The political atmosphere in Maharashtra has turned tense following an allegedly objectionable video involving a senior leader of the Ajit Pawar faction and Maharashtra Minister of Food and Drug Administration, Narhari Zirwal. After the video, reportedly showing him with a transgender person, went viral on social media, the opposition has taken an aggressive stance and is demanding his resignation.
On the other hand, Zirwal and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) have suggested that the video may have been circulated to frame him.
A video that surfaced on social media shows Minister Zirwal with a transgender person at a government residence. According to media reports, the individual in the video is a transwoman named Pawan Yadav, whose brother has brought the matter to light. Reports also state that an extortion case has been registered against Pawan Yadav at the Kurar police station in Mumbai.
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The viral video allegedly also shows alcohol consumption and objectionable acts in the minister’s private room, sparking outrage in state administrative and political circles. It is being claimed that the clip is around 7-months old and may have been deliberately shared now.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal has strongly condemned the incident and demanded Zirwal’s immediate removal from the cabinet.
NCP MLA Amol Mitkari has defended Zirwal, calling the controversy a “media trial”. In a social media post, he questioned the timing of the video’s release and suggested it was an attempt to defame Zirwal and divert attention from other issues.
Zirwal has not yet responded to the allegations, and both his mobile phones are currently switched off. His office has stated that it has no information about any such video. Meanwhile, there are reports that Zirwal has met Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the issue. It is also being speculated that internal party disputes following Ajit Pawar’s leadership may have contributed to the controversy coming to light.