Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced in the State Assembly on December 15 that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) would be constituted within two days to probe the arson incidents during the Maratha quota stir in Marathawada’s Beed district.
The violence in October-end witnessed the torching of homes, including those belonging to Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLAs Sandeep Kshirsagar and Prakash Solanke, prompting Mr. Fadnavis to assert that those involved in the violence will face prosecution.
Responding to the Assembly’s calling attention raised by Mr. Kshirsagar whose house in Beed town was torched allegedly by the protesters, Mr. Fadnavis, who also holds the home department portfolio, that actionable evidence is available, and the SIT would ensure a thorough investigation. “Actionable evidence is available to prosecute suspects. Although the investigation (launched after the incident) has progressed, I will set up an SIT with the approval of the house,” he said.
NCP legislator Jayant Patil of the Sharad Pawar faction said police could have fired in the air to stop arsonists. “An accused person’s name is Pappu Shinde. Why did the local police not arrest people who have criminal backgrounds? At least firing in the air could have deterred some of them,” Mr. Patil said.
Reacting to this, Mr. Fadnavis said, “No one involved in the unlawful act will be spared and there is no need to politicise the issue. Whoever is involved, will be prosecuted. We will spare none, I give you my word.”
He said that on October 30, a mob of 5,000 people had gathered in Beed’s Majalgaon town and another 1,500 people in Beed.
“The local SP had first gone to Majalgaon with the police force. Later, violence broke out in Beed city, prompting the SP to take the force back to the city,” he added.
Drugs worth ₹50,000 crore seized
Mr. Fadnavis also informed the legislative Assembly about recent drug seizures worth around ₹50,000 crore by the Maharashtra police.
He said the police’s discreet tracking of 2,200 small shops selling drugs in Mumbai and their removal to combat the drug menace.
While not specifying the exact period of the seizures, Mr. Fadnavis stressed the government’s vigilance on chemicals imported for potential drug production. “The government is keeping a watch on chemicals being imported which could be used to make drugs. We have also found that closed factory sites are being used for drug production,” he said while replying to a question by Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) legislator Ravindra Waikar, who represents the Jogeshwari East constituency in Mumbai.
Opposition protests
Meanwhile, opposition leaders, including Ambadas Danve and Satej Patil, targeted the Eknath Shinde government over rising unemployment and exam paper leaks, accusing the government of failing to address these issues despite its job creation claims.
Legislators from the Maha Vikas Aghadi, constituting the Shiv Sena (UBT), Sharad Pawar’s NCP and Congress, gathered on the steps of the Vidhan Bhavan and raised slogans against the government.
“Unemployment and exam paper leaks are Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantees,” Mr. Danve said.
