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After Kulkarni’s criticism, Mohol and Chandrakant Patil come out in support of BJP workers
Recently, Kulkarni strongly criticised her party workers for targeting Dr Ghaisas Hospital in Erandwane following the controversy involving Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Pune city unit stands divided over the recent controversy involving Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. While BJP leader and Rajya Sabha (RS) MP Medha Kulkarni has strongly criticised party workers for targeting Dr Ghaisas Hospital in Erandwane and the party’s women’s wing for staging a protest at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital without waiting for the inquiry report findings, BJP leaders Murlidhar Mohol and Chandrakant Patil have come out in support of party workers.
At a meeting called by the BJP Tuesday evening where the agitations were discussed, minister of state for civil aviation Mohol and cabinet minister Patil came out in support of the party workers while simultaneously warning party leaders not to criticise party workers in public.
Recently, Kulkarni strongly criticised her party workers for targeting Dr Ghaisas Hospital in Erandwane following the controversy involving Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital. She termed the protest at the clinic run by the father of Dr Sushrut Ghaisas, who had earlier treated Tanisha Bhise as an ‘arrogant act’. She also took objection to the BJP’s women’s wing for staging a protest at Deenanath Hospital without waiting for the findings of the inquiry report. In a letter addressed to Pune BJP unit chief Dheeraj Ghate, Kulkarni expressed disappointment over the conduct of party workers.
“It was wrong for the women’s wing to attack the hospital. The party must take action against those involved. We should have considered the hospital’s version before taking such an extreme step,” Kulkarni wrote to Ghate. Reacting to the letter, Ghate said Kulkarni should have raised her concerns internally. “It would have been better had the MP discussed the issue with us directly instead of circulating the letter in the media,” Ghate said.
Kulkarni’s remarks sparked criticism from within the party ranks. Several BJP workers took to social media to express displeasure, indirectly targeting Kulkarni.
“Party workers are the backbone of any organisation. We work tirelessly for the party and the citizens. It is disheartening to be criticised by our leaders,” said a post on social media.
In the wake of the unhappiness within the party ranks, the party called a meeting Tuesday evening to discuss the party’s strategy for the upcoming municipal elections which was attended by all the MLAs and party office-bearers. Even Kulkarni attended the meeting but due to prior commitments, left the meeting early.
While addressing party workers, Mohol said, “After any big incident, it is but natural to have a reaction from party workers. A few years ago, I too attacked an office. It was wrong but the party leadership did not criticise me in public.”
Whereas Patil said in the meeting, “If party workers are wrong, senior leaders need to tell them this at party meetings and not demoralise them.”
Both Mohol and Patil came out in support of the party workers at the meeting.
Earlier, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had also distanced himself from the protest, calling the attack on medical professionals ‘unacceptable’.
