Dy CM Fadnavis dismisses law and order concerns in Maharashtra, cites personal enmity behind recent shootings

Pic: PTI File

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday rebutted opposition claims of deteriorating law and order in the state, asserting that recent shootings were fuelled by personal animosity rather than systemic issues.

Addressing reporters in Nashik, Fadnavis, who oversees the home portfolio, assured stringent action against perpetrators of these crimes.

Fadnavis has come under sharp attack from the opposition after Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar was shot dead in Mumbai during a Facebook Live session on Thursday, newswire PTI reported. Last week, a BJP MLA shot at a leader of Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena from Kalyan.

"Whatever incidents have taken place, they occurred due to personal enmity. I don't disagree that they are serious in nature, but it is wrong to link crimes (that occurred) due to personal disputes to law and order," the senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said.

Ghosalkar (40), son of Sena (UBT) leader Vinod Ghosalkar, was shot dead by local businessman and social activist Mauris Noronha during the Facebook Live session on Thursday evening. Noronha later killed himself, according to police.

Earlier, BJP MLA Ganpat Gaikwad shot and injured a local leader of the Shinde-led Sena at a police station in Ulhasnagar near Mumbai on February 2 over a land dispute and political rivalry.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday too attacked the BJP over incidents in Maharashtra where Ghosalkar was shot dead and the car of a journalist assaulted, alleging that law and order have "collapsed" and "goonda raj" was being spread under the Eknath Shinde-led government. PTI PR

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded the dismissal of the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government, targeting it over the law and order situation in Maharashtra.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, he also demanded that President's rule be imposed in the state and fresh polls be conducted.

"We demand dismissal of the Maharashtra government," Uddhav Thackeray said, citing law and order situation in Maharashtra.

Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge criticized the ruling BJP government for the recent incidents in Maharashtra, where a leader was shot dead during a Facebook Live session, a journalist's car was attacked, and a BJP MLA shot and injured a local leader of the Shiv Sena.

Kharge alleged that under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, the state's law and order had collapsed, and a "goonda raj" was being perpetuated. (With inputs from PTI)