Pawar, opposition leaders calls for Fadnavis’s ouster

NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar expressed deep concern over the deteriorating law and order in the state. He wrote on X, “If the Home Minister and the rulers are going to push the cart of the state so mildly, it can be an alarm bell for the common people. There is a need not only to investigate this, but also to accept the responsibility and step down from the position of the rulers.”

Senior Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray expressed suspicion over the two arrests made by the police in the case. He said, “Each move of the state government is looked upon with suspicion. Like the two arrests made in the case of murder of Baba Siddique and even the killing of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde in a police shootout. Mumbai has two police commissioners, but still the city has seen a rise in incidents of crime.”

Another Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that the governor should intervene and remove Fadnavis from the home minister’s post. “Till now, we have said that state home minister Devendra Fadnavis is a complete failure. He should resign. But now, the Governor should intervene and remove Fadnavis from his post of Home Minister,” he said.

Raut alleged that chief minister Eknath Shinde is interfering in the home minister’s department. “Fadnavis is the least successful home minister of the state. He had no control over his department as the chief minister interfered in its functioning, leading to the collapse of the law and order situation. I have never seen such an incompetent and useless home ministry in the country,” he said.

Congress leader and LoP in Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha LoP Maharashtra Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar questioned the law and order situation in Mumbai saying Maharashtra was going in the direction of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in terms of crime. “Fadnavis has no right to stay in his post. If a ruling party’s leader can be shot dead, then the safety of common people has become a big question in Mumbai. The home minister should immediately accept the responsibility and resign,” he said.

The Ajit Pawar-led NCP also targeted the BJP leader over the incident, calling it a “complete failure of the Home Department and Mumbai Police.” NCP legislator Amol Mitkari said Siddiqui’s murder highlights the dangerous security situation prevalent in Mumbai. “We can understand if such a thing happened to an ordinary man… But that a former minister was killed shows the failure of the state home department,” Mitkari said.

However, Fadnavis reacted defiantly to Pawar’s call for his resignation saying a demand has been made looking at power only. “I think he (Sharad Pawar) only wants power. Even after such a serious incident, there is a lust for power in his eyes while we are only concerned about Maharashtra. We want to look at Maharashtra, we want to develop Maharashtra. Progress is to be achieved and Maharashtra is to be kept safe. They want to look at the power only and talk,” said Fadnavis.