Maharashtra Minister’s remarks against NCP’s Supriya Sule trigger protests

NCP files police complaint, demands Abdul Sattar’s resignation; Shinde group leaders apologise

Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction leader and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Abdul Sattar stirred up a hornets’ nest on Monday after he used unparliamentary language against Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, which triggered State-wide protests not just by the NCP but condemnation across the social and political spectrum, including leaders in the ruling Shinde group.

Known as a ‘loose-tongued’ politico, Mr. Sattar — an MLA from Sillod in Aurangabad district — lashed out against Ms. Sule and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi for the latter’s alleged taunts of the Shinde camp rebel MLAs having taken bribes to split the Shiv Sena.

The Minister was alluding to the frequent jibe ‘ 50 khoke [boxes] ekdum okay’ made by the Thackeray faction and the NCP leaders to describe the rebel MLAs under Mr. Shinde after they split the Uddhav Thackeray-led party and toppled the MVA government to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

A defiant Mr. Sattar, no stranger to controversy, further said he stood by his expletive-ridden statements. However, following the intensity of the protests, he backed down somewhat, remarking that he “was sorry” if he had hurt the sentiments of any woman.

“I did not direct my remarks against Ms. Sule or against any woman…I was alluding to the fact that the MVA leaders repeatedly accused us of having taken a bribe to split the MVA…I am not scared of any condemnation. I will use the same words in my public address. Those who try to defame me, I will answer in the same vein,” said Mr. Sattar.

His remarks evoked widespread condemnation, with an aggressive NCP staging protests in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Solapur and Aurangabad among other places in the State.

There were angry demonstrations outside Mr. Sattar’s house in Mumbai where a few glass panes were smashed in the stone-pelting, causing the police to intervene and take some protesters into custody; in Pune, irate NCP activists tore Mr. Sattar’s photos after hitting his effigy with footwear and raising slogans against him.