Mumbai- Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, mocked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his allegations regarding the death of Dalit man Somnath Vyankat Suryawanshi. Suryawanshi, 35, died in judicial custody on December 15 after being arrested for his alleged role in violence following the desecration of a B.R. Ambedkar statue.

Gandhi, who visited Suryawanshi's hometown of Parbhani and met with his family, labeled the death a "100 per cent murder" and accused the police of custodial violence. He alleged that Suryawanshi faced targeting due to his Dalit status and efforts to protect the Constitution. Gandhi also accused Chief Minister Fadnavis of lying in the state Assembly to protect the police. He stated emphatically, "The police have beaten him... murdered him in custody. He was killed because he was a Dalit. He was beaten and finished off."

When questioned about Gandhi's claims, Amruta Fadnavis responded dismissively, stating, "I think you are wasting your and my time discussing Rahul Gandhi with me. There are various things… There are people with brains. It is better to talk about them.”

In other comments, Amruta Fadnavis addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the proposed establishment of a Sanatan Board. The discussion gained momentum when a minister in Tripura proposed a Sanatan Board for Hindus, drawing parallels with the Muslim Waqf Board. He proposed separate Christian and Sikh boards. Fadnavis stated that if such a trust is formed "under legal and government guidelines, then there is no problem in it. After all, we are all Sanatanis.”

Regarding the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) recently launched 'Mukhyamantri Mahila Samman Yojana', which offers a monthly allowance of Rs 2,100 to eligible women, Fadnavis acknowledged the scheme's potential to economically empower women. However, she added that there's a "need to work towards ensuring that women can stand on their own feet in the long term.” The AAP has started registering beneficiaries for this initiative to financially support women and foster economic independence.