Amid flood crisis, Dharashiv collector’s dance clip prompts warning from minister Pratap Sarnaik: ‘Will not tolerate such things’

“I warned the district collector. I told him that I will not tolerate such things in the future. If he has been insensitive, we will take action against him,” Sarnaik added.

The viral video purportedly shows the collector on a stage, joining the dance show with other officials.

The development has come at a time when several districts in Maharashtra’s Marathwada region have been affected by floods, with Dharashiv being the worst-hit. While the entire region has witnessed 28.5 per cent more rainfall than average, Dharashiv has registered 148 per cent of its typical rainfall.

Reacting to the incident, Dharashiv MP Omraje Nimbalkar said, “Be it public representatives or officials, they all have to be sensitive in the current times. They should think about whether they should participate in such events. I think Tuljapur Devasthan had organised the cultural event. They should hand over the money to be spent on such events for flood relief.”

Nimbalkar said that on the first day of the floods, when he had called up the district collector at 4 pm, he had responded quickly to disaster management. “But I think his participation in the cultural event would send the wrong message. The cultural events should be cancelled and all the money should be spent on assisting farmers and villagers who have been badly affected by the floods,” Nimbalkar added.

Asked about the incident, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said he was unaware of it. “I will take information and then react,” he said.

State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged that the collector was not serious about discharging his duties, especially during a serious flood situation in Dharashiv and Marathwada. “There should be accountability. The government should take quick action against the collector. His behaviour raises doubts about the government’s intention to bring relief to the flood-affected,” he said.