On Tuesday, Shiv Sena (Shinde)-BJP union chief Ravindra Dhangekar focused Medha Kulkarni, accusing her of disturbing the peace and concord of Pune. 

“She is an MP and comes from Kothrud, however thus far, she has not spoken towards the Ghaiwal gang that’s spreading menace there. She can be silent in regards to the Jain belief property going to a developer. However she has proven her aggression in attempting to disturb the concord within the metropolis,” Dhangekar instructed the media.

Not solely Shiv Sena, but additionally the Nationalist Congress Occasion (Ajit Pawar) has attacked Kulkarni, with chief Rupali Thombre calling for a police criticism towards her.

“Kulkarni is diverting the difficulty and creating tensions between the 2 communities. I demand a police case towards her. A grave has been there on the premises for a number of years. Providing prayers isn’t a criminal offense. She created an pointless controversy,” Thombre instructed the media on Monday.

“I’m not agitating towards the BJP, however Kulkarni. Our leaders ought to counsel her. Our occasion believes within the ideas of Phule, Shahu, and Ambedkar, and we respect the Structure,” Thombre stated, referring to Jyotirao Phule, Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, and Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

In opposition to this backdrop, the BJP, nevertheless, requested its alliance companions to comply with the ‘Mahayuti dharma‘.

Chatting with ThePrint, BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhye stated, “Mahayuti companions ought to comply with the Mahayuti dharma. Each time the time comes, such points might be up for dialogue on the correct platform.”

“So far as Medha tai, she is aware of the emotions of Punekars. She at all times picks up points near the guts of Punekars, and she or he has their help,” he added.

Nevertheless, this isn’t the primary time that Medha Kulkarni has taken a hardline stand. The 55-year-old is a three-time corporator of the Pune Municipal Company and served because the Kothrud legislator between 2014 and 2019. Nevertheless, in 2019, she was denied an meeting ticket that Chandrakant Patil obtained in her stead. Following that, Kulkarni, an old-time loyalist of the occasion, felt considerably sidelined for 5 years between 2019 and 2024, earlier than her nomination to the Rajya Sabha in 2024.

“She does converse aggressively, however I really feel this communal politics is a deliberate try by Medha Kulkarni to rise within the management ranks in Pune. Additionally, with the upcoming native physique polls, this may profit the occasion solely,” political analyst Hemant Desai instructed ThePrint.

ThePrint has reached Medha Kulkarni through cellphone calls. This report might be up to date if and when she responds.

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Company to MP by going towards native BJP     

Medha Kulkarni, a lecturer by career, belongs to the Brahmin neighborhood from Pune—a vote financial institution that has been loyal to the BJP.

She was a corporator in Kothrud, mendacity within the western a part of Pune, for 15 years, earlier than the occasion gave her an meeting ticket for the primary time in 2014.

She gained the Kothrud meeting seat, which has a robust Brahmin presence, by defeating the then-undivided Shiv Sena’s Chandrakant Mokate by a 64,000-vote margin. As Pune developed, many Brahmins from the outdated metropolis moved to Kothrud, with Medha Kulkarni having fun with newfound help.

Nevertheless, in 2019, when she was the sitting MLA, the occasion dropped her and supplied her seat to Chandrakant Patil, who hails from Kolhapur. That didn’t go down effectively with Kulkarni, and she or he expressed her displeasure publicly.

The BJP not solely irked Kulkarni but additionally the Brahmin neighborhood in 2019 by not fielding her as its candidate.

In opposition to the backdrop of those public sentiments, Kulkarni adopted an aggressive stance in the direction of Chandrakant Patil in addition to the native management, whom she blamed for sidelining her.

From elevating her voice in help of the surroundings in Pune and towards the event venture led by Patil to expressing her displeasure in the direction of her occasion leaders claiming credit score for the Chandani Chowk flyover, which she had been pushing for since her time as an MLA in 2014, Medha Kulkarni began guaranteeing that her unhappiness didn’t go unnoticed.

Throughout the inauguration of the flyover, Kulkarni wrote a Fb publish. She stated that she had by no means spoken publicly about feeling disregarded or ignored, even when not consulted earlier than necessary selections. “Nevertheless, now, I really feel the necessity to share.”

“The pamphlets for the Chandani Chowk inauguration in Kothrud had been initially disheartening. Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis deserve credit score for the Chandani Chowk venture. However who initiated this with them?” Kulkarni wrote, sharing the poster of the occasion, wherein her identify was lacking.

