Parody video of Fadnavis: Speaker orders probe

Nagpur, Dec 22: Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Nana Patole, ordered action against a man for creating a parody video of BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis's speech made in the Assembly.

Patole said the act amounted to breach of privilege.

He passed the order after BJP whip Devayani Farande on Saturday sought action against the person for making the video clip.

"A youth, Sushil Kumar Verma, made a parody video of the speech delivered by Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis in the Assembly. It is an insult of the House and it amounts to breach of privilege. I order that appropriate action be taken against him," Patole said.

Talking about the issue in House, BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said, "A few years back, Manjit Singh Sethi, the then chief of Maharashtra Dance Bar Association, had threatened that he would not allow the wives of MLAs to walk on the streets freely."

"He had given the threat after the dance bars were banned in the state. A breach of privilege motion was moved and 90-day jail term was awarded to him by the state assembly.

Therefore, a similar action should be initiated against Verma as well," he said.

Shiv Sena leader and cabinet minister Eknath Shinde assured that action would be initiated against the man, who had insulted the proceedings of the House.

Verma had created the parody clip based on the video of Fadnavis giving a speech in the House on the first day of the winter session, when he and other BJP leaders wore saffron caps with the message 'Mi Pan Savarkar' (I am also Savarkar) printed on them.

The parody clip replaces Fadnavis's speech with a Marathi song 'Ghei chhand Makarand' composed and sung by Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki. The video syncs Fadnavis's hand gestures with the song, creating a comic effect.