll.
Then, in 2024, forward of the Indian Parliament polls, the BJP made a course correction and provided the Rajya Sabha seat to Medha Kulkarni. On this means, the BJP despatched a optimistic message to celebration supporters to manage the infighting throughout the Pune unit. Kulkarni, alternatively, has made a spectacular comeback.
“In 2019, she publicly expressed her displeasure when she was denied a BJP ticket, triggering an enormous wave of sympathy in opposition to her,” Desai mentioned, suggesting that such sentiments labored in her favor. “And now she has been elevated once more and gained a Rajya Sabha seat.”
Hardline Hindutva and its relevance right now
Kulkarni is thought for his shut affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). After getting into Rajya Sabha as an MP in 2024, she visited the RSS headquarters and the district workplace of the BJP.
Her dissatisfaction steadily pale. She even buried the hatchet with Mridhar Mohol, who earlier served as mayor of Pune Municipal Company and is at the moment a Lok Sabha MP. After the Lok Sabha elections, she accompanied Mohol, a fellow Kotrud resident, to Delhi, the place she delivered a message of unity.
Slowly, she turned energetic within the native politics of Pune.
Final 12 months, she prompted controversy by having employees paint a inexperienced wall close to Sadashiv Peth’s Jam Prabodini college in saffron colour.
Kulkarni instructed X: “At present I went to take a look at the place. It was enjoyable to color it inexperienced with saffron… We eliminated the inexperienced colour and painted the partitions with saffron to represent Hindu satisfaction. That is a part of Hindu awakening. We’re happy with this motion and won’t tolerate any try to show such a spot right into a ‘.’mazar‘ or begin ‘namaz’. ”
She was additionally broadly accused of threatening the trustees of the Sheikh Salahuddin shrine to cease its actions. adhan Throughout the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, the trustees later demanded police motion in opposition to her.
Nonetheless, she denied their claims and mentioned she didn’t threaten them however requested them to decrease the amount. Artie It was held on the close by Punyashwar temple throughout Hanuman Jayanti.
Earlier this 12 months, Kulkarni referred to as for the Pune railway station to be named after the legendary Trere Bajirao Peshwa (often known as Bajirao I), who served as Peshwa (Prime Minister) through the reign of Chhatrapati Shahu I from 1720 to 1740. He’s identified for his army prowess and enlargement of the Maratha Empire.
Her hardline stance was additionally on show when she referred to as for the well-known Sarasbaug Gardens within the metropolis middle, which homes a Ganesha temple, to be closed for the day after Muslims had been allegedly seen consuming meat within the gardens.
In June this 12 months, she wrote a letter to the PMC saying that Hindu sentiments had been being damage and consumption of meat on the premises was damaging the sanctity of the temple.
Kulkarni additionally took a tough line when he expressed his displeasure to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar after the latter accomplished the Parshuram Artik Vikas Mahamandal constructing “forward of” the scheduled time. She is a member of “.Mahamandal (Company)” was established for the advantage of the Brahmin group.
Most just lately, she canceled an area garba pageant, alleging that it violated noise air pollution norms.
“She needs to show herself to the town. Her politics have modified over time. She has by no means been this street-style politician, she has change into a extra well mannered, cultured politician. I do not assume she has ever performed this sort of politics, however now I really feel she needs to get the eye of the celebration management, so she is turning into increasingly more aggressive,” Desai mentioned.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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