Mumbai: The mastermind behind the recent violence in Nagpur was from Malegaon, according to investigations, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday.
The authorities are continuing to investigate the violence, with more details expected to emerge, the chief minister said at a programme organised by a Marathi news channel titled ‘Majha Maharashtra Majha Vision’.
#WATCH | Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis arrived at Nagpur airport pic.twitter.com/RjXc8B9tRC
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2025
Social media posts should have been tracked more effectively on the day of the violence as that would have helped the police figure out what was being planned, he said.
Fadnavis denied that there was any intelligence failure. The police response was apt and it cannot be said that it was inadequate, he said.
“Some social media posts had content in Bengali, which is also spoken in Bangladesh. It needs to be ascertained whether this is part of a larger design,” the CM said.
He said social media should have been tracked in the afternoon (the day the violence erupted). It was not done the way it should have been, said the chief minister, who belongs to Nagpur and heads the home department.
Despite accusations from opposition leaders and even some members of the ruling party, including MLA Praveen Latke, regarding police delays and failures in handling the situation, Fadnavis defended the police.
Fadnavis further stated that the actions of a few individuals had tarnished Nagpur’s reputation, marking the first significant tension in the city since the 1992 riots. However, he praised Nagpur’s cultural heritage, which allowed the authorities to control the situation relatively quickly.
Large-scale stone pelting and arson was reported in several parts of Nagpur on Monday evening over rumours that a ‘chadar’ with holy inscriptions was burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, which is in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district.
Messages were sent through social media asking people to gather, said Fadnavis, adding that these individuals are being arrested.
“We have the capability but the habit [of tracking social media posts] needs to be inculcated. Had social media been tracked well that afternoon, we would have come to know [what was being planned],” he said.
During the violence, the problem was not on main roads but narrow lanes, he said. “Police showed the courage to venture into these lanes and face the situation. That’s why the situation did not become bigger