ON his first visit to the city to inaugurate the Pune Book Festival, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on said Pune’s development agenda will gain momentum in the coming days.
”In the last two and a half years, we have set Pune’s agenda. In the coming days, the agenda will pick up speed,” the Chief Minister said on his arrival at the Pune airport.
Praising the Pune Book Festival, Fadanvis said, “Pune is the cultural capital of the state. In this cultural capital, a very important event aimed at boosting the reading culture is taking place. I had come for the Pune Book Festival last year too. I was taken aback by the overwhelming response it had received, which is is why I decided to attend the festival when I received the invitation.”
Later in the evening, the Chief Minister inaugurated the book festival underway at Fergusson College Ground.
Addressing the gathering, Fadnavis said, “I am happy that I have been invited to the Pune Book Festival for the second edition as well… Pramod Mahajan (former BJP leader) had said a wise man should never attend the same function twice. Because if he attends the function and repeats what he said earlier, people will say he has nothing to say. If he says something different, people will say he has no principles. They will say look he said something last time and this time, he is saying something different… That’s why it is said, a wise man should not address the same event for the second time. However, this event is good so I was prompted to attend it. I was encouraged to say, mee punha yein (I will be back).” Fadnavis’s “mee punha yein” had become famous during the 2019 election.
The Chief Minister then said he had a complaint to make. “You call me for the book festival. However, right in front me, a food festival is underway. You don’t even take me there. Next time I come, you should ensure some time is reserved for the food festival after the book festival,” he said.
“The book festival belongs to Pune, the cultural capital of Maharashtra. And there is no ideal city for an event like a book festival other than Pune. Puneites have not only set a record, but through the book festival they have shown their enthusiasm for knowledge and reading. I want to congratulate Puneites, especially those who observe silence and encourage reading habits.”
He said book festivals should not stay limited to Pune. ”This new culture of silence through book reading should be taken to other cities as well… The state government will extend all possible assistance for the event,” he said.
Why should you buy our Subscription?
You want to be the smartest in the room.
You want access to our award-winning journalism.
You don’t want to be misled and misinformed.
Choose your subscription package
Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories
