Workers of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Tuesday, 9 July, threw crabs outside the residence of Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant to protest his claim that the crustaceans caused a dam breach in coastal Ratnagiri, news agency PTI reported.
Sawant drew much flak and ridicule when he claimed last week that crabs hollowed out the wall of Tiware dam in Ratnagiri district, causing the breach which claimed at least 18 lives.
NCP workers led by Rupali Chakankar reached the residence of Sawant, the minister for water conservation, in Pune and threw live crabs on the porch.
Earlier, NCP workers in Thane and Kolhapur had approached police seeking a “case" of murder to be registered against crabs for causing the breach, following Sawant's statement in the aftermath of the tragedy.
NCP Workers Had Demanded Registration of 'Case' Against Crabs
Speaking to reporters, NCP general secretary Jitendra Awhad had on Friday, 5 July, said that the BJP-led state government was shameless, and Sawant was trying to protect the contractor who was responsible for the tragedy.
"23 people were washed away, some are still missing, but the minister claims that crabs had weakened the dam," Awhad had reportedly said.
In Kolhapur, the NCP's youth wing presented a memorandum to Shahupuri police station, demanding registration of a 'case' against crabs.
"If the minister think crabs caused the breach, then a case should be registered against the crabs under section 302 of IPC for murder," news agency PTI had quoted NCP state youth wing chief Mehboob Sheikh as saying.
(With inputs from PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)