MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh on Tuesday issued a response to remarks made by Maharashtra BJP president Ravindra Chavan, who claimed that the legacy of the actor’s late father and former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh would be “wiped out” from Latur. In a video statement, the 47-year-old actor said that leaders who worked for the people live on in public memory beyond politics. “I say this with folded hands — the names of those who lived for the people are etched in people’s hearts. What is written can be erased, but what is etched cannot be erased,” Riteish Deshmukh said. The response came a day after Chavan, while addressing BJP workers at an election rally in Latur, expressed confidence about the party’s prospects in the upcoming municipal corporation polls. Referring to the enthusiasm of party supporters, Chavan said it showed that the political influence and legacy associated with Vilasrao Deshmukh would no longer hold sway in the city. “Seeing your enthusiasm, one can say with 100% certainty that the memories of Vilasrao Deshmukh will be wiped out from this city,” Chavan said during the rally. The remarks triggered sharp criticism from the Congress, which accused the BJP of attempting to undermine the contributions of a leader who played a significant role in Maharashtra’s development. The party said such statements reflected “arrogance of power” and ignorance of Vilasrao Deshmukh’s enduring legacy. Vilasrao Deshmukh, a senior Congress leader, served as Maharashtra’s 14th chief minister in two terms — from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2008 — and remained a towering political figure in the Marathwada region, particularly in Latur. The controversy has unfolded amid an intensifying political battle ahead of municipal corporation elections across Maharashtra, including key civic bodies such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. Polling for 29 municipal corporations is scheduled for January 15, with counting on January 16. Separately, Chavan on Sunday hit back at Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP chief Ajit Pawar over his recent remarks targeting the BJP, asking him to introspect before making allegations. Warning against a cycle of accusation and counter-accusation, Chavan said such politics would only escalate tensions in the election season.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/what-is-etched-cannot-be-erased-riteish-deshmukh-hits-back-at-bjp-chiefs-wiped-out-remark-on-vilasrao-deshmukhs-legacy/articleshow/126368469.cms