Oppn slams Fadnavis, calls riots an intelligence failure

Maharashtra's Opposition blames CM Fadnavis for Nagpur riots over Aurangzeb's tomb, citing intelligence failure and provocative statements by BJP leaders.

MUMBAI: A day after communal riots tore through central Nagpur, fanning the controversy over the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Opposition parties in Maharashtra zeroed in on chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Charred remains of a vehicle is seen after a clash broke out between two groups at Hansapuri area in Nagpur on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)(ANI Grab)

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the violence reflected the failure of the state home department, headed by Fadnavis. He also advised Fadnavis to get the permission of the centre to get Aurangzeb’s tomb removed rather than allow his colleagues to create communal trouble in the state.

“If the riot was pre-planned (as Fadnavis has claimed), was the home department caught napping? Did it not have information on something that was planned in your hometown,” said Thackeray, referring to the chief minister, on Tuesday.

“Aurangzeb was born in Gujarat and came to Maharashtra after the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Rajaram Maharaj and Rani Tarabai fought against him but Aurangzeb could not win Maharashtra and was finally buried in this soil. No one in Maharashtra has sympathy for Aurangzeb or Afzal Khan, but Aurangzeb’s tomb is proof of the brave history of Shivaji Maharaj and the Marathas. If Fadnavis and BJP leaders want to destroy proof of the brave history of the Marathas, he should go to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and get the centre’s permission to destroy the tomb of Aurangzeb,” Thackeray said.

State Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal alleged the Nagpur violence was a smokescreen, while accusing Nitesh Rane, a BJP minister, of inciting communal hatred in the state. “The ruling party remembered Aurangzeb’s tomb because it needed an issue to hide its failures. It is being used to divert attention from pruning the list of beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin scheme, farmers’ suicides and unemployment,” he alleged.

Sapkal’s party colleague Vijay Wadettiwar too trained his guns on Rane, saying the minister has been making provocative statements for the last four months. “What happened in Nagpur is unfortunate. The police brought the situation under control but we need to identify those who are responsible. In the last four months, a minister in the government has been making statements that can lead to tension among the two communities,” Wadettiwar said in the legislative assembly on Tuesday.

In the legislative council, opposition leader Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena (UBT) pinned the Nagpur violence on the state government, asking why the police had no inkling of plans to create trouble in the chief minister’s hometown.

“What was the police department doing? It is an intelligence failure. If the home city of the chief minister is not safe, it is clear that law and order in the state has collapsed. Some BJP leaders and ministers are making provocative statements and spreading communal hatred. The incident in Nagpur is the result of this,” said Danve.

Chaos erupted in the legislative council as BJP members raised their voices, calling the riots “pre-planned”. Later, during the reply of the leader of the house, deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde supported the demand by some pro-Hindutva organisations to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb. Shinde also blamed a particular section of society for the violence in Nagpur. “We will crack down on anti-social elements who spread violence and attack the police,” he said.

Meanwhile, Chhagan Bhujbal, a senior member of the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), raised the issue of investment if Maharashtra. Bhujbal urged people to show restraint as communal tension would hamper new investment in the state and its progress. “Recently, CM Fadnavis succeeded in bringing investment worth over ₹15 lakh crore. If there is unrest, then a company will think ten times before investing in Maharashtra. New industries will bring employment and help in the progress of the state,” he said.

Supriya Sule, working president of the opposition NCP (SP), too urged people to maintain peace. “The violence between two communities has wrought major damage. The incident is very unfortunate. People are requested not to believe rumours. Let us all work together to maintain an atmosphere of mutual understanding and harmony. Maharashtra believes in progressive ideas, and let us work together to maintain this identity of our state,” Sule said in a post on X.