Taunted with ‘8th pass’ barb, Dhangekar says he earned ‘PhD’ when citizens elected him legislator

Pune: Since the past two days, an old affidavit of Ravindra Dhangekar is going viral with trolls taunting him as “8th standard pass”. However, the Congress Pune Lok Sabha candidate has responded saying citizens from Kasba Peth has already offered him “PhD” (doctorate degree) by electing him in the recent assembly bypolls.
Social media users supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) trolled the city legislator over his educational qualification wherein his picture with caption “Uneducated MLA who is Std VIII Pass in Oxford of the East” went viral on the social media since last few days.
The legislator hit back at his detractors saying, “My ‘PhD’ has been accepted by the public. The doctorate has been given to be by the citizens of Pune. Last year too, I was defamed by a politician who said ‘Who is Dhangekar?’ The opponents have realised their defeat in advance and hence resorting to such cheap tactics aimed at maligning my image.”
According to Dhangekar, stalwarts like Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil and Vasant Dada Patil despite limited formal education brought in positive changes.
“I have earned a doctorate in knowing the pulse of people. I know what they want. Those who point out about my formal education should ask why 83 per cent of the state’s youth are facing unemployment and take steps to address it using their qualified degrees. Citizens have given me their certificate and it is unfortunate for my critics to stoop to such low-level allegations against me,” he said.
Dhangekar who won the Kasba assembly seat on Congress ticket is the Lok Sabha candidate against BJP’s Muralidhar Mohol who has been the former mayor of Pune.
Meanwhile, NCP Sharad Pawar faction’s MLA Rohit Pawar alleged that the BJP IT cell is making disparaging remarks against Dhangekar over his education status.
“I remember Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself mentioned in an interview that his education was only up to high school… he has been PM for ten years. Despite Vasantdada Patil’s lack of education, IAS, IPS officers used to sweat in his meetings,” said Rohit.