Post rejig, angry Pankaja Munde supporters burn effigy of Devendra Fadnavis

Pankaja Munde's apparent unhappiness over being divested of the important water conservation portfolio yesterday spilled onto the social media while her supporters burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Ahmednagar district.

Pankaja Munde

Soon after news of her being relieved from the water conservation portfolio became public, a peeved Munde took to Twitter to announce that she was to reach Singapore to attend a global water leader summit on Monday but won't do so as she was no longer the minister of that department.

Fadnavis, who is out of country on an official tour, responded on Twitter, saying she must attend the event. "As a senior minister, you (Munde) would be representing the government of Maharashtra," Fadnavis said.

After the reshuffle in the Council of Ministers on Friday, Munde has been left with the portfolios of Woman and Child Welfare and Rural Development. Munde's supporters, mostly BJYM's activists, yesterday staged a protest in Ahmednagar district and shouted slogans against Fadnavis.

Earlier, as the water conservation minister, Munde had courted controversy in April by posting a selfie online during a visit to drought-affected Latur. Congress had then accused her of gross insensitivity.

Meanwhile, the opposition lost no time to latch on to the online exchange between the CM and his minister to take a dig at BJP. "Signs of BJP inner party democracy pouring out on streets! Pankaja Munde supporters burn effigy of CM," Congress MLC Sanjay Dutt said.