"Not Fadtoos but Kartoos": Devendra Fadnavis counters Uddhav Thackeray's 'useless Home Min' remark

Nagpur (Maharashtra) [India], April 4 : Responding to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's remark calling him a "useless" Home Minister, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that he is not "Fadtoos" (useless) but "Kartoos" (bullet).

Earlier in the day, Uddhav Thackeray termed Fadnavis as a "Fadtoos Home Minister" (useless) after a woman activist of the Thackeray group was allegedly beaten up by the Shinde group in Thane.

Addressing 'Veer Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in Nagpur, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, replied by saying, "Today he (Uddhav Thackeray) said that I am a Fadtoos (useless) Home minister. Uddhav Thackeray, I want to tell you that I am not Fadtus but a Kartoos (bullet). Jhukega Nahi Saala, Ghusega (Will not bend but penetrate)."

The Shiv Sena and its ally BJP are taking out a 'Veer Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' across State in the wake of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's controversial remarks on late Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar.

Earlier, while addressing 'Veer Savarkar Gaurav Yatra' in Mumbai on Monday, State Deputy CM launched a veiled attack on Rahul Gandhi saying that those with golden spoon are questioning about Savarkar.

"Those who have a golden spoon with them are talking about Veer Savarkar. Your party leaders respect Veer Savarkar. Indira Gandhi, Yashwantrao Chavan - they respected Savarkar and you are questioning him. Who are you?" he said

"You said Veer Savarkar apologised and wrote a letter to the British. No, that is wrong. Savarkar wrote a letter because he knew that the British would not release him. So he wrote, do not release me (Savarkar) but release other prisoners who did nothing against you (the British)."

"Mahatma Gandhi wrote letters to Savarkar's relatives, who were also in jail with him (Savarkar) for many years, and said - other prisoners were released. He then told Savarkar that he should also tell the British that you released them, release me (Savarkar) too," added Fadnavis

Fadnavis slammed former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the Savarkar issue.

He said, "If you (Uddhav Thackeray) have self respect then show with your 'actions' not with your 'words'. Balasaheb Thackeray threw chappals on M Shankar Aiyer's posters. Have you thrown slippers on Rahul Gandhi?"

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader asked why Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is not deleting his tweet on Veer Savarkar.

Attacking Thackeray further, Fadnavis said, "Governments come and go. You want to go with them, you must go but speak on Savarkar. You have no power now. Then they (Sanjay raut) said Sharad Pawar told Rahul Gandhi to not to speak on Savarkar issue then why Rahul Gandhi is not deleting his tweets agst Veer Savarkar."

Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as an MP after being convicted in the criminal defamation case over the 'Modi surname' remark, on March 25 said, "My name is not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis do not apologise to anyone".