Sign In
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
By signing in or creating an account, you agree with Associated Broadcasting Company's Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.
New Delhi: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday emphatically said that the next mayor of Mumbai will be a Marathi Hindu. He also alleged that the opposition had reacted selectively to comments made by AIMIM leader Waris Pathan.
The CM was speaking at Aaj Tak’s Mumbai Manthan event. Fadnavis said the opposition had stayed silent after Pathan said that a “burqa-clad practising Muslim” could become Mumbai’s mayor.
He emphasised that the BJP adheres to "nation first" ideology and did not believe in divisive politics, while dismissing allegations that the party aimed to divide voters along Marathi and non-Marathi lines.
When asked if the Mumbai mayor's post was reserved for Marathi Hindus, Fadnavis replied, "Haan bilkul (yes, of course)." He said that local identity naturally is a key factor in municipal leadership.
“If municipal elections are held in Chennai, people will say the mayor should be Tamil. Likewise, in Mumbai, the mayor will be Marathi,” he said. His comments come just days ahead of the high-stakes Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, which are scheduled to be held on January 15.
Recently, Mumbai’s long-standing Marathi versus non-Marathi debate was revived after BJP leader Kripashankar Singh sought efforts to elect a “north Indian” and “Hindi-speaking” mayor in the Mira Bhayandar municipal corporation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) hit out at the remark.
In his defence of Singh, Fadnavis said north Indians should not be branded as "outsiders". But, he questioned why similar anger was not directed towards Pathan’s "burqa-clad" remarks.
“After that remark, there was silence from the opposition. That is why we responded by saying the mayor here will be Hindu and Marathi,” the chief minister said, hoping to find a resonance with the city's 'Marathi Manoos'.
Fadnavis exuded confidence as the civic body polls are just a week away. The Maharashtra CM said the BJP’s voter base cuts across Marathi and non-Marathi communities.
Referring to the coming together of Uddhav and Raj Thackeray, he underlined that "even if both brothers come together, our vote share will not decline".
