Activist Damania to stage hunger strike for Khadse’s resignation

After haggling with the police for various venues, social‎ activist Anjali Damania will sit on a hunger strike from Thursday at Azad Maidan demanding the resignation of revenue minister Eknath Khadse, along with a time-bound investigation against him.

Damania, who was instrumental in exposing the irrigation scam, which put Nationalist Congress leaders in a dock, has now targeted Khadse, who is a senior minister in the BJP-led government.

Khadse is facing several allegations.

Read more: Khadse camp pressurises BJP not to act against him

While Damania had planned to sit outside Varsha, ‎the official residence of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, she was not permitted on the plea of it being a VVIP zone. After much haggling with the police, she finally agreed to sit at Azad Maidan. “Khadse is using all his clout to stop me, but I am determined to agitate,” said Damania.

“I want a time-bound court-monitored inquiry to be completed within six months and then a constitution of fast-track special court for Khadse. The state government probes serve no purpose as they only drag for years,” said Damania.

On Wednesday, she met social activist Anna Hazare, who is said to have blessed her asking Damania to go ahead with the agitation.

Damania camped for several days at Jalgaon, the bastion of Khadse, to dig out several scams relating to Khadse. Khadse, in turn, accused Damania of media trial saying she was targeting him through the media instead of complaining to the relevant authorities.