Uddhav Thackeray demands resignation of Shinde govt over heat stroke incident

Former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray demanded the resignations of CM Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis. As many as 13 people, who attended the open-air Maharashtra Bhushan Award ceremony on Sunday at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, died from heatstroke.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said the organisers of the event should be punished as arrangements were not at the required level. Those who organized this event should be punished. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra should take responsibility and resign from their posts.

It is not that the Maharashtra Bhushan ceremony happened for the first time, it has happened many times before. If they had to organize such a big event, then the arrangements should have been of that level.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar also wrote a letter to Governor Ramesh Bais demanding an inquiry into the incident and urged the matter to be probed through a retired judge. 

Maharashtra government on Thursday said has formed a one-member committee to investigate the matter. The committee headed by the additional chief secretary of the Revenue Department will submit its report within a month.

Earlier, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde declared Rs 5 lakh each as compensation for the next-of-kin of the deceased and added that his government will bear the medical expenses of those still undergoing treatment at the hospital.