Fadnavis calls Amravati violence conspiracy; says 'one-sided' police action against BJP should stop

Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday alleged that the recent violence in Amravati and some other cities in Maharashtra was a conspiracy and deliberate attempt to create unrest in the state, and said the police's "one-sided" action against BJP and Hindu outfits launched after that should immediately stop, or else the BJP would stage 'jail bharo' agitation.

He also accused the Maharashtra government of ignoring the November 12 incidents of violence, while focusing only on its reaction that came the next day. 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.

Read | Amravati violence aims to destabilise MVA govt: Raut

Fadnavis on Sunday visited Masanganj, Hanumanagar localities in Amravati and met the injured victims of the violence at a hospital. Talking to reporters during his visit, the former chief minister said, "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."

"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 done and if the police continue to act only against Hindu outfits and their activists, then the BJP would stage 'jail bharo' stir, Fadnavis 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 polarize votes? I condemn this," he said. Violence does not help anybody, he said, adding, "We are ready to cooperate with the machinery in establishing peace, but it should also cooperate with us."

The BJP leader sought to know if the November 12 protest march was given a permission or not. "If the 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 some ruling parties dubbing Raza Academy, a Muslim organisation, as 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 organisation."

Fadanavis also took a dig at state Women and Child Development Minister Yashomati Thakur, 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.

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