Nagpur violence: Bulldozer will roll if needed, says CM Devendra Fadnavis on action against rioters

CM Devendra Fadnavis chairs a meeting with the police in Nagpur, on Saturday. Pic/X

Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis stated on Saturday that a bulldozer "will roll if necessary" when asked whether those involved in the Nagpur violence would face action similar to the "Uttar Pradesh style."

Addressing the media, Fadnavis affirmed that the government would recover the cost of damage caused during the unrest from the rioters. If they failed to compensate, their properties would be seized and sold to cover the losses, reported news agency PTI.

In response to a query about the possibility of "bulldozer action" against rioters in Nagpur, akin to the approach in Uttar Pradesh, Fadnavis said, "The Maharashtra government has its own style of working... bulldozer will roll when necessary."

"Wherever wrong things are happening, they will be crushed. Nobody [perpetrators] will be spared," he added.

According to PTI, the Maharashtra CM also emphasised that stringent action would be taken against those who attacked police officers during the unrest, asserting that his government would not tolerate any form of disturbance. However, he dismissed the notion that the incident was an "intelligence failure," stating instead that intelligence gathering could have been better. "Police will be alert. We won't tolerate any kind of disturbance," he assured.

Fadnavis also informed that 104 individuals had been identified through CCTV footage and video analysis. Legal action has been initiated against 92 people, including 12 minors.

PM Modi to visit Nagpur on March 30

The violence broke out on Monday after rumours spread that a 'chadar' bearing religious inscriptions had been burnt during a protest by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The unrest resulted in widespread stone-pelting and arson, injuring 33 police personnel, including three officers of Deputy Commissioner of Police rank.

Meanwhile, Fadnavis confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Nagpur on 30 March would proceed as planned.

"The cost of properties damaged during Nagpur violence will be recovered from rioters, and the failure to pay up would lead to the seizure and selling of their properties to recover losses. My government will not rest until those responsible for attacking the police are found and dealt with sternly," asserted Fadnavis, who also heads the state Home Ministry.

According to PTI, the CM mentioned that the situation in Nagpur had calmed down and efforts were underway to ease the curfew in affected areas. "Riots broke out only in parts of the city, while 80 per cent of Nagpur wasn't impacted," he clarified.

Fadnavis said that compensation distribution for victims of Nagpur violence would begin soon. Additionally, 68 social media posts that aggravated the violence had been identified and removed. He added that those responsible for circulating inflammatory content would be treated as co-accused for their role in inciting violence.

Fadnavis noted that it was too early to comment on a possible foreign or Bangladeshi connection to Nagpur violence, as the investigation was ongoing. However, he claimed that there appeared to be a "Malegaon connection" as one of the accused, reportedly from Malegaon, was associated with a political party. Without naming anyone, he alluded to the arrest of Minority Democratic Party leader Fahim Khan on sedition charges.

Nagpur violence: 105 people arrested so far

Regarding allegations of rioters misbehaving with a female police constable, Fadnavis said he had spoken to the Police Commissioner, who confirmed that the purported incident had not occurred. However, he acknowledged that stones had been thrown at female constables.

Notably, an FIR had alleged that a group of rioters had inappropriately touched a woman constable and attempted to disrobe her during the violence.

Addressing speculation that the violence in his hometown was orchestrated to target him politically, Fadnavis dismissed such claims as baseless. "It is foolish to say such things. There is no political angle to the violence," he asserted.

During his visit to Nagpur following the violence, the Chief Minister assessed the situation and chaired a meeting with senior police and administrative officers at the Police Commissionerate.

When asked about the Congress party's decision to send a committee to visit the violence-hit areas, Fadnavis noted that one of the committee members was accused in the Akola violence case. "If rioters are coming to enquire about riots, it is akin to appeasement politics," he remarked.

Nagpur Police reported that 105 individuals had been arrested so far in connection with the violence, including Fahim Khan.

(With PTI inputs)