Maneka guns for Maharashtra minister over tigress death; worry about child deaths, says Mungantiwar

Mumbai: Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday slammed the Maharashtra government over the 'brutal murder' of suspected man-eating tigress Avni. She said that the tigress could have been saved if Maharashtra Minister of Finance and Planning, Forests, Sudhir Mungantiwar, had been a little more patient, sensitive and persistent.

Requesting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Union Minister asked him to fix the responsibility of killing and consider removing the minister from his post.

"Tigress #Avni could have been saved if Maharashtra forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had been little more patient, sensitive and persistent. Request you to fix responsibility of killing&consider removing the minister from his post," Maneka Gandhi said.

On Sunday, in a series of tweets, she had accused Mungantiwar of giving orders for the killing despite several requests from many stakeholders.

Reacting to the matter, Mungantiwar sais, "If party chief and Maharashtra CM think that I am a burden then they can remove me. This can't be decided by Maneka Ji (Gandhi) and, moreover, she is not authorised to do so: Sudhir Mungantiwar."

"She (Maneka Gandhi) should work against malnutrition and child deaths, rather than seeking someone's resignation. I also think tigers are important but I feel human life is equally important.Don't know what she doesn't understand: S Mungantiwar," he added.

Tigress Avni, who is suspected to be responsible for the deaths of 14 people in the past two years, was killed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal on November 2, as part of an operation. 

Avni is survived by her two cubs who are 10-months-old. She was shot dead by sharp-shooter Asgar Ali, son of famous sharp-shooter Nawab Shafat Ali, at compartment no 149 of Borati forest under the jurisdiction of the Ralegaon police station.