Uddhav Thackeray says Maharashtra lost a big leader in the death of Gopinath Munde

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday broke his silence on the death of Union Rural Development Minister Gopinath Munde, terming it as a big loss for the state of Maharashtra.

"It is a big loss for Maharashtra. He was not only a leader of the BJP, but also a prominent leader of the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance. Such leaders are very few and therefore we all have suffered," Thackeray said.

"After long struggle he got something good to do. But very unfortunate that he passed away. It is not a loss of Marathwada alone but for the entire nation as he was a central minister," he added.

On being asked that there was a call from some quarters for a CBI probe into his death, he said,

"This accident cannot be digested, hence people's sentiments must be respected and they must get their answer."

Earlier, today Gopinath Munde's eldest daughter, Pankaja, lit the funeral pyre of her father in village Parli.

The funeral was held on the grounds of the Vaijnath Sugar Factory which is owned by Munde.

The late Rural Development Minister was killed in a road accident in Delhi last Tuesday while on his way to Delhi Airport.