Urging people not to fall prey to false propaganda, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday hit out at a viral video clip which showed him making apparently frivolous remarks on the Maratha quota agitation along with Deputy CMs Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis, remarking that the distorted video was “a highly mischievous act” on part of his opponents.
As the deadlock over the Maratha reservation continued with pro-Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s indefinite strike entering its sixteenth day, the video clip, shot before the commencement of a press conference after the all-party meeting on September 11, triggered a fresh bout of political sabre-rattling between ruling and Opposition parties.
The video, which showed CM Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar sharing a light moment prior to the press conference, giving the impression that Mr. Shinde was treating the Maratha reservation issue with apparent levity, was posted by a number of opposition leaders including MP Omraje Nimbalkar, who belongs to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena.
