NCP Leaders Demanded Apology For Calling Sunetra Pawar As 'Gungi Gudiya'

The leaders of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday stormed its Mumbai press conference protesting against the party's comment on Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar regarding its 'gungi gudiya'.

The NCP leaders demanded apology from the State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal.

Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar was dubbed a ‘gungi gudiya’ (dumb girl) by the state Congress on Monday, creating a political controversy. The NCP took a dig at the Opposition party's response, asking whether they are using the same insult that was used against the late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Eknath Shinde, the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra added that the Congress's remark on the appointment of the state's first woman deputy chief minister was an insult to women and they should be ashamed.

The controversy erupted after the Congress labeled Sunetra Pawar a "gungi gudiya" after posting a video on social media on Monday in which NCP leader Dhananjay Munde allegedly sheltered her from a journalist's question regarding the state of peace and order in Beed district.

"Sunetra Pawar, how many more days will you remain a 'gungi gudiya'?" the Congress stated in the post."

Sapkal defended the remark amid the political uproar and stated "It is not an abuse, but a description of Sunetra Pawar's public conduct."

According to Sapkal, journalists kept asking questions during a press conference in Beed but Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar did not address any of them. He said that Dhananjay Munde, who was present, was attempting to silence the media, but the Deputy Chief Minister did not respond to that either.

He questioned, "Is 'gungi gudiya' an abuse? It is only a description and this analogy applies to Sunetra Pawar."

In response, NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil questioned whether the opposition party was subtly acknowledging that criticism of the late Indira Gandhi was warranted. "While democracy allows differences of opinion and even sharp criticism of policies, language that demeans women does not befit any political party," he added.

NCP (SP) leader and Sunetra Pawar's nephew Rohit Pawar responded to a question regarding the "gungi " remark by saying, " "The context should also be considered. A journalist wanted to ask her a question, and a local leader prevented him from doing his job, and Sunetra Pawar kept mum, despite having the power to prevent injustice."

He claimed that the late Indira Gandhi was referred to as "gungi gudiya" by critics, but her contributions disproved them.