Mumbai: Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole kicked up a controversy after a viral video showed a party worker washing his feet.

Otherwise I would have used water from the tap

While the BJP accused him of “insulting” the workers of his party, Patole blamed the ruling party for lack of tap connection in the area which led the worker to wash his feet.

The incident took place on Monday when Patole visited Wadegaon to attend an event. The video of the incident, which went viral on social media, shows a worker pouring water on Patole’s feet and cleaning them with his hands as the Congress leader exits the vehicle.

Several BJP leaders shared the video on their social media handles, accusing Patole of ‘insulting’ his party workers.

The X handle of BJP Mumbai shared the video and said, “What a misfortune, Congress is repeatedly insulting the workers whose might it uses to contest elections”.

The BJP condemned Patole for making a worker wash his muddied feet and questioned whether this behaviour represented the true culture of the Congress party.

BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said, “In a shocking video, a Congress worker is seen washing Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole’s feet. It is the same party that went around lying to the Dalits that if BJP comes to power they will change the Constitution and remove reservation. And now thisâ€æ How is this acceptable?”

Nana Patole later responded to the allegations, saying his feet got muddied after taking part in a procession of the holy symbolic footprints of Saint Gajanan Maharaj.

“I had gone to Akola to seek the blessings of Gajanan Maharaj at a ground where palkhi was kept during an ongoing yatra. The ground was muddy and my feet got soiled. So I washed my feet while our worker poured water on it. I do everything in broad daylight. I am not ashamed of anything,” Patole said.

“The worker was pouring water (on my feet). There was no tap – ‘Har ghar mein nal, har ghar mein jal’ (a reference to BJP’s water guarantee). Otherwise I would have used water from the tap,” he added.

However, BJP MP Bhupender Yadav lashed out at Patole for defending his act.

“Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole didn’t just get his feet washed by a party worker. He is also brazenly defending it. If this is what the party is doing to its own workers, wonder how they treat common people. Truth be told, Congress uses power only to oppress,” Yadav said.

The BJP MP also demanded an immediate and unconditional apology from the Congress.