Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde has sparked off a row after he reportedly asked a student to delete a recording of a question-answer session with him as well as asked the police to “arrest” the youth.

The students of a college in Amravati said they asked Tawde if the government would provide free higher education to the poor as the cost of the same was mounting by the day. The minister reportedly said in response that the students should “start working if you can't study”.

Tawde allegedly asked a student recording the interaction to delete the clip as well as told the police to take him away. The issue snowballed into a political controversy, with Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray tweeting about the same.

Thackeray accused the minister of trying to evade tough questions on issues such as education and jobs.

Every student must read this. “The education minister of Maharashtra directs cops to arrest student”. Why? Because he was shooting an interaction! No tough questions please!They want Youth only to man their electoral booths, not answer questions about education & jobs. pic.twitter.com/X7iv7XZzLs — Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) 5 January 2019

On his part, Tawde denied the allegations and said he had not asked the police to arrest anyone. He said he was answering questions when some students started recording and he only asked them to proceed inside a hall for a proper discussion.