Estranged senior BJP leader and former state minister Eknath Khadse on Wednesday vented his anger over delayed implementation of tribal welfare schemes, while seeking answers from newly-appointed state tribal development minister Ashok Uike. He blamed the highest-ever malnutrition deaths in tribal areas in the past five years on the inordinate delay in implementing policy decisions.

Khadse's outburst turned out to be the highlight of the Assembly's question hour because the inexperienced minister could not satisfactorily respond to him. His abbreviated replies upset the ex-minister who raised his voice and taunted Uike saying it was appreciable that a first-time MLA like him was made a Cabinet minister.