Nagpur: The National Student Union of India (NSUI) members on Monday staged agitation against Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Chandrakant Patil for his controversial remarks about Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and Jytirao Phule
Speaking in Marathi at an event in Aurangabad on Friday, Patil, who is the Higher and Technical Education Minister, had said that Ambedkar and Phule did not seek government grants for educational institutions, they “begged” people to gather funds for starting schools and colleges.
Gold Rate
17 June 2025
The use of the word “begged” stirred up a controversy.
Following which, ink was thrown at Patil in Pimpri city near Pune on Saturday.
NSUI members in Nagpur organised a demonstration against Patil at University Campus, where they raised slogans against him.
It may be recalled that commenting on the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Patil’s statement was misunderstood by people.
A video of the incident showed a man throwing ink at the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader as he emerged from a building. Security personnel around the minister immediately caught hold of the man.
Before the incident of ink throwing, some protesters also tried to show black flags to the minister’s convoy in Pimpri.
Speaking in Nagpur, Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the incident in Pimpri was very unfortunate, and Patil’s statement had been misunderstood.
Even if Patil used the wrong word, one should try to understand what he meant, Fadnavis told reporters.
All he was trying to convey was that people such as Dr Ambedkar or educationist Bhaurao Patil did not take money from the government to run educational institutes, the BJP leader said.
