Sapkal Demands Fadnavis's Resignation Over Attack on Minister's Kin

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Friday demanded the resignation of Devendra Fadnavis as Home Minister, pointing to the assault on the brother and nephew of State Minister Atul Save in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and other recent incidents to argue that law and order in the State has deteriorated.

"If even the families of Ministers are not safe in the State, what about ordinary citizens?" Mr. Sapkal said, accusing Mr. Fadnavis of having failed in his role as Home Minister.

His remarks followed an attack on Amay Ajit Save, 35, and his father during a dispute over road work in Paithan taluka on September 10. According to Bidkin Police, Amay Save and others went to the Babulgaon-Naygavhan road around 10:30 a.m. after receiving information that youths from Khandewadi village had stopped a vehicle.

Police said Save's father was speaking to those gathered and telling them that the dispute concerning the road had been resolved when an argument broke out over work on the two lanes. The accused allegedly pushed Save's father and shoved him into a roadside ditch.

When Amay Save intervened, police said Bhalchandra Tarachand Sattavan, 36, allegedly struck him on the head and forehead with an iron rod. Sangram alias Karan Ashok Pardeshi, 21, and a 17-and-a-half-year-old juvenile allegedly knocked him to the ground and assaulted him with kicks and punches. Save also suffered injuries to his head and left upper arm, according to police.

Police said the accused also pushed witnesses who tried to intervene before fleeing the spot. An offence was registered at Bidkin police station at 1:32 a.m. on September 11 under Sections 109(1), 118(1), 115(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including provisions relating to attempt to murder, causing hurt with dangerous weapons and acts committed with common intention.

Bidkin Police later traced the three accused to an area near the Ahilyanagar district border and detained them. Further proceedings involving the juvenile are being carried out under the applicable juvenile justice provisions, police said.

Using the incident to target the Mahayuti government, Mr. Sapkal said Maharashtra had reached a situation where "even ministers' families are not safe" and accused Mr. Fadnavis of allowing lawlessness to grow.

He also cited the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission's recent recommendation for action against senior Pune Police officials over the alleged illegal detention, assault and public parading of minors, calling it a "major blot" on the Home Minister's record.

Mr. Sapkal further referred to the September 5 Ahilyanagar case involving Vijay Shelke and Mahesh Jadhav, who have alleged that they were intercepted while transporting cattle, stripped, assaulted and forced to drink urine by men claiming to be cow protectors. He demanded that the provisions of the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act be invoked against those responsible.

He also referred to an earlier incident in Jalna district involving alleged violence by cow vigilantes, stating that such cases showed that offenders no longer feared the law.

Calling Maharashtra's law-and-order situation "completely deteriorated", Mr. Sapkal accused Mr. Fadnavis of failing to control criminal gangs, drug networks and politically protected offenders. His description of Maharashtra as having become "Taliban-like" was part of his political attack on the government.