Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan on Friday faced criticism for clicking selfie videos during a tour of the flood-affected regions of Kolhapur district. The Opposition hit out at Mahajan with the Nationalist Congress Party saying that he was indulging in “disaster tourism”, PTI reported.
In one of the clips, the water resources minister was seen smiling and waving as the boat waded through flood waters while in another footage, he was seen standing on a road while inspecting the flood situation.
The NCP also demanded that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should ask the “insensitive minister” to resign. The Congress said that the Bharatiya Janata Party should start a “selfiewithdead” series with Mahajan as its brand ambassador.
“When Maharashtra is reeling under severe floods, thousands are awaiting for rescue and relief, the shameless BJP minister is clicking smiling selfies as if he is on holiday!” Maharashtra Congress tweeted.
NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik claimed that Mahajan had proved that there disaster tourism existed. “This is an insensitive government,” PTI quoted Malik as saying. “They [BJP] are only bothered about campaigning. People of the state are watching and will teach the BJP a lesson.”
“Minister Girish Mahajan and officials smiled, posed [for] selfie,” tweeted Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde. “Are the rulers left with any sensitivity? Devendra Fadnavis, take resignation of this insensitive minister, suspend the officials concerned.”
Maharashtra has been on the receiving end of severe torrential rain with at least 16 deaths in rain and flood-related incidents in the western part of the state over the last week. Ten teams of the Indian Army from Mumbai conducted on-ground rescue operations in Kolhapur, Sangli and Raigad in Maharashtra on Friday. As many as 204 out of 1,234 villages in Kolhapur district have been affected by the rain and flood, according to the deputy collector.
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