"What is engraved, can never be removed": Actor Riteish Deshmukh strongly reacts to Maharashtra BJP chief Chavan's remarks

Jan 06, 2026

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 6 : Actor Riteish Deshmukh on Tuesday reacted strongly to Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan's remarks about his late father and former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, saying that what is merely written can be erased, but memories etched in people's hearts cannot be erased.
Responding to his remarks, Deshmukh, in an emotional video, said, "I say this with folded hands: the name of a person who lives for the people remains engraved in their hearts. What is merely written can be erased, but what is engraved can never be removed. Jai Maharashtra."
This came after Maharashtra BJP president Chavan, while addressing an election rally in Latur on Monday, expressed confidence in the party's prospects in the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections, citing strong enthusiasm among party workers in Latur and suggested that the influence and legacy of Vilasrao Deshmukh would no longer hold sway in the city.
"Everyone, raise your hands and say Bharat Mata ki Jai... In a true sense, seeing your enthusiasm, one can notice that it's a 100% fact that memories of Vilasrao Deshmukh will be wiped out for this city, and there is no doubt about it," Ravindra Chavan said.
Vilasrao Deshmukh, a prominent Congress leader in Maharashtra, served as the state's 14th Chief Minister, holding office in two terms--from October 18, 1999, to January 16, 2003, and later from November 1, 2004, to December 5, 2008.
The political battle in Maharashtra has intensified ahead of the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other municipal corporation elections across the state.
Polling for 29 municipal corporation elections across the state, including Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, will be held on January 15, with vote counting scheduled for January 16.