She added, “In a earlier public handle, Gadkari talked about: ‘I pursued this on the recommendation of the then MLA Medha Kulkarni’. I’ve been concerned with this subject, even earlier than the present, outstanding Kothrud leaders had been within the image. Now, the present Kothrud leaders appear to say all of the credit score, nearly erasing figures like me. Are they attempting to erase the existence of individuals like me?”

She accused the native BJP unit, in addition to leaders like Chandrakant Patil and Murlidhar Mohol, of attempting to play manipulative politics, saying that her loyalty in the direction of the occasion was of no worth to them.

This was in 2023, when Kulkarni additionally resurrected herself in Maharashtra’s political scene because the nationwide vp of the BJP girls’s wing.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari placated her when she visited the flyover, a day after the Fb publish.

In 2023, the BJP additionally misplaced the bypolls at Kasba Peth, together with its vital Brahmin vote financial institution there, for the primary time in 30 years, as Congress chief Ravindra Dhangekar marked his victory. The BJP had fielded an OBC candidate, Hemant Rasane, from the seat—one of many causes it couldn’t obtain victory, felt the occasion. Nevertheless, denying the ticket to the household of Mukta Tilak, whose demise necessitated the bypolls, was additionally partially behind its defeat.

Later, in 2024, forward of the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP did a course correction and supplied Medha Kulkarni the Rajya Sabha seat. This manner, the BJP despatched a optimistic message to occasion loyalists in a bid to manage the infighting inside the Pune unit. In the meantime, Kulkarni had made a shocking comeback.

“She publicly expressed her displeasure in 2019 when denied the BJP ticket, creating an enormous sympathy wave for her,” stated Desai, indicating these sentiments have labored in her favour. “And now, she has once more been lifted to the extent that she now has a Rajya Sabha seat.”

Hardline Hindutva & its current relevance

Kulkarni is understood for her shut affiliation with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). After she entered the Rajya Sabha as an MP in 2024, she visited the RSS headquarters and the BJP native workplace.

Her displeasure step by step eroded. She even buried the hatchet with Murlidhar Mohol, now a Lok Sabha MP who beforehand served as mayor within the Pune Municipal Company. After the Lok Sabha elections, she accompanied Mohol—a Kothrud resident like her—to Delhi, the place they despatched out a message of unity.

Slowly, she acquired energetic in Pune’s native politics.

Final 12 months, she acquired into an argument for making employees paint a inexperienced wall close to Sadashiv Peth’s Gyanprabodhini Faculty in saffron hues.

Taking to X, Kulkarni then wrote, “I went to that place right this moment to test it out. It was enjoyable to color saffron on inexperienced…. We eliminated the inexperienced color and painted the wall saffron to symbolise Hindu delight. That is a part of awakening Hindus. We’re happy with this motion and won’t tolerate makes an attempt to transform such locations into ‘mazars‘ or begin ‘namaz’.”

She was additionally extensively accused of allegedly threatening the trustees of the Shaikh Salahuddin Dargah to cease azaan in the course of the Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, after which the trustees demanded police motion towards her.

She, nevertheless, denied their claims and, in flip, stated that she didn’t threaten however requested them to decrease the quantity, because the aarti was ongoing on the close by Punyashwar temple throughout Hanuman Jayanti.

Earlier this 12 months, Kulkarni referred to as for naming the Pune railway station after the legendary Thorele Bajirao Peshwa, also called Bajirao I, the Peshwa (prime minister) below Chatrapati Shahu I between 1720 and 1740. He’s identified for his navy prowess, in addition to the growth of the Maratha Empire.

Her hardline stance was additionally seen when she demanded that the well-known Sarasbaug—a backyard within the coronary heart of the town with a Ganesh temple on the positioning—ought to be closed for the day after some noticed that Muslims had been allegedly consuming meat on the backyard.

In June this 12 months, she wrote to the PMC, saying that Hindu sentiments had been getting damage and that consuming meat on the premises was spoiling the sanctity of the temple.

Kulkarni additionally expressed her hardline stance when she made her displeasure identified to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar after he inaugurated the Parshuram Arthik Vikas Mahamandal’s constructing “earlier than” the scheduled time. She is a member of the “mahamandal (company)” arrange for the Brahmin neighborhood.

Very lately, she stopped an area garba celebration, claiming that the festivities had been allegedly violating noise air pollution norms.

“She desires to show her prowess over the town. Her politics modified over time. She was by no means this street-style politician, however extra well-behaved and cultured. I don’t suppose she ever did this type of politics, however now I really feel she desires to seize the eye of the occasion management, therefore she is turning into an increasing number of aggressive,” stated Desai.

(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)

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