Fadnavis also took a dig at Yashomati Thakur, state Women and Child Development Minister, who is also the guardian minister of Amravati, over the violence.
Highlights
- Fadnavis visited Masanganj, Hanumanagar localities and met the injured victims of violence.
- Fadnavis warned of the 'jail bharo' agitation.
- Incidents were reported from Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon, Washim and Yavatmal districts.
Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday alleged that the recent violence in Amravati and some other cities in Maharashtra was a conspiracy and a deliberate attempt to create unrest in the state, and said the police's "one-sided" action against BJP and Hindu outfits launched in the aftermath should immediately stop, failing which the BJP would stage 'jail bharo' agitation.
He also dared the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to ban Raza Academy, an Islamic organization, in the state. Violence had erupted in Amravati and other parts of the state on November 12 and 13 following rallies by some organisations, including Raza Academy, taken out to protest the communal incidents in Tripura.
Talking to reporters during his tour of Amravati city, where he visited Masanganj, Hanumanagar localities and met the injured victims of the violence at a hospital, Fadnavis also accused the Maharashtra government of ignoring the November 12 incidents of violence and focusing only on its reaction that came the next day.
Reacting to his allegations, Maharashtra minister Yashomati Thakur said the BJP should not politicise the developments and a responsible leader like Fadnavis should not vitiate the atmosphere by indulging in "votebank politics". She also said that legal action is being initiated against Raza Academy and the issue will be discussed in the state cabinet.
On November 12, various cities in the state had witnessed stone-pelting during rallies taken out by some Muslim organisations protesting against the communal violence in Tripura. These incidents were reported from Amravati, Nanded, Malegaon, Washim and Yavatmal districts. The next day, a mob hurled stones at shops in Amravati's Rajkamal Chowk area during a bandh called by BJP, prompting the police to impose a curfew there.
"The morcha taken out on November 12 in Amravati and elsewhere in the state was based on false information. It was a planned and deliberate attempt to create unrest in the state," Fadnavis said.
"This must be investigated. Those who planned it should be identified and their motive should be established. It was a conspiracy hatched with the aim of destabilising peace in the state.
The conspiracy behind simultaneous agitations in Amravati, Nanded and Malegaon should be unearthed," he said.
One-sided police action against BJP, Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal activists should be stopped. If it is not stopped and if the police continue to act only against Hindu outfits and their activists, then the BJP would stage a 'jail bharo' agitation, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly added.
"Ignoring the November 12 violence completely and focusing only on the November 13 reaction is condemnable. Why is the state government silent on the November 12 violence? What is its motive behind this silence? Does it want to polarise voters? I condemn this," he said.
Violence does not help anybody, he said, adding, "We are ready to cooperate with the government machinery in establishing peace, but it should also cooperate with us." The BJP leader sought to know if the November 12 protest march had been given a permission or not.
"If permission was given, for how many people and what inquiries were made before giving it? That morcha targeted shops of a particular community. The November 13 incident was a reaction to it. The BJP has every right to oppose lawlessness. We are not involved in violence, yet our leaders and activists are being targeted and offences are being registered against them at different police stations. This one-sided action must stop," he said.
Amid a few leaders of the ruling parties in the state dubbing Raza Academy a BJP-promoted outfit, Fadnavis said it is not BJP's offshoot. "If the MVA leaders are saying so, I dare them to put a ban on that organization."
Fadnavis also took a dig at Yashomati Thakur, state Women and Child Development Minister, who is also the guardian minister of Amravati, over the violence. "Why doesn't Yashomati Thakur speak on the November 12 violence? She hasn't uttered a single word on that incident," he said.
Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, Thakur later accused Fadnavis of making baseless allegations over the violence in Amravati and other places, and warned the opposition party against creating communal discord.
"People will not fall prey to the misleading propaganda. What happened on November 12 and 13 is a black chapter in the history of Amravati. BJP should not politicise the unfortunate developments," she said.
Fadnavis is a responsible leader and he shouldn't indulge in votebank politics to vitiate the atmosphere. People of Amravati supported the government's efforts to ensure that normalcy is restored at the earliest. This shows that people want peace, Thakur said.
The process of taking action against the culprits of the violence is on. The cyber cell is also investigating the cyber criminals who tried to instigate the citizens, the minister said. "Legal action is being initiated against Raza Academy and the issue will be discussed in the state cabinet. Details will be shared by the home minister," she added.
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