Bangladeshi hand in Nagpur communal violence? Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis responds
Devendra Fadnavis arrived in Nagpur late on Friday evening for the first time after Vidarbha's largest city saw violence on March 17.
Devendra Fadnavis in Nagpur: Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said it was too early to comment on a foreign or Bangladeshi hand in the Nagpur communal violence. Devendra Fadnavis, who arrived in Nagpur late on Friday evening for the first time after Vidarbha's largest city saw violence on March 17, said the probe into the matter is underway.
He also said the incident cannot be termed “intelligence failure”, but the intelligence (gathering) could have been better.
Addressing the media after reviewing the incident with police officers, Fadnavis said, “The entire sequence of events and the actions taken have been reviewed. The replica of Aurangzeb's grave was burnt in the morning. An FIR was filed on it, but people were gathered after a rumour was spread that a verse from the Quran was written on it. The crowd pelted stones and committed arson. The police have taken preventive action.”
The Maharashtra chief minister added that based on CCTV camera footage, those who were rioting are being arrested. “104 people have been arrested so far. The police will arrest more people. Police action will be taken against those who are involved in the riots or are helping the rioters. Those who spread rumours on social media will also be made co-accused. 68 social media posts have been identified and deleted so far,” the senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader said.
Cost of damage will be recovered from rioters: Fadnavis
The Maharashtra CM also said the cost of properties damaged during Nagpur violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties.
Fadnavis said the scheduled visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be impacted due to the violence that occurred on Monday in central Nagpur areas.
"The cost of properties damaged during Nagpur violence will be recovered from rioters and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses.
"Strict action will be taken against rioters who attacked police personnel. My government will not rest until elements who attacked the police are found out and dealt with sternly," said Fadnavis, who heads the home ministry.
Nagpur violence
Thirty-three police personnel, including three deputy commissioner of police-rank officers, were injured during the violence in Nagpur on Monday. A court in Nagpur has remanded 17 accused in the case in police custody till March 22. Police have booked Fahim Khan, key accused in the violence, and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media.
(With inputs from PTI)
