This is the world of post-truth politics where even crabs can cause dam burst. Yes! This is the logic used by Shiv Sena’s Tanaji Sawant, who is a minister in Maharashtra, as he held crabs responsible for the dam burst incident in Ratnagiri that has claimed 18 lives so far.
According to NDTV, the water conservation minister told media persons that there were no breaches in the ill-fated Tiware Dam earlier [before the incident on Tuesday] with the reservoir storing water for the past 15 years.
"The dam was built in 2004 and there were no breaches ever... However, there is huge problem of crabs in that dam and because of that the recent leakages took place," Sawant said.
The minister said there was a massive downpour in that region, with a rainfall of 192 mm which raised dam water level by 8 metres in just eight hours.
He said the government was informed by the residents of Bhendewadi hamlet of the problems of breaches and the officials had taken action on it.
Attacking Sawant, Nationalist Congress Party national spokesperson Nawab Malik termed it as "a shameful defence of his party (Shiv Sena) legislator who is the contractor for the dam".
"You want to save a big, corrupt shark and blaming poor crabs? This cannot be tolerated. There must be an enquiry and he must be punished," demanded Malik.
Suhas Khandagale, chief of the Village Development Committee of Ratnagiri, said that time had come to throw crabs at the minister's home now.
"When the crabs were gnawing away at the dam, did he (minister) go there for an underwater shooting? This is the limit of playing around with the peoples' sentiments,” Khandagale said.
According to NDTV, the water conservation minister told media persons that there were no breaches in the ill-fated Tiware Dam earlier [before the incident on Tuesday] with the reservoir storing water for the past 15 years.
"The dam was built in 2004 and there were no breaches ever... However, there is huge problem of crabs in that dam and because of that the recent leakages took place," Sawant said.
The minister said there was a massive downpour in that region, with a rainfall of 192 mm which raised dam water level by 8 metres in just eight hours.
He said the government was informed by the residents of Bhendewadi hamlet of the problems of breaches and the officials had taken action on it.
Attacking Sawant, Nationalist Congress Party national spokesperson Nawab Malik termed it as "a shameful defence of his party (Shiv Sena) legislator who is the contractor for the dam".
"You want to save a big, corrupt shark and blaming poor crabs? This cannot be tolerated. There must be an enquiry and he must be punished," demanded Malik.
Suhas Khandagale, chief of the Village Development Committee of Ratnagiri, said that time had come to throw crabs at the minister's home now.
"When the crabs were gnawing away at the dam, did he (minister) go there for an underwater shooting? This is the limit of playing around with the peoples' sentiments,” Khandagale said.