Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) activists protested Wednesday outside the Congress party headquarters in Mumbai over a remark aimed at Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar [1, 2].
The demonstration highlights escalating tensions between the two political entities in Maharashtra as the NCP seeks to defend the dignity of its leadership. The clash centers on gendered political rhetoric and the demand for accountability from state party heads.
Protesters gathered at Tilak Bhavan, the Congress party headquarters, where they staged a demonstration against Maharashtra Congress State President Harshwardhan Sapkal [2, 3]. During the event, activists doused an effigy of Sapkal with a dark liquid as a sign of protest [2].
The unrest was triggered by a comment attributed to Sapkal, who reportedly referred to Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar as a "gungi gudiya," which translates to a mute doll [1, 4]. NCP members said the remark was derogatory and demanded a formal apology from the state president [4].
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also criticized the remark and said the Congress party was responsible for the jibe directed at Pawar [1]. The protest continued throughout the day as NCP workers sought a public retraction of the statement.
Sapkal has not issued a public response to the protests as of Wednesday. The incident has drawn significant attention to the volatile nature of political discourse in the state, where symbolic protests—such as the burning or defacing of effigies—remain a common tool for political expression [2, 3].
“Activists doused an effigy of Sapkal with a dark liquid as a sign of protest”
This confrontation underscores the fragility of political alliances and the high sensitivity surrounding the public image of women leaders in Maharashtra. By targeting Sapkal with a public demonstration at Tilak Bhavan, the NCP is signaling that it will not tolerate personal attacks on its leadership, potentially deepening the rift between the Congress and NCP ahead of future electoral cycles.
