Cong defends Patole over ‘Modi’ remarks
MUMBAI: The Congress has defended its state unit chief Nana Patole over his controversial ‘Modi’ remarks.
The party’s national secretary and state in-charge H K Patil sought to downplay the controversy. He also indicated that the Congress may not necessarily enter into pre-poll alliances with the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) that are its partners in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for municipal and local body elections due early this year. However, the decision whether the Congress will contest alone in Mumbai or in an alliance with the MVA will be taken by the party high command.
“Patole has denied this and said that he intended it for some local goonda (and not for the Prime Minister)… there is no need to prolong the controversy,” Patil told Hindustan Times while referring to Patole’s comments. Patil said that since taking charge early last year, Patole has been working actively for the party. Though some of his statements have turned out controversial, Patole has taken immediate corrective action, Patil averred.
Earlier this week, Patole was captured on camera at Lakhni in Bhandara district saying, “I can beat Modi, I can abuse him.” Though Patole claimed he was referring to a local goon who was the Prime Minister’s namesake, the BJP launched protests seeking his arrest.
Patil said that while the national leadership of the Congress would take a position regarding the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, the decision about contesting alone or in an alliance with MVA partners in the local body elections would be left to the state and district units.
“The Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) and the District Congress Committees (DCC) will take a proper decision in consultation with the higherups for the other elections. (The MVA) will not come in the way, we have authorised the local units… but for Mumbai, that decision will have to be taken by a strategy committee constituted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC),” Patil noted.
Senior Congress leaders admitted that they are in a catch-22 situation when it comes to strategy in Mumbai. The Congress has seen its social and political base gradually erode in Mumbai.