Nagpur: The row over killing of tigress T1 (Avni) early this month by shooters hired by the state forest department is now acquiring political undertones. A recent video clip of Congress MLA and deputy leader of the state assembly Vijay Wadettiwar has added fuel to the fire.The video clip, that has gone viral, goes on about how state finance minister Sudhir Mugantiwar, who also holds the forest ministry is being targeted not just by wildlife activist lobbies but also within the party. It says even chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has shown no intention to shield Mungantiwar. The forest minister, known to be close to Union minister and BJP strongman Nitin Gadkari, is seen by many as chief ministerial candidate as he belongs to the strong OBC community seeking to assert itself.Asked about the videoclip, Wadettiwar said his conversation seems to have been recorded and circulated by party workers, but stressed he was only stating the facts and not inventing anything. Last week Mungantiwar himself stated in a public function at Sangli that people in his own party (BJP) were trying to pull him down in the last few days (without mentioning Avni shooting controversy).The minister, in his speech at a memorial for the departed NCP stalwart R R Patil, said leaders like Aaba (RR) are now not to be found.. He never hesitated in helping others from the rival party. “Sadly, in the last eight days I have seen how party colleagues are sparing no effort to corner me and not let me grow,” Mungantiwar is reported to have said. NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and some ministerial colleagues of Mungantiwar, too, were present. Wadettiwar video goes further to charge Fadnavis with trying to cut short Mugantiwar’s political career with the sole intention to “get the path clear of rivals within the party.” He gleefully states in the clip that like a tiger that needs a territory all to itself, CM also wants to clear the field of all competitors and hence, after Eknath Khadse, Mugantiwar is being targeted.

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