Deceased farmer's son demands sacking of ministers for

Son of a farmer who had died after consuming poison at Mantralaya seeking compensation for his land warned Friday that he too would commit suicide if three Maharashtra ministers who 'broke' their promise to the family did not quit.

Having sent a letter to this effect to the chief minister, Narendra Patil, resident of Vikharan in Dhule district, climbed a mobile tower in the village Friday morning and came down only after district officials persuaded him.

On January 22, Dharma Patil (84) consumed poison on the premises of the state secretariat 'Mantralaya' here, demanding adequate compensation for his land which had been acquired by the government for a solar power project.

Narendra, his son, said Friday that he has written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and asked him to sack three of his ministers if they did not quit on their own.

If they did not step down, the chief minister himself should resign, Narendra said, warning that he would jump off a mobile tower otherwise.

He indeed climbed a mobile tower in the village this morning, and got down hours later only after district officials assured him that they would look into the family's grievances, Narendra told PTI in the evening.

After Dharma Patil's death, ministers Girish Mahajan and Jaykumar Rawal had assured that action would be taken against those found guilty, Narendra said in his December 6 letter.

Chandrashekhar Bavankule, another minister, too had given an assurance in writing, and yet no justice was done to the family, he alleged.

"In the event of the ministers not resigning...then you (Fadnavis) should accept moral responsibility and resign," Narendra wrote.

"Immediate action must be taken....Or else, I will have no option but to commit suicide," the letter said.