Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s remark that there is no place for the “batenge toh katenge (division is destruction)” slogan in Maharashtra has drawn a fierce backlash from his colleague Devendra Fadnavis. Angered by his ally’s defensive remarks, Mr Fadnavis suggested Mr Pawar’s understanding of the slogan was still influenced by his former allies.

The “batenge toh kitenge” slogan was coined by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and the BJP’s star campaigner Yogi Adityanath at one of his recent rallies in Maharashtra. The opposition has alleged communal overtones in the slogan while Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweaked it earlier this month to “ek hai toh safe hai”, repackaging its message of unity.

The slogan sparked discomfort among a section of BJP leaders and allies who are working together in the Maharashtra government.

NCP’s Ajit Pawar – the nephew of Sharad Pawar whose undivided party enjoyed considerable backing among the Muslims – did not mince his words. “I am not supporting it. I have said this several times. It will not work in Maharashtra. This may work in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, or some other places,” he said in a recent interview.

His remark did not go down well with the state BJP leadership, with his colleague Mr Fadnavis issuing a stern reaction.

“Ajit Pawar stayed with such ideologies – which are secular and anti-Hindu – for decades. There is no real secularism amongst those who call themselves secularists. He stayed with people for whom opposing Hindutva is secularism. It will take some time for him to understand the mood of the public,” said Mr Fadnavis.

He said his former allies did not understand the underlying message in the slogan. “These people either did not understand the sentiment of the public or did not understand the meaning of this statement or while speaking they probably wanted to say something else,” he added.

Two prominent BJP leaders – Pankaja Munde and Ashok Chavan – have also shared their differences regarding the slogan.

Ms Munde, daughter of late BJP stalwart Gopinath Munde, said that her politics is different and she won’t support it just because she is from the same party. “A leader’s job is to make every living person on this land our own. Therefore, we need not bring any such topic to Maharashtra,” she has said.

Ashok Chavan, who joined the BJP in February after resigning from the Congress, said that the slogan has no relevance and is not in good taste. “I don’t think people will appreciate it. Personally speaking, I am not in favour of such a slogan,” he said.

The opposition has banked on the “conflicting statements” and asked the BJP to choose between Yogi Adityanath’s “divisive” slogans and PM Modi’s call for unity. Accusing the opposition of trying to spread a false narrative, senior BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has said that the two slogans gave the same message. “Yogi-ji has said that if we are divided, we will be divided. Modi ji is saying that if we are united, we are safe. We are just warning people against vote jihad,” he said.

Maharashtra will vote on November 20 to elect representatives for its 288 seats. Votes will counted on November 23.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis clarified that businessman Gautam Adani was not present at the 2019 BJP-NCP meeting, contrary to Ajit Pawar’s claims. Fadnavis asserted that Sharad Pawar, who was present, later betrayed their agreement on government formation. He also indicated the possibility of imposing President’s Rule was discussed, with Sharad Pawar tasked to write to the Governor.

This incident is similar to a prior controversy where a farmer in traditional attire was allegedly denied entry to GT World Mall while visiting with his son