Shalinitai Patil, a member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, got around the ban on her entry into Sindhudurg district by addressing a public rally through mobile phone.

She was scheduled to address a meeting organised by Marathi Mahasangh at Kudal on Sunday. However, district authorities prohibited her entry into Kudal, citing opposition by some organisations.

The organisers, not wanting to disappoint those assembled for the meeting, got around the ban on her entry into the district, by asking her to address the meeting through mobile phone.

At around 4 pm, a mobile phone, kept close to the microphone on the stage at the meeting venue rang and Shalinitai began her speech.

Over the next 20 minutes, she covered issues like the need for reservations based on economic criterion and doing away with caste-based quota.

Her voice was carried to those assembled through the public address system while she spoke from Gadhinglaj in Kolhapur district.

Shalinitai respresents Koregaon constituency in Satara district of western Maharashtra in the state assembly.

She is the wife of the late chief minister Vasantdada Patil.

She was recently expelled from the Nationalist Congress Party after voicing her opposition to caste-based reservations.