Congress Worker Posts Morphed Photo Of PM, BJP Workers Force Him To Wear Saree
Pagare, dressed in a white kurta, pyjamas and polished black shoes, was caught off guard when BJP workers surrounded him.
Mumbai:A political controversy erupted in Maharashtra on Tuesday after a 72-year-old Congress activist was forced to wear a saree in public by BJP workers in Dombivali for sharing a morphed image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on social media.
Prakash alias ‘Mama’ Pagare, a veteran Congress functionary from Dombivali, had posted the social media post featuring a morphed image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi draped in a red saree on Monday with the caption, “Sorry girls, I too want to stay in trend.” The clip was set to a popular Marathi song “Mi Kashala Arshaat Pahu Ga.” (Why should I see myself in a mirror).
The post evoked strong reactions from BJP workers, who accused Pagare of insulting the Prime Minister. After getting the information that Pagare usually spends mornings near Manpada Road in Dombivali (East), district BJP chief Nandu Parab, mandal president Karan Jadhav, and party functionaries, including Sandeep Mali and Datta Malekar, confronted him on Tuesday morning
Pagare, dressed in a white kurta, pyjamas and polished black shoes, was caught off guard when BJP workers surrounded him. They forcibly draped him with a brand-new saree, worth Rs 5,000, purchased earlier that day from a local cloth shop.
Justifying the act, Parab said, “Posting such a distasteful image of our Prime Minister is not only offensive but also unacceptable. If such attempts are made again to defame our leaders, the BJP will give an even stronger reply.”
Congress leaders condemned the act, calling it an attack on free expression. Congress state president Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “A 72-year-old Dalit Congress worker in Dombivali was treated very badly by BJP goons. This senior citizen, who had gone to the doctor, was called out and abused in caste terms. They threatened him by saying that people of your caste are in trouble. The Congress party strongly condemns this incident.”
Later, Pagare said, “The video was already viral on Facebook, I only reposted it. I was taken out of the hospital and forced to wear a saree in public. I will take legal action against these goons.”