Patole, Wadettiwar back Sanjay Dutt's remark on peace, target BJP governments
Congress leaders Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar backed the actor's remark that he no longer feels peace in India, and accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.
Politics in Maharashtra has heated up after actor Sanjay Dutt said he no longer feels peace in India. Two senior Congress leaders, Nana Patole and Vijay Wadettiwar, backed the remark and levelled allegations against the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state.
Speaking to the media in Nagpur, Maharashtra Congress leader Nana Patole said what Dutt said reflects the ground reality in the country and the states. Patole alleged that wherever the Bharatiya Janata Party is in power, murders are taking place in broad daylight and ordinary people do not feel safe.
According to Patole, Dutt has made the BJP governments at the Centre and in the states aware of the situation in the country. He said the government should take immediate note of it. Patole also said that if people in the country are not safe, an ordinary person too has the right to speak up, because governments are formed by the votes of the people. He said the government came to power through an election, so it should take note and curb the "goondaism" that has grown in the country and the states. He also took a dig at the Modi government on this point.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar also took on the BJP over the issue. Speaking in Nagpur, he said social peace in the country has been disrupted since 2014. Wadettiwar alleged that votes were sought in the name of development to come to power, but religion is now being used to run the government.
Wadettiwar alleged that by raising temple-mosque and Hindu-Muslim issues, the real issues of development have been pushed aside. According to him, this has become the direct route of this government, and it is creating a continuing atmosphere of instability in the country.
On Dutt's remark itself: he appeared on Gandhi Jayanti on Shekhar Suman's talk show "Shekhar Tonight". During the conversation, Dutt said Indians are big-hearted and hospitable and there should be peace, but he can no longer feel that peace in India.
As political reaction to the remark intensified and opposition to it grew, Dutt posted a clarification on the social media platform X. He wrote that he wished to make clear that he never intended to hurt, anger or disrespect the feelings of any person, community or institution.
Dutt described his remarks as scripted. He wrote that they were made during a pre-planned conversation meant to create a light-hearted and humorous mood. According to him, the spirit behind it was the same as the humour and satire seen in films such as "Munna Bhai", especially the concept of "Gandhigiri", which was meant to convey a message of love, warmth, unity and goodwill. Dutt expressed regret that his words were interpreted out of the context in which they were said.
