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Riteish Deshmukh breaks down honouring father Vilasrao Deshmukh, then tells brother to…: Reports
Riteish Deshmukh was reportedly speaking at the event to unveil the statue of Vilasrao Deshmukh in Maharashtra's Latur.
Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh on Sunday got emotional while remembering his late father and former Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at a function in Maharashtra's Latur. A video in which Riteish Deshmukh can be seen in tears has surfaced on social media.
Riteish Deshmukh was reportedly speaking at the event to unveil the statue of Vilasrao Deshmukh.
"Tough 12 years have passed since Saheb left us. Occasionally, the pain surfaces. He always used to shine, and even now, he shines. This shine never fades. He stayed strong, so that we, his children, feel the need to stand tall. To stand tall not just for ourselves, but for the responsibilities that come with being his children. Today, although he is not physically present, his love for us is evident, and it burns brightly on this stage," India Today quoted Riteish Deshmukh as saying.
Riteish Deshmukh also thanked his uncle Dilip Deshmukh for always standing with his family.
"I have never told this to my uncle, but today I want to tell him in front of all that I love him very much," the Bollywood actor said. He added that this stage shows an example of the ideal relationship between an uncle and his nephew.
The Indian Express reported that the actor told his brother and Congress MLA Amit Deshmukh that "time has come for him to take a decision”. The report added that Amit Deshmukh denied any plans of quitting the Congress amid speculation that he might join the BJP.
“Time has come for you to take a decision…Latur has many expectations from you, but Maharashtra too has many expectations,” The Indian Express quoted Riteish Deshmukh, who told his brother as he concluded his speech.
The speculation about Amit Deshmukh assumes significance given that three senior Congressmen – Ashok Chavan, Baba Siddique and Milind Deora – have recently parted ways with the party. While Ashok Chavan joined the BJP, Baba Siddique joined the Ajit Pawar faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) abn Milind Deora was inducted into the ranks of Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena.
Baba Siddique’s son, Zeeshan is the serving MLA from Bandra East, and is likely to follow his father.
President of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Nana Patole, former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Vilasrao Deshmukh, born on May 26, 1945, in Latur, served as the chief minister of Maharashtra twice and held ministerial positions in the UPA government under Manmohan Singh's leadership. He died on August 14, 2012.
