News Politics National Devendra Fadnavis asks ‘defiant’ Pankaja Munde to attend water summit in Singapore

Devendra Fadnavis asks ‘defiant’ Pankaja Munde to attend water summit in Singapore

A day after losing water conservation portfolio in Cabinet reshuffle, Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde expressed her displeasure on Twitter, forcing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis placating his colleague by asking her to attend an international w

Devendra Fadnavis and Pankaja Munde Devendra Fadnavis and Pankaja Munde

Mumbai: A day after losing water conservation portfolio in Cabinet reshuffle, Maharashtra Minister Pankaja Munde expressed her displeasure on Twitter, forcing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis placating his colleague by asking her to attend an international water summit.

Soon after news of her being relieved from the water conservation portfolio became public, Munde said she was to reach Singapore to attend a global water leader summit on Monday but won't do so as she was no longer the minister of that department.

“Reaching Singapore tomorrow on Monday there is world water leader summit I was invited but now won’t attend since I am not minister in charge,” she tweeted.

Fadnavis, who is out of the country on an official tour, responded by saying that she must attend the event.

"As a senior minister, you (Munde) would be representing the government of Maharashtra," Fadnavis said.

Earlier, as the water conservation minister, Munde had courted controversy in April by posting a selfie online.

She had later said that she posted selfies on her tour of parched Latur on the weekend in appreciation of the work done there by the local administration for drought relief. Opposition had then accused Munde of gross insensitivity.