Mumbai: In a stern warning to perpetrators of Nagpur violence, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said attackers of police will be ‘dug out from their graves’ and made to face the law.
Addressing the state assembly, Fadnavis stated, “We can forgive anything, but not an attack on police personnel,” Fadnavis said firmly, adding that action would be taken within a stipulated time frame.
The violence erupted on Monday night in central Nagpur, where mobs went on a rampage, damaging vehicles, hurling petrol bombs and stones at the police, and attacking houses.
The unrest was reportedly triggered by rumours that a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions was burned during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
In his statement in the assembly, Fadnavis suggested that the violence appeared to follow a “pre-planned pattern.” He indicated that the burning of the ‘replica of Aurangzeb’s tomb’ was manipulated to spark further tension.
“Nagpur has remained peaceful since 1992. The recent incident was deliberately orchestrated by some individuals. After investigating the burning of the replica, we found no inscriptions on it. But false claims were spread to incite violence,” Fadnavis explained.
He assured the House that those responsible for spreading such rumours and disturbing communal harmony would also be held accountable. “Some arrests have already been made. We will not stop until stringent action is taken against all the culprits,” he asserted.
Oppn Questions Intel Failure
Opposition parties, however, were quick to target the government over its handling of the situation. Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar questioned how violence erupted in Nagpur, the political stronghold of Fadnavis without prior warning from intelligence agencies.
“If the violence was pre-planned, why didn’t the government act on intelligence inputs? Police were missing for over one-and-a-half hours after the violence started,” Wadettiwar alleged.
He also raised concerns over a state minister’s alleged provocative statements, questioning why no action had been taken against him. “Why hasn’t the minister been asked to resign?” he demanded.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav expressed concern over the law-and-order situation, warning that the state was heading toward instability. “The government must ensure that such incidents do not repeat,” he said.
Pressure on Govt
BJP MLA Pravin Datke, representing the Nagpur Central constituency, informed the assembly that women constables were molested during the violence. This revelation prompted further outrage, with opposition leaders demanding immediate arrests and exemplary punishment for the perpetrators.
Fadnavis reassured the assembly that a thorough investigation is underway and that both the police and intelligence agencies are reviewing the lapses that allowed the violence to spiral out of control.
“Law and order are the state’s top priorities. We will overcome these challenges and ensure that the people of Maharashtra feel safe and secure,” Fadnavis concluded.
