Attack on Nagpur Mayor: Uddhav Thackeray announces probe by Crime Branch, promises action

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday, December 18, announced that the attack on Nagpur Mayor Sandip Joshi would be investigated by the Crime Branch of the Nagpur police. Acknowledging that this was a serious matter, he revealed that the Police Commissioner had been immediately summoned post the incident and directed to probe the matter. Moreover, Thackeray assured that there would be no laxity in maintaining law and order. He promised that the culprits would not be spared. 

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'I had received threats earlier'

The incident took place when Sandip Joshi was returning from an eatery on the Outer Ring Road on Tuesday night. Two unidentified bike-borne miscreants fired three bullets at his vehicle, which hit the glass windows and the rear windshield. While the men escaped, Joshi thankfully didn’t get injured. Subsequently, the Nagpur police provided him with security cover. 

Speaking to the media, the Nagpur Mayor remarked, “I was out with my family. While I was returning, two people came in a bike and fired bullets on my vehicle, thrice. I had received threats earlier. Police say this might be in connection with encroachment in the city." 

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'It is a serious matter'

The opposed expressed serious concern over the attack. Talking on the floor of the Maharashtra assembly, BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar described it as a serious matter. He termed this as a failure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to maintain law and order in the state. Recalling that the Congress and NCP always demanded the appointment of a full-time Home Minister when BJP-Sena was in power, Mungantiwar slammed the current government for not fulfilling this demand. He reckoned that the absence of a full-time Home Minister was linked to such incidents.  

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Mungantiwar opined, "It is a serious matter that the first citizen of Nagpur has been attacked in this way. This indicates the MVA government's failure to maintain law and order in the state." He added, "If the number of demands made by the (then opposition) Congress and NCP for appointing a full-time Home minister are counted, it could create a world record in itself.”  

(With PTI inputs)

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