Congress' Gungi Gudiya Post On Sunetra Pawar, NCP's Indira Gandhi Reminder

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders on Tuesday barged into a Maharashtra Congress press conference at its Mumbai office to protest against the party's "gungi gudiya" comment on Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.

The NCP leaders raised slogans and demanded an apology from state Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal.

A political row erupted on Monday after the state Congress dubbed Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar a "gungi gudiya" (mute doll), drawing a sharp backlash from the NCP, which questioned if the Opposition party now endorses the infamous insult once used against late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the Congress should be ashamed of its remarks against Maharashtra's first woman Deputy Chief Minister, and called it an insult to women in the state.

The issue flared after the Congress posted a video on social media on Monday in which NCP leader Dhananjay Munde reportedly shielded Sunetra Pawar from a journalist's question about the law and order situation in Beed district, following which the party labelled her a "gungi gudiya".

Pawar is the guardian minister of Beed district.

"Sunetra Pawar, how many more days will you remain a 'gungi gudiya'?" the Congress stated in the post.

सुनेत्रा पवार, अजून किती दिवस "गुंगी गुडिया" बनून राहतील ! pic.twitter.com/1Cgj9dZfBq

— Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) August 3, 2026

Amid the political furore, Sapkal defended the comment. "It is not an abuse, but a description of Sunetra Pawar's public conduct."

Sapkal said that at a press conference in Beed, journalists were continuously asking questions, but Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar did not respond to any issue. He alleged that a person present there (Dhananjay Munde) was trying to silence the journalists, but the Deputy Chief Minister did not react to that either.

He said, "Is 'gungi gudiya' an abuse? It is only a description and this analogy applies to Sunetra Pawar."

Hitting back, NCP spokesperson Umesh Patil asked if the Opposition party was indirectly admitting that criticism of late Indira Gandhi was justified.

"While democracy allows differences of opinion and even sharp criticism of policies, language that demeans women does not befit any political party," Patil said.

He urged the Congress to withdraw the expression and uphold the tradition of maintaining dignity and respect in public political discourse.

Meanwhile, when asked about the "gungi gudiya" comment, NCP (SP) leader and Sunetra Pawar's nephew Rohit Pawar said, "The context should also be considered. A journalist wanted to ask her a question, and a local leader prevented him from doing his job, and Sunetra Pawar kept mum, despite having the power to prevent injustice."

He said that late Indira Gandhi's critics used the term "gungi gudiya" for her, but she proved them wrong through her work.