New Delhi [India], March 18: Congress MP Praniti Shinde criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the recent Nagpur incident, alleging that it was being used to divert attention from more pressing issues in Maharashtra. She specifically targeted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, calling him a failure as Home Minister, and accused the BJP of attempting to stoke unrest both in Maharashtra and across the country.
Shinde claimed, “The issue which is 300 years old is a diversion tactic as there are many issues in Maharashtra. Devendra Fadnavis as the Home Minister is a big failure, and to hide it, these kinds of things are being done. Continuous efforts are made (by BJP) to instigate riots in Maharashtra and the nation. But the public of Maharashtra does not listen to them (BJP). They want to harm the social balance of Maharashtra.”
Senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, also lashed out at the ruling Mahayuti government over the violence in Nagpur. He described the incident as a “government-sponsored” affair, specifically criticizing Telangana BJP leader T Raja for allegedly inciting violence in the state. Wadettiwar said, “This is a government-sponsored incident. T Raja should be banned in Maharashtra. He is inciting violence here. Such worthless people should be shown their place. It is the government that is promoting such people.”
Wadettiwar also questioned the BJP’s stance on the ongoing controversy surrounding Aurangzeb’s tomb, asking, “Why are they protesting over the Aurangzeb issue when they are in power, both in the state and at the Centre?”
In response to the tensions, District Collector Dilip Swami assured the public that the situation in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district remained “peaceful.” He reported that a petition had been submitted by Bajrang Dal members, and police forces had been placed on high alert. Additional police personnel were deployed in sensitive areas, including Daulatabad and Khuldabad, and the administration urged people to refrain from spreading rumors.
Tensions between the ruling Mahayuti and the Opposition reached a boiling point in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Tuesday. Both sides raised slogans against each other, with Shiv Sena leaders protesting the demand to remove Aurangzeb’s tomb. The Opposition, however, criticized the ruling government, labeling the violence as a “success of the government” and blaming certain ministers for worsening the situation in Maharashtra.
In response, MLAs from the ruling alliance accused some individuals of glorifying Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Meanwhile, a curfew was imposed in multiple areas of Nagpur city under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) following tensions surrounding the demand to remove the tomb. According to an official Maharashtra police notification, the curfew will remain in effect until further notice, covering police station limits in Kotwali, Ganeshpeth, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpaoli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar.