Maharashtra assembly: Fadnavis agrees to discuss Parbhani violence, sarpanch's murder

Nagpur: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said he was ready for a discussion in the state legislative assembly on the recent Parbhani violence and murder of a sarpanch in Beed.

Speaking in the Lower House on the first day of the state legislature's winter session, Fadnavis described both the incidents, which occurred after the BJP-led Maha Yuti came to power in the state, as serious.

The CM he was ready to discuss the issues and spell out steps taken by his government to maintain law and order.

Violence erupted in central Maharashtra's Parbhani city after a glass-enclosed replica of the Constitution near Dr B R Ambedkar's statue outside the Parbhani railway station was vandalised on the evening of December 10.

More than 50 persons have been arrested and multiple cases registered in connection with the violence.

In Beed, the sarpanch of Massajog village, Santosh Deshmukh, was abducted and murdered on December 9.

On Monday, Congress leader Nana Patole raised in the assembly the issue of violence in Parbhani over vandalising of a replica of the Constitution and the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district last week and demanded the government's response.

CM Fadnavis agreed to discuss the two incidents in the House.

"I am sure the opposition will cooperate in suggesting ways to ensure such incidents don't take place again. Our government works by the Constitution and it's insult will not be tolerated. A mentally unstable person, who was involved in the desecration (of the Constitution replica) in Parbhani, has been arrested," he said.

Fadnavis also introduced his newly sworn-in ministers on the floor of the House.

A total of 39 legislators from Maha Yuti allies (BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP) were sworn in on Sunday in the first cabinet expansion of the Fadnavis-led ministry.

While 33 legislators were sworn in as cabinet ministers, six took oath as ministers of state.

The government on Monday also tabled supplementary demands to the tune of Rs 33,788 crore in the House.

On the first day of the session, the government reintroduced eight bills, including one for an amendment to postpone elections to the posts of president, vice president and chairpersons of certain zilla parishads and deputy chairpersons of some panchayat samitis.

The legislative assembly also paid tributes to former Maharashtra governor SM Krishna, who passed away on December 10.

Krishna, who had also served as the chief minister of Karnataka and Union minister, was the governor of Maharashtra from 2004 to 2008.

The House also paid tributes to former MLA Dinkarrao Jadhav, who died recently. Jadhav represented the Radhanagari assembly constituency from 1980 to 1988.