Mumbai, Mar 19 (UNI) The Opposition parties on Wednesday strongly criticised the Mahayuti government over recent violence in Nagpur in the Maharashtra Assembly and blamed administration for its alleged failure to maintain law and order.

Speaking in the lower house, Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar said Nagpur is the home turf of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

"Who lit the fire there? ...If the violence was pre-planned, what happened was due to the intelligence failure. Police were nowhere to be seen for one-and-a-half hours after the violence broke out," he alleged.

Earlier, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said the violence reflected the failure of the state Home department, headed by Fadnavis.

He also advised Fadnavis to get the permission of the Centre to get Aurangzeb’s tomb removed rather than allow his colleagues to create communal trouble in the state.

On Monday, the members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal held a protest near the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Nagpur city, demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb. The protesters allegedly burnt an effigy of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, but the incident sparked rumours of a holy book being desecrated. Four policemen were injured and several vehicles were torched as the violence broke out.

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