Tension arose on Sunday in Ahilyanagar after a rangoli depicting the name of a Muslim religious leader was desecrated. In protest against this incident, demonstrators blocked the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Pune highway. The police had to resort to a baton charge to bring the situation under control.
In this regard, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given his first reaction. He said, “I am currently in a program and traveling, so I have not received the full information. I have received preliminary information. I will speak on this only after a complete investigation. It needs to be investigated whether there is any attempt to disturb the social harmony in Maharashtra. Such attempts might be deliberate, and the masterminds behind them will be found and action will be taken against them.”
Fadnavis further said that such posters or actions have been seen in some places including Mumbai and Vasai. “Just as some attempts were made before the Lok Sabha elections, we need to pay attention to whether there is an attempt to create tension in the society on the same lines,” he clarified. Meanwhile, this incident took place at Baratoti Karanja in the Maliwada area of Ahilyanagar city. In this case, the police have taken the concerned youth into custody. The police tried to explain to the protesters; however, as the agitation continued, traffic came to a standstill. Finally, the police dispersed the crowd by baton charge.