Barbers to shave head, intensify protests against Devendra Fadnavis's 'half beard' remark

On December 13, around 11,000 people will tonsure their heads and present the hair to the Chief Minister as part of their protests.

MUMBAI: The barbers in Maharashtra is planning to intensify their protests against the state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis despite the latter issuing his apology to the community for an analogy he made about their job while targetting Congress and NCP during a speech.

The community has decided to stage a 'rasta roko' protest on December 2 against the remarks made by Fadnavis.

On December 13, around 11,000 people will tonsure their heads and present the hair to Fadnavis, a member of Maharashtra Nabhik Mahamandal, the apex body of the barber in the state told the media.

The members also plan to raise black flags to wherever CM Fadnavis goes.

On November 9, the Chief Minister, while attending a programme said that during the previous Congress-NCP government, various irrigation schemes were left incomplete as money was not being provided for them.

To highlight his point, he had said, "In the garb of schemes, the houses and vaults of contractors were being filled. Just like a barber shaves half beard of one man and half portion of hair of another to prevent customers from leaving when there is a long waiting. Similarly, these people gave a little cream to everybody, that left the works incomplete."

Following Fadnavis comments, the barber community held protests at various places in the state. 

At some places, posters of Fadnavis were put up that showed the Chief Minister with half beard and half-tonsured head.

Fadnavis later wrote a letter to the association of barbers and apologised for his comments saying he only wanted to stress how the previous government left projects incomplete and in doing so, he ended up giving an example.