Mumbai: Opposition parties Friday lambasted Maharashtra minister Tanaji Sawant for claiming that crabs caused the Tiware dam breach, in which 18 people lost their lives, with the NCP alleging he is "blaming crabs to save a big corrupt fish".
Among others, Sawant, a Shiv Sena leader and the Water Resources Minister, had Thursday also said that the dam breached following a "natural calamity" and added whatever is destined to happen will happen.
"There were no leakages earlier. Leakage happened after a large number of crabs gathered around the dam. Locals brought the issue to our notice and our department acted on it. The incident is unfortunate," Sawant told media persons.
NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik said Sawant's act of blaming crabs for the breach was "height of brazenness".
The dam, located in Chiplun tehsil of coastal Ratnagiri district, breached late Tuesday night amid torrential rains, flooding seven downstream villages.
Malik accused Sawant of protecting local Shiv Sena MLA Sadanand Chavan, who according to media reports, happens to be a contractor of the dam.
"Don't blame crabs as you defend a big corrupt fish. A judicial probe must be carried out into the entire episode and the guilty MLA must be punished," Malik said.
Hitting out at Sawant, senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar asked why did the Shiv Sena leader accept charge of a minister if he were to blame animals for the tragedy.
"When will the BJP-Shiv Sena ministers accept their failures?" he asked on Twitter.
Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the Sena minister should be "ashamed of himself".
Another minister Vijay Shivtare, also of the Shiv Sena, was accompanying his Cabinet colleague Sawant when the latter made the remarks.
Sachin Sawant said, "Poor people died due to Tiware dam breach, but (the minister) is blaming nature. Another minister (Shivtare) is nodding.
"Such a thick-skinned approach is serious," the Congress leader tweeted.
