'Said nothing wrong': Congress chief Nana Patole defends his 'dog' jibe at BJP

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Tuesday defended his recent "dog" jibe for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that his remarks were in response to the alleged remarks by the party against the OBC community.

"If they insult my community and call us dogs, why should I stay silent? If they call my OBC community dogs, I said I would turn BJP into a dog as well. I didn't say anything wrong; they spoke first, so I responded," Patole said.

"If they abuse my community and call them a dog, why will I stay quiet ... This is why I said what I said," he added.

This comes after Patole asked the OBC voters in Akola district if they would vote for the BJP who calls them "kutta" (dog).

Speaking at a rally in Akola, Patole said, "I would like to ask, would you—the OBCs of Akola district—vote for BJP that calls you 'kutta' (dog)?... It is time to make BJP a 'kutta'.("I want to ask, will the OBC people of Akola district vote for the BJP who are calling you dogs? It is time to make the BJP a dog now; they have become so arrogant.")

BJP objected to Patole's remarks and said these statements demonstrate the Maha Vikas Aghadi opposition alliance's declining state.

"They are going from disappointment to dejection. Sharad Pawar is saying something; Uddhav Thackeray is verbally abusing the Election Commission. Now, Rahul Gandhi's Congress is calling the BJP a 'kutta' because opinion polls show a clear majority for Mahayuti. So, I can understand their disappointment," the BJP leader Kirit Sonaiya told news agency ANI.

Patole's "dog" remark comes days after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant allegedly called former BJP leader Shaina NC, who joined the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction, as "imported maal."

Commenting on her party switch, Sawant said, "Look at her condition. She was in the BJP all her life and now she went to another party. Imported 'maal' doesn't work here; only original 'maal' does." Sawant subsequently apologised for his discriminatory comment.

As November 20, the election date, draws near, political tensions are escalating between the two primary alliances, the Mahayuti (BJP-led) and MVA, as they prepare for an intense electoral battle. The vote count is scheduled for November 23.
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