Maharashtra minister courts controversy, takes selfie videos while touring flood-affected areas

A Maharashtra Minister has attracted controversy after his cheerful ‘selfie videos’ while undertaking a inspection of floods in the state has attracted controversy as thousands of people are still trapped in waters for close to a week without food or water.

Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan who has been inspecting the flood situation in Kolhapur on Thursday was seen waving hands and smiling while travelling in a boat while someone else in the boat was taking videos. Incidentally while Mahajan was seen waving and smiling entire villages can be seen in the background under water.

Mahajan’s move has attracted condemnation from all quarters and political parties in the state who have now asked whether the Maharashtra Minister had gone for disaster relief or disaster tourism. “To call this insensitive when lakhs of people are still waiting for rescue and have lost their homes and lives in the waters would be an understatement.”said Raju shetti former Hatkanangale MP. Shetti said there were very National Disaster Rescue Force boats and these were taken over by the MLA’s and other ruling party leaders who are doing their own ‘promotion’ in stead of rescuing people.


The Congress and the NCP have also slammed Mahajan for taking selfies as Maharashtra’s three districts Kolhapur, Satara and Sangli have faced the brunt of the floods. Locals have been claiming that the state administration has been woefully inadequate in either rescuing them or providing any kind of help.