Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 5: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Mahatma Gandhi statue near Mantralaya, demanding an unconditional public apology from the Congress over a controversial social media post that referred to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP National president Sunetra Pawar as "Gungi Gudiya" (mute doll).

NCP workers raised slogans such as "Gungi nahi, aandhi hai... aandhi nahi, tufaan hai" (She is not mute, she is a storm... not just a storm, a hurricane) and "Sunetra Vahini aage badho, hum tumhare saath hain" (Sunetra Vahini, move forward, we are with you).

The protesters paid floral tributes at the Mahatma Gandhi statue and offered symbolic prayers seeking "good sense" for the Congress leadership.

Among those who participated in the demonstration were MLA Sana Malik, newly appointed NCP state women's wing president Vaishali Nagawade, Mumbai Working President Siddharth Kamble, state youth wing president Nikhil Thakre and several party office-bearers and workers.

Condemning the Congress post as derogatory towards women, NCP workers wore black armbands, held copies of the Constitution and observed a silent protest.

The controversy triggered protests across Maharashtra, with NCP workers demonstrating in Mumbai, Pune and Nashik and warning that the agitation would continue until the Congress issued a formal apology.

The protest marked the second consecutive day of demonstrations by the NCP. On Tuesday, a group of party workers led by former state youth wing president Suraj Chavan disrupted Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal's press conference at the party office in south Mumbai, demanding an apology. After no apology was forthcoming, the NCP organised another protest on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sunetra Pawar said she would respond to the Congress "at an appropriate time."

NCP Working President Praful Patel strongly condemned the language used against Sunetra Pawar through the Congress party's official social media account.

"In a progressive Maharashtra shaped by the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule, Dr B.R. Ambedkar and Yashwantrao Chavan, disrespect towards women can never be accepted. It is deeply unfortunate and condemnable that a party led by women leaders such as Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi has chosen to use such language against a woman leader. The Congress must immediately withdraw the post and issue a public apology," Patel said.

State NCP president Sunil Tatkare also criticised the post, calling it a "public display of the party's intellectual and moral bankruptcy."

While ideological and political differences are a natural part of democracy, Tatkare said derogatory remarks against women crossed the line of acceptable political discourse.

"Politics should be a contest of ideas, with arguments answered through facts and principles. When a political party resorts to derogatory remarks against a woman, it exposes not only its lack of political maturity but also the values and culture it truly represents," he said.

Tatkare demanded that the Congress tender an unconditional public apology to Sunetra Pawar and to the women of Maharashtra, asserting that disrespect towards women has no place in democratic politics.