Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday dubbed “politically motivated” the claim made by former State Backward Class Commission member BL Killarikar against him over the survey of communities in the state. Speaking on resignations by some members of the panel, Fadnavis said some of them and others had been given a ‘supari’ (contract) by their political masters to delay the Maratha reservation issue.

Killarikar had claimed that Chief Minister (CM) Eknath Shinde was ready to conduct a large-scale survey of communities in the state but Fadnavis was not in favour. Earlier in the day, opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar of the Congress party alleged that members of the SBCC were being threatened and forced to resign. He told the legislative assembly that the commission chairman Justice Anand Nirgude (retired) has also stepped down.