The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday (August 4, 2026) hit out at the Indian National Congress for calling its national president and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar a “gungi gudiya” or a “dumb doll”. “Sharad Pawar should make the Congress apologise for its remarks, or should exit the INDIA Bloc,” an NCP leader demanded. The regional party also drew parallels with comments once directed at former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, saying the Congress had indirectly admitted that the earlier criticism of Ms. Gandhi was justified.

The controversy erupted after the Congress posted a video of Sunetra Pawar’s press conference in Beed, where a journalist’s question on the deteriorating law and order situation in the district was allegedly stopped midway. She is the guardian minister of Beed and is seen getting up to walk away from the press conference as the journalist is stopped by NCP leader Dhananjay Munde. Mr. Munde has been unsuccessfully seeking to regain his ministerial berth in the Maharashtra Cabinet after losing it following the arrest of his close aide in the case relating to the murder of village sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

After the video of the press conference went viral, the Congress posted it on its social media handle and asked, “For how days will Sunetra Pawar continue to remain a ‘gungi gudiya’ or a ‘dumb doll’?”

The NCP was quick to hit back at the Congress. Party leader Suraj Chavan called the Congress leadership “cheap” over its comment. “The Congress has a tradition of civilised political ideology. The current Congress has drifted away from its ideology and the people. A woman’s respect must be shown not just through speeches, but through thoughts. From the following post, the Congress’ mental state becomes evident,” he said.

NCP Maharashtra vice-president Udaykumar Aher said the national party had insulted not just Sunetra Pawar, but the entire Pawar family. “Sharad Pawar saaheb should force the Congress to publicly apologise to Sunetra vahini. Otherwise he should exit the INDIA Bloc,” he said.

Expressing anguish at the party’s comments, he said: “The Congress party has not only insulted vahini, but the entire people of Baramati who elected her with a record-breaking majority in the Assembly elections, and by extension, the entire Pawar family including Sharad Pawar saaheb. Sunetra vahini has, time and again, strengthened her and her party’s position in politics with measured words and by maintaining silence at the right moments. The nation has witnessed her steadfast courage. Therefore, Congress should not worry about her.”

Political criticism should not demean women

NCP leader Umesh Patil said that while political criticism is healthy in a democracy, it should not mean demeaning women. “Congress has indirectly admitted that the criticism of late Indira Gandhi was justified,” he said.

Asking the Congress to withdraw its comment, he said, “Democracy allows differences of opinion and even sharp criticism of policies. However, language that demeans women does not befit any political party.”

Drawing parallels with criticism directed at Indira Gandhi several years ago, he said Ms. Gandhi had proved her mettle through her decisive actions. He questioned why the Congress was now using against a woman public representative the very expression it had once regarded as unfair and insulting to a woman. “Does this mean the Congress is now indirectly admitting that the criticism levelled against the late Indira Gandhi at the time was justified?” he asked.

Mr. Patil said the issue went beyond party politics and concerned the standards of political discourse relating to women in public life.