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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 a major point of contention among Mahayuti partners, with the 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.”
#WATCH | On Deputy CM Ajit Pawar’s remark “there is no place for UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ slogan”, Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis says “…For decades, Ajit Pawar stayed with such ideologies which are secular and anti-Hindu. There is no real… pic.twitter.com/yFhOdyPwjj— ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2024
‘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.
#WATCH | On UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s ‘batenge toh katenge’ slogan, NCP leader & Maharashtra Dy CM Ajit Pawar says,”…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”,… pic.twitter.com/SylgNvGtGg— ANI (@ANI) November 15, 2024
BJP Leaders Distance From Slogan
Not just ally NCP, but some of the high-profile Maharashtra BJP leaders have also maintained distance from the slogan, claiming that the party must avoid divisive rhetoric.
Pankaja Munde, daughter of the late BJP veteran Gopinath Munde, said, “My politics is different. I won’t support this just because I belong to the party. We need to focus on development and work towards uniting every individual in Maharashtra.”
Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP from the Congress earlier this year, echoed a similar voice of Munde. “Slogans like this have no relevance in Maharashtra and are not in good taste. Personally, I do not support it,” Chavan was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
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. Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweaked the slogan earlier this month to “ek hai toh safe hai”, in a message of unity.
