Ajit Pawar Objects To 'Batenge Toh Katenge' Slogan, Fadnavis Sends Him A Rejoinder

Last Updated:November 15, 2024, 13:32 IST

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, 'Batenge toh katenge' slogan has become the biggest flashpoint.

Maharashtra Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis | Image/ File (PTI)

Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, “Batenge toh katenge," a slogan coined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has become the biggest flashpoint between Mahayuti partners with NCP opposing it.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday responded to his colleague in the state cabinet and NCP leader Ajit Pawar’s opposition over the slogan, saying that people who have stayed with “anti-Hindutva" ideology will take time to comprehend public sentiment.

Pawar had remarked that there is no place for the “batenge toh katenge" slogan in Maharashtra as the state works on the principles of BR Ambedkar, upsetting his ally BJP ahead of the crucial Maharashtra assembly election.

Responding to Pawar’s remark, Fadnavis said, “For decades, Ajit Pawar stayed with such ideologies which are secular and anti-Hindu. There is no real secularism amongst those who call themselves secularists. He has stayed with people for whom opposing Hindutva is secular. It will take some time for him to understand the mood of the public."

Clarifying that ‘Batenge to katenge’ means everyone has to stick together, Fadnavis said, “These people either did not understand the sentiment of the public or did not understand the meaning of this statement or while speaking they probably wanted to say something else."

‘Not Supporting It’: Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar – the nephew of Sharad Pawar – maintained his stand over the “batenge toh katenge" slogan, saying that he would not support such ideas.

“We all have opposed it. Someone told me that BJP’s Pankaja Munde has also opposed this slogan. A CM of a state comes here and says ‘batenge toh katenge’, immediately we said such slogans will not work here as Maharashtra works on the principles of Ambedkar…I don’t know what is Devendra ji’s answer to this," Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

The “batenge toh kitenge" slogan was first raised by UP CM and the BJP’s star campaigner Yogi Adityanath at one of his recent rallies in Maharashtra which was later criticised by the opposition who alleged communal overtones in the slogan.

News politics Ajit Pawar Objects To 'Batenge Toh Katenge' Slogan, Fadnavis Sends Him A Rejoinder