Maharashtra Assembly Election 2024: A day after the attack on the NCP-SP leader Anil Deshmukh ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election, Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut has questioned the law and order situation in the state. He said that the law and order situation in Maharashtra has collapsed and blamed Chief Minister and state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
"Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was attacked by a coward in Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis's Nagpur. What is Fadnavis's reaction to this? This is a political attack. Ex-minister Baba Siddiqui is killed in Mumbai and an attempt is made to kill an ex-Home Minister in Nagpur," Raut said.
Sanjay Raut said: "The law & order in Maharashtra has completely collapsed. Never before did such violence take place in this state during elections. Devendra Fadnavis is the current Home Minister [of the State]. A conspiracy to murder the former Home Minister of the state occurred in his city...Who is responsible?"
"First of all, the Election Commission is responsible for this. The condition in Maharashtra has turned bad. I believe that [state] Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ruined Maharashtra's law and order in two years. A former minister like Baba Siddiqui is murdered on the streets of Mumbai. The manner in which former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was attacked and a bid to kill him was made... Devendra Fadnavis should take responsibility for that."
Shiv Sena Uddhav Thackeray faction leader Anand Dubey slammed the attack on Anil Deshmukh's car. He also said that such an incident immediately after the end of the election campaign raises questions about the law and order situation. Alleging "dirty politics" at play, Dubey said: "The Election Commission cannot shirk its responsibility of ensuring the security of senior leaders when the Model Code of Conduct is in force in the state. The Election Commission should ensure that there is no violation of the Model Code of Conduct in the state and that law and order are not disrupted. We demand that the police take the matter seriously and take immediate action against the attackers."
Nagpur District Superintendent of Police Harsh Poddar said that a case had been registered against four unknown persons in the case of an attack on Anil Deshmukh.
Sanjay Raut On Raj Thackeray
Sanjay Raut further said Raj Thackeray should leave Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. "He sometimes reads the script of BJP, sometimes reads the script of Shinde... "The BJP wants riots in Maharashtra, but there will be none," Raut said. He had earlier said that Raj Thackeray's change of heart towards the BJP was due to the fear of his son's future. The BJP is backing Raj Thackeray's son Amit Thackeray is making his poll debut from Mumbai's Mahim seat.