Munde’s revelation, coming in the midst of recent ethnicity-related claims in the city, highlights the need to address diversity and inclusion issues.
Following recent claims of discrimination based on ethnicity in Mumbai, BJP national secretary Pankaja Gopinath Munde revealed that she too faced housing discrimination in the city due to her Marathi background.
Pankaja Munde’s disclosure comes in the wake of Trupti Deorukhkar’s assertion that she was denied office space in Mumbai’s Mulund area due to her Marathi identity.
In a Facebook video, the BJP leader shared her housing search experience, explaining that she desired to move out of her government residence and purchase a new house. During her search, she encountered instances where people conveyed that they did not offer houses to Marathi individuals. She noted that even someone like herself had faced such encounters.
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Munde expressed her dismay, stating that it was very unfortunate. She also noted that, in light of the current climate in politics and society, there seemed to be a sense of uneasiness somewhere in society.
She stressed that Mumbai‘s charm lies in its diversity, encompassing all languages, castes, and religions, and she affirmed that “everyone” is welcome in the city.
However, Munde voiced her disappointment with buildings that refuse housing to certain individuals, labeling it as regrettable.
Pankaja Munde, known for her role as the Minister of Rural and Women Child Development in the Devendra Fadnavis cabinet, is recognized as a prominent figure in the Sugar Factory and Banking sectors. She received ‘The Powerful Politician’ award in 2017.
She served as the State President of BJP’s youth wing, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), in 2012. Additionally, she was the representative to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from the Parli constituency in 2009.
On October 31, 2014, she took the oath as a Maharashtra Cabinet Minister. She received the responsibility of overseeing the Ministry of Rural Development and Women & Child Welfare.
Her father, Gopinath Munde, previously held the position of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra in the 1990s.
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