Mumbai: A spat broke out after Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora targeted the state Congress for not sending its representation at singer Asha Bhosle’s funeral on Monday. Without naming Congress, Deora said in a post on X that every other political party ensured senior representation at the funeral. “One exception stood out, reflecting its disconnect from the nation’s cultural pulse.” Congress hit back, pointing out that senior party functionary Sushilkumar Shinde, along with Congress Working Committee members, former minister Naseem Khan, MP Praniti Shinde and several others from the state unit personally paid their respects to Bhosle. “If political opportunism had a face, this would be it,” it said. Alleging that Deora, who had previously served as Mumbai Congress chief, had attacked his political roots out of “desperate loyalty” to Shiv Sena, it said, “Congress didn’t just support your family, it built its political identity, gave it stature, credibility and a seat at the table of power… What we are witnessing now is not politics, but a relentless descent into shamelessness performed with astonishing enthusiasm.” —Chaitanya Marpakwar
