Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday after Shinde’s ‘Jai Gujarat’ remark at a Pune event sparked controversy. Speaking at the inauguration of the Jairaj Sports and Convention Centre alongside Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who addressed the gathering in Gujarati, Shinde concluded his speech with “Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra, Jai Gujarat.” The comment drew sharp criticism from opposition leaders, particularly Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal, who labeled it “political slavery” and demanded Shinde’s resignation.

Fadnavis dismissed the backlash as narrow-minded, stating, “Just because Shinde said Jai Gujarat, it doesn’t mean he loves Gujarat more than Maharashtra. Such parochial thinking doesn’t behove the Marathi manoos.” He drew a parallel to former Union Minister Sharad Pawar’s “Jai Maharashtra, Jai Karnataka” remark at a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue unveiling in Chikodi, Karnataka, questioning if Pawar’s words implied less love for Maharashtra.

Sapkal, however, accused Shinde of betraying Maharashtra’s pride, asserting, “Maharashtra is the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, who stood for self-respect and sovereignty. Chanting ‘Jai Gujarat’ as Deputy CM is shameful political slavery.” He alleged that Shinde, after splitting the Shiv Sena and securing its name and symbol with support from “powers in Gujarat,” was prioritizing sycophancy over state interests. Sapkal further claimed that the BJP-led Mahayuti government, under Fadnavis and Shinde, has facilitated the diversion of major projects like Vedanta-Foxconn to Gujarat, costing Maharashtra jobs and investments.

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The Congress leader highlighted pressing state issues—rising unemployment, agrarian distress, and crimes against women—urging the government to focus on these instead of “regional appeasement.” “There is no place in Maharashtra’s leadership for those who compromise its interests. Shinde must resign immediately,” Sapkal demanded.

The controversy, amplified on X, saw the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT) supporters decry Shinde’s remarks, with MNS sarcastically noting that Shinde had “finally accepted Gujarat as his mother.” The episode underscores ongoing tensions within the Mahayuti alliance and fuels the opposition’s narrative of Gujarat’s undue influence over Maharashtra’s politics.

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