The war of words between former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’s wife and Shiv Sena deputy leader Priyanka Chaturvedi has become the latest talking point in State political circles.
It all began when Amruta Fadnavis attacked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray while responding to her husband’s tweet — posted eight days ago — to condemn Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his “My name is not Rahul Savarkar” remark. Mr. Fadnavis had said Mr. Gandhi was nowhere close to even a single deed of Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.
Taking a cue from her husband’s comment, Ms. Fadnavis on Sunday taunted the Sena chief, saying one cannot become a ‘Thackeray’ just by putting Thackeray after his name. “Very true @Dev_Fadnavis ji ! One cannot be a Thackeray also by just putting Thackrey surname after his name! One needs to be true, principled & should think for betterment of people & party members above his own family & power dynamics! @ShivSena @OfficeofUT (sic),” she tweeted.
Hitting back, Ms. Chaturvedi on Monday said the CM was living up to his name and Ms. Fadnavis, a banker, was missing the point. “Yes he is living up to his surname, but you as usual missed the news - promises fulfilled, principled commitment & working for welfare of his people-farmer loan waiver, ₹10 meal, CM office in every division (sic),” she tweeted. “All this in a month of forming govt PS:Thankfully not into singing his own praises (sic),” Ms. Chaturvedi said, the sarcasm aimed at Ms. Fadnavis, who is a trained classical singer.
Sena corporator Amey Ghole too targeted Ms. Fadnavis, equating her with Anandibai, infamous in the State’s history for plotting the death of her 17-year-old nephew Peshwa Narayanrao. Her husband Raghunathrao was next in line for the throne at the time of Narayanrao’s death. In a tweet, Mr. Ghole said Anandibai was responsible for her husband being dubbed a villain (for the death of Narayanrao) and advised the banker not to forget history.
When his reaction was sought on the issue, Mr. Fadnavis said some political workers stooped very low to troll his wife, who he said is an independent personality. “Amruta is an independent personality. She takes her own decisions. She does what she wants to and she has faced brunt for that. Some political party workers have stooped so low to troll her,” he said.
The former CM also said as far as he knows, his wife will never enter politics.
Earlier this month, a war of words erupted between Ms. Chaturvedi and Ms. Fadnavis on social media over reports that the State was planning to cut down around 1,000 trees in Aurangabad to build a memorial for Bal Thackeray.
Amruta Fadnavis had posted a photograph of a newspaper report on the Shiv Sena’s reported plan to cut the trees along with a tweet: “Hypocrisy is a disease! Get well soon @ShivSena! Tree cutting -- at ur convenience or allowing tree cutting only when you earn commission -- unpardonable sins!!”
She was referring to the Shiv Sena’s opposition to the cutting of trees for the Metro Line 3 car shed at Aarey colony over environmental concerns, and Mr. Thackeray staying work on the structure in one of his first major decisions after taking over as CM.
That was when Ms. Chaturvedi made an appearance, pointedly telling Ms. Fadnavis that “compulsive lying is a bigger disease” than hypocrisy.
“Ma’am, sorry to disappoint you but the truth is that not a single tree will be cut for the memorial, and the mayor has confirmed it too. Also, just to be clear, compulsive lying is a bigger disease, get well soon,” she had then tweeted, questioning if the commission to cut trees was a “new policy measure” promoted by the BJP.
