Pune/Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The social media post of Congress referring to deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar as “Gungi Gudiya” sparked a controversy on Tuesday, as NCP reminded the party the same term was used against former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.NCP said Congress justified Gandhi’s insult by using the same term against Sunetra. When Gandhi was sworn in as the Prime Minister in 1966, socialist stalwart Ram Manohar Lohia had called her “Gungi Gudiya” to mock her quiet personality. Nearly 60 years later, Congress revived the term to target NCP president Sunetra.Sunetra said, “When the time comes, I will give a fitting response.”Maharashtra Congress on its official social media handle uploaded a part of a video of a press conference of Sunetra during her visit to Beed district on July 31 as the guardian minister. Sunetra is seen leaving the event without answering a question on Beed’s law and order in it, while former minister from her party Dhananjay Munde told a reporter not to ask the question.“How many more days will Sunetra Pawar remain ‘Gungi Gudiya’,” Congress questioned on its social media handle.Following the post, NCP workers held demonstrations against Congress in Mumbai, Pune and other cities, demanding an apology for targeting Sunetra. Sunetra’s younger son, Jay, wrote a post on his social media handle in support of his mother.“The language used by the members of Congress is an attack against not an individual but against all those women who have paved a successful career against all odds. There can be differences of opinion, but insults of women will never be accepted. I am not only supporting my mother, but I take a stand to protect the respect of every woman,” Jay wrote on his social media handle.State agriculture minister and senior NCP member Dattatray Bharne said, “Respecting women has been the culture of Maharashtra, but Congress has insulted that culture by posting a derogatory post against our party president. The party should apologise to Sunetra as well as the entire state.”Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said, “This kind of comment was not expected from the Congress. We condemn this.”Reminding Congress of the use of “Gundi Gudiya” term against Indira Gandhi, NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil said, “The then opposition had mocked Gandhi by calling her ‘Gundi Gudiya’, but she proved her critics wrong by performing exceptionally well. After so many years, Congress used the same term against our party president and indirectly justified the insult of Gandhi.”Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis also criticised Congress over the remark against Sunetra. “They (Congress) are not getting any response from the common people and therefore, they are making such statements to get publicity. In Maharashtra’s political culture, for the first time we are seeing somebody stooping so low,” he said.Amruta Fadnavis, the wife of the chief minister, told reporters in Pune, “While Ajit Dada was alive, Sunetra Vahini took the responsibility of supporting him. After his demise, she changed her role and is doing a fine job. She knows when to speak. It is unfortunate that Congress has made such a statement against her and it should apologise.”Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said, “Sunetra Pawar is Maharashtra’s first woman deputy chief minister. In 2024, the party had insulted Ladki Bahins and they taught it a lesson. This is an insult to all the women in the state and the Congress should immediately apologise.”Amid the NCP members’ protests in Mumbai, Pune and other cities, Congress defended the social media post. State Congress chief Harwardhan Sapkal said the term “Gungi Gudiya” was not derogatory and NCP should not take it in a negative sense.Sapkal said, “’Gungi Gudiya’ is not an unparliamentary term, but an observation how Sunetra has not spoken on various important issues, including demanding a detailed investigation of her husband and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s death in a plane crash, speaking against BJP overpowering her party, asking the chief minister to give the finance portfolio back to NCP. Being a deputy chief minister, she cannot choose to keep quiet.”He said, “I urge her not to take the criticism in a negative sense. Even Indira Gandhi was termed ‘Gungi Gudiya’, but she proved her critics wrong and Atal Bihari Vajpayee called her Durga. Sunetra also can draw inspiration and work hard to change the perception about her in the common people’s mind.”(With inputs from Priyanka Kakodkar in Mumbai)
