A recent video of senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole has generated a lot of debate on social media platforms. In the film, Patole is seen sitting and two people pour milk on his feet as if he is performing some ritual. Some people on social media have been very critical and have taken issue with the optics of this video and the timing and the appropriateness of this because of his high profile.
Patole came forward to defend the incident and explain why the viral video was so popular. The Congress leader said that Guru Purnima, a traditional festival for teachers, mentors, and spiritual guides, was on that day. Patole said these were not political workers or supporters, but younger members of his extended family who have a deep personal reverence for him.
Patole explained that the younger relatives insisted on carrying out the gesture as a traditional mark of respect. The act was purely a personal, cultural, and religious observance linked to the festival and not a political event or campaign activity, he said. The intention behind the ritual was as much one of family tradition and personal devotion as political posturing or an exercise of power, he said.
At the same time, Patole admitted that he was initially reluctant and uncomfortable with the ritual as it unfolded. He says he doesn’t see himself as a saint, spiritual figure, or religious mentor and was not sure about accepting a gesture of reverence. But, in spite of his reservations, the younger relatives’ persistence made him go along with it, and they saw him as a father figure of the family.
The video has been made public and quickly shared, which has brought to light the scrutiny public figures face and how they practice their private and traditional rituals in the digital age. There have been those who have seized on the footage to say that such rituals are not in line with present-day public leadership, but others who have defended the practice have argued that there are two kinds of family customs and politics in those days.
