MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday demanded that Union Minister of State Bhagawanth Khuba be sacked over celebratory firing during the BJP's Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Karnataka.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately sack Union minister Khuba for organizing the Jan Ashirwad Yatra during which a very provocative incident of celebratory firing took place," NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said in a statement here.
Two of the weapons seized by the police were unlicensed, he claimed, adding that the act "posed grave threat to the lives of bystanders".
"Why did police not intervene in time and seize the weapons during the Yatra? How can Khuba give justification that no live rounds were fired but only fire crackers were used when the videos clearly show evidence," the NCP spokesperson asked.
Khuba should take responsibility for the incident and resign, he demanded. Four people were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly firing in the air to welcome Khuba to Yadgir town in Karnataka.