Rahul Gandhi did not need BJP's permission to visit Maharashtra: Nana Patole

Reacting to Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s statement on Rahul Gandhi must apologise and withdraw his remarks against late Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar before entering Maharashtra, state Congress chief Patole said Bawankule does not get any value even in his own party.

How will he stop Rahul Gandhi? Whenever Rahul Gandhi wants to come to Maharashtra, he will come and Congress workers will welcome him with great enthusiasm. Rahul Gandhi does not need permission from the BJP, Bawankule or anyone to come to Maharashtra, Patole said.

BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are afraid of Rahul Gandhi. Dozens of ministers and MLAs are criticizing Rahul Gandhi every day. Rahul Gandhi’s visit is not confirmed yet but he will visit Maharashtra soon. No one can stop Rahul Gandhi from coming to Maharashtra.

Patole also said that people are in distress due to inflation and unemployment, farmers are facing immense hardship, but the BJP government is not paying attention. People, who are fed up with the BJP’s governance, showed it its place in the recent Legislative Council, Assembly bypolls and local bodies elections, the Congress leader further said.

Bawankule was responding to questions about talk of Rahul Gandhi’s imminent visit to Mumbai to meet former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.  BJP has accused Gandhi of repeatedly insulting Savarkar, while the latter has time and again referred to the late freedom fighter’s apology to British rulers when he was incarcerated in Andaman’s Cellular Jail.

My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi and Gandhi does not offer an apology to anyone, Rahul Gandhi had said last month responding to a query on calls by the BJP seeking his apology over various issues.