Pune: Medha Kulkarni, Abhimanyu Pawar Clash At Event Over Alleged Caste Remark
Pune: Medha Kulkarni, Abhimanyu Pawar Clash At Event Over Alleged Caste Remark
Pune, June 26, 2026: A public disagreement between BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni and BJP MLA Abhimanyu Pawar overshadowed a state government function organised by the SARATHI institution in Pune on Friday, with Kulkarni alleging that she was subjected to a caste-based remark during the event.
The programme, held on the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, was attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, and several MPs and MLAs.
According to Kulkarni, the dispute began over seating arrangements in the front row. She alleged that MLA Abhimanyu Pawar told her it was inappropriate for her to sit in the front row as it was a programme related to the Maratha community.
Expressing her displeasure, Kulkarni said the incident cast a shadow over an event attended by the Chief Minister. She stated that she chose to leave the venue without speaking to anyone and initially refrained from commenting publicly on the matter.
Speaking later, Kulkarni said she reminded Pawar that she had become an MLA before him and had worked for the party for many years. She questioned whether he still considered himself the Chief Minister’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and asked, “Do you think you are a Super Chief Minister? Do you think you are everyone’s boss?”
Kulkarni maintained that her objection was not about seating arrangements but about what she described as a caste-based comment. She alleged that Pawar remarked that her presence in the front row at a Maratha community event could create controversy.
Following the incident, both Kulkarni and Pawar presented their respective versions of events to the media. However, no official statement has been issued by the BJP regarding the controversy.
The incident has sparked political discussion, as it unfolded during an official government programme in the presence of senior state leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
