Maharashtra Minister Zirwal faces backlash over viral video with transwoman

Congress has demanded removal of Maharashtra Minister Narhari Zirwal after a purported video showing him with a transwoman went viral on social mediaThe Opposition in state has now demanded action on the alleged obscene and unethical conduct of the state ministerAccording to PTI the Congress alleged that the video shows Zirwal who is the Food and Drugs Administration Minister in a compromising position with the transwoman at his official residence The party condemned the incident calling it a reflection of moral decline in Maharashtra politics and describing the ministerrsquos conduct as a blot on public lifeCongress leader Vijay Wadettiwar attributed the emergence of the video to a tussle between ruling allies This is nothing but a gang war within the government where the ruling parties are trying to finish each other This is not good for Maharashtra We hang our heads in shame The same is the case with arrested selfstyled godman Ashok Kharat who exploited so many women All these developments are not good for Maharashtra he saidWadettiwar added that according to available information Zirwal was with a transgender person and the latterrsquos brother allegedly made the video viral as part of a blackmail attempt What Zirwal did at his official residence with that transgender individual is absolutely wrong he saidHarshwardhan Sapkal calls viral video objectionableMaharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal described the incident as a stark example of moral decline in state politics The objectionable video of minister Narhari Zirwal going viral on social media is not just an incident but a glaring example of moral degradation in Maharashtra politics he said in a social media postA responsible public representative entrusted with the faith of the people and taxpayersrsquo money indulging in such obscene and unethical behaviour is extremely condemnable This is not just a breach of personal boundaries but a blot on public life Sapkal added He further stressed that elected representatives are expected to adhere to basic standards of morality reported PTIAt the very least a minister elected by the people is expected to follow a framework of ethics However the video clearly shows that these expectations have been completely violated he said demanding immediate action against Zirwal The Chief Minister must without any delay remove Zirwal from the ministerial postldquoCannot comment without full detailsrdquo says Jayant PatilWhen reporters sought NCP SP leader Jayant Patilrsquos reaction to the video on Wednesday evening he refused to comment saying he had not watched it It would be better to comment if I am aware of the details I cannot comment right now Patil said the news agency reportedSocial activist Anjali Damania told reporters on Thursday that a senior minister like Zirwal should have been mindful of propriety He should have realised what he was doing especially in government accommodation she said It is clear that the video was shot and made viral with an intention to blackmail she added demanding a thorough probeLast month opposition parties had demanded Zirwalrsquos resignation following bribery allegations involving his office staffer at the state secretariat The AntiCorruption Bureau ACB had caught FDA clerk Rajendra Dherange allegedly accepting a Rs 35000 bribe at Mantralaya in south Mumbai on February 12 Zirwalrsquos private secretary Dr Ramdas Gade was also relieved of his post and directed to report back to his parent department following a related sting operationWith PTI inputs