'Cases Registered Against VHP, Bajrang Dal Members; No One Will Be Spared': Fadnavis On Nagpur Riots
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis has vowed to punish those responsible for the Nagpur riots. He said no culprit would be spared and an attack on the police force cannot be ignored.
Devendra Fadnavis Interview: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that only a handful of individuals were responsible for the Nagpur riots. He said such incidents are orchestrated to tarnish the city's reputation and disrupt social harmony.
In an interview with ABP Majha, Fadnavis said, "This is the first time since 1992 that Nagpur has witnessed such tension. Due to Nagpur's culture, the situation could be quickly brought under control. But what happened was wrong."
Violence erupted in Nagpur, Maharashtra, amidst controversy surrounding Aurangzeb's tomb, leading to a war of words. Meanwhile, the state's Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, stated that a handful of individuals are responsible for such actions, which tarnish the city's reputation and disrupt social harmony.
How Did The Violence Spread In Nagpur?
Speaking at ABP Network's 'Majha Vision', he said, "The VHP and Bajrang Dal had planned to burn Aurangzeb's tomb. There was peace after the morning protests. But in the afternoon, some YouTubers spread the rumour that the shroud placed on Aurangzeb's tomb had verses from the Quran written on it."
"However, this was wrong. Following this, inflammatory posts were shared on social media, leading to rioting and stone-pelting by a mob in the evening. The police were attacked, but the police bravely handled the situation. DCP Niketan Kadam was even attacked with an axe."
'Nagpur Riots Mastermind From Malegaon'
Devendra Fadnavis warned, "One of the masterminds of the Nagpur riots hails from Malegaon. A thorough investigation will be conducted and those who spoiled the atmosphere will not be spared. We have also filed cases against VHP and Bajrang Dal members. If attacks on the police are tolerated, law and order in the state will collapse. Therefore, we shall teach the culprits a lesson."
Defending the Nagpur Police, the CM said that the violence in Nagpur cannot be termed an "intelligence failure". "However, the monitoring of social media after noon was inadequate. Inflammatory posts were spread through social media. We have the capacity for social media monitoring, but we need to develop the habit of using it. Now, violence is less on the streets and more through social media," Fadnavis said.
Nagpur Violence Update
Violence erupted in Nagpur on Monday, March 17, due to rumours of the Quran and a shroud with religious verses being burnt during a protest led by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. The Hindu organisations were demanding the removal of the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
So far, 12 FIRs have been registered in the Nagpur riots case — four by the cyber police and eight by the local police in Nagpur. Nearly 100 people have been arrested so far.
Top Headlines
