Mumbai :A video clip of Union minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Narayan Rane, giving an earful to a government officer because his seniors were not present when the former visited flood- ravaged Chiplun area of Konkan has gone viral on social media.Rane, who was inducted in the Union cabinet early this month, visited flood ravaged Raigad and Ratnagiri on Sunday along with leaders of Opposition in state legislature, DevendraFadnavis and PravinDarekar. In the video clip, Rane is seen taking to task district collector B N Patil for his failure to appoint a senior official to accompany the minister even as government officials were busy with chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s tour.

When Rane was told the officials were busy with Thackeray, he reportedly shouted, “Do not tell me about the CM, I do not care about him. The sub-divisional officer says he is with the guardian minister, You are saying you are with the CM…. I have tolerated enough…You are saying the CEO (of district council) is deputed with me...I don’t see him anywhere. Where is he?”

During his subsequent press conference in Ratnagiri, Rane said, “There is no CM...Administration cannot be seen anywhere and everything has collapsed…CM has stepped out of Matoshree (Thackeray residence) only after he realised that I am on Ratnagiri tour. He did not get a helicopter for four days of the flood. He brought bad luck to the state ever since he took over.”

Sena leader and former union minister ArvindSawant condemned Rane’sbehaviour. “It is not the person but the post which needs to be respected. But then, we cannot expect decent behaviour from Rane,” said Sawant.

Congress spokesperson SachinSawant said such behaviourdemoralises the officials undertaking relief work. “Rane is a senior leader and a Union minister and we expect more responsible behaviour from him,” said Sawant.