Narayan Rane plays caste card, claims 'CM took Khadse's wicket

"(CM) Fadnavis took (Eknath) Khadse's wicket," former chief minister Narayan Rane said on Saturday, while commenting on the revenue minister's exit from the 17-month-old BJP-led ministry in the state.

"On the one hand, you (Fadnavis) give him a clean chit. On the other hand, you go to Delhi and request the party to ask for his resignation, and also announce that the (BJP) president will declare a decision in this regard," said the senior Congress leader.

He added, "The CM should have told him to resign and informed him that an inquiry will be conducted into the charges. But this public humiliation was unwarranted. BJP is targeting the Bahujan community leadership."

So far, only ministers of the Bahujan community (OBC) have been targeted, he said, in a veiled reference to corruption charges against Vinod Tawde and Pankaja Munde. "BJP can no longer claim that it is not embroiled in corruption. Had Khadse resigned earlier itself, more charges would not have been made," he said. Meanwhile, Khadse supporters staged a protest at Muktainagar in Jalgaon district of north Maharashtra. They even burnt tyres at some places. Unconfirmed reports of Shiv Sena's Jalgaon ranks celebrating Khadse's ouster by distributing pedha also poured in.