PUNE, 10 NOV. Rupali Thombre Patil, spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has paid a heavy price for criticizing Rupali Chakankar, the Chairperson of the State Women's Commission. The NCP had previously issued a notice to Thombre Patil seeking clarification on the matter. However, even before Thombre Patil could respond, the party has taken significant action against her, removing her from the post of party spokesperson.
Rupali Thombre Patil was serving as a spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party. The NCP has not only removed her but also legislator Amol Mitkari and Vaishali Nagawade from the spokesperson roles. On Monday, the NCP released a list of 17 new spokespersons, which does not include Rupali Thombre Patil's name. Hemlata Patil and Pratibha Shinde have been given the responsibility of spokesperson in her place. The new list includes Anil Patil, Chetan Tupe, Sana Malik, Hemlata Patil, Rajiv Sable, Sayali Dalvi, Rupali Chakankar, Anand Paranjpe, Rajlakshmi Bhosale, Pratibha Shinde, Prashant Pawar, Shashikant Tarange, Brijmohan Srivastava, Avinash Adik, Suraj Chavan, Vikas Pasalkar, and Shyam Saner.
The Controversy Behind the Action
Rupali Thombre Patil had criticized State Women's Commission Chairperson Rupali Chakankar over her stance in the Dr. Sampada Munde suicide case. Thombre Patil had even demanded Chakankar's resignation. Taking the matter seriously, the party had issued a notice to Thombre Patil, asking for an explanation within seven days. Now, before the seven-day period is over, the Nationalist Congress Party has taken the major decision to remove Rupali Thombre Patil from the spokesperson post. Just two days ago, Thombre Patil had met with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. At that time, while speaking to the media, she had stated that she had presented her side and shown some evidence.
Rupali Patil-Thombre's Reaction
Rupali Patil-Thombre issued a statement, saying, "Namaskar Jai Maharashtra... Today I am traveling outside Pune, so I could not be reached. Today the party has announced a new list of spokespersons, which does not include my name, nor that of MLA Amol Mitkari and Vaishali Nagawade. We are all fully prepared to face the upcoming elections and will continue to work for the party with enthusiasm and dedication. Regarding this new list, I will meet Ajit Pawar to get more information on the subject. After that, I will speak to all of you in detail."
000
