Took selfie out of elation after spotting water: Munde

Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde on Monday came under attack from Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ally Shiv Sena as well as the Opposition for clicking selfies, while on a visit to drought-hit Marathwada. However, she defended herself, saying that she took pictures out of elation on seeing water the river that had mostly gone dry.

Rural Development minister Munde came under the line of fire from across the political spectrum for clicking selfies at a village in drought-hit Latur on Sunday. She had gone there to review the desilting work in the Manjara river, which has nearly dried up.

While the Shiv Sena took pot-shots at Munde saying that such a photo session could have been avoided, the Opposition Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said she has mocked the drought- affected farmers by such a “shameful act”. 

Undeterred by the attack, Munde said it was out of “contentment” of seeing water in the trench due to the desliting work that she took selfies.

“I have taken several review meetings on drought condition in Latur and have made efforts to dig trenches at various places so that water could be fetched...Yesterday, while I was in Latur to take stock of the Manjara river, I saw some water which gave me a feeling of contentment,” Munde said.

She added: “It was like finding an oasis in a desert. These pictures were clicked in the heat of 45 degrees C to show my appreciation for the work my department has done. There was no excitement in it, only contentment.”