<p>Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan has courted controversy by wielding a pistol while accompanying a search team looking for a leopard, which is believed to have killed a woman in Jalgaon district.</p>.<p>As the video of the minister's gun-wielding act went viral, he said his intention was not to harm the feline but to scare it away.</p>.<p>Mahajan had on Monday visited the house of Dipali Jagtap, who was killed by the leopard in Chalisgaon Tehsil.</p>.<p>While the senior BJP leader was returning after offering condolences to the family, an information reached him that a leopard was sighted near Navegaon locality of Warkhede village.</p>.<p>In the video, which has been widely circulated and also being played by several news channels, the minister is seen participating in the search operation with a pistol in his hand.</p>.<p>Mahajan said the leopard was sighted around 400 feet from his convoy and that he joined the forest department officials and police personnel in the search.</p>.<p>"My intention was not to kill the leopard but to fire in the air if needed. I took out the gun for which I have a license," he said in reaction to the controversy.</p>.<p>The team, however, could not trace the animal.</p>.<p>"We were told that Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had permitted shooting of the animal at sight for killing people," Mahajan said.</p>.<p>The leopard has killed five people in the district in the past one-and-a-half months, the minister said.</p>.<p>"On Monday, I visited the families of the people killed by the leopard. On my way, the forest officials sighted the leopard, so we decided to chase it," he said.</p>.<p>"Till date, I have not even killed a sparrow," Mahajan said.</p>.<p>This is not the first time the gun-toting minister has courted controversy.</p>.<p>In March 2015, Mahajan was seen at a school function in Jalgaon armed with a gun. He later clarified that he carried the weapon for "self-defence" and that he had not been involved in any kind of violence.</p>.<p>The BJP leader did not have police protection at that time, but there were several police officers from the district with him on the dais.</p>.<p>"It was my licensed gun and I have been carrying it for the last 20 years. I regularly renew my licence," he had said.</p>
<p>Maharashtra Medical Education Minister Girish Mahajan has courted controversy by wielding a pistol while accompanying a search team looking for a leopard, which is believed to have killed a woman in Jalgaon district.</p>.<p>As the video of the minister's gun-wielding act went viral, he said his intention was not to harm the feline but to scare it away.</p>.<p>Mahajan had on Monday visited the house of Dipali Jagtap, who was killed by the leopard in Chalisgaon Tehsil.</p>.<p>While the senior BJP leader was returning after offering condolences to the family, an information reached him that a leopard was sighted near Navegaon locality of Warkhede village.</p>.<p>In the video, which has been widely circulated and also being played by several news channels, the minister is seen participating in the search operation with a pistol in his hand.</p>.<p>Mahajan said the leopard was sighted around 400 feet from his convoy and that he joined the forest department officials and police personnel in the search.</p>.<p>"My intention was not to kill the leopard but to fire in the air if needed. I took out the gun for which I have a license," he said in reaction to the controversy.</p>.<p>The team, however, could not trace the animal.</p>.<p>"We were told that Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had permitted shooting of the animal at sight for killing people," Mahajan said.</p>.<p>The leopard has killed five people in the district in the past one-and-a-half months, the minister said.</p>.<p>"On Monday, I visited the families of the people killed by the leopard. On my way, the forest officials sighted the leopard, so we decided to chase it," he said.</p>.<p>"Till date, I have not even killed a sparrow," Mahajan said.</p>.<p>This is not the first time the gun-toting minister has courted controversy.</p>.<p>In March 2015, Mahajan was seen at a school function in Jalgaon armed with a gun. He later clarified that he carried the weapon for "self-defence" and that he had not been involved in any kind of violence.</p>.<p>The BJP leader did not have police protection at that time, but there were several police officers from the district with him on the dais.</p>.<p>"It was my licensed gun and I have been carrying it for the last 20 years. I regularly renew my licence," he had said.</p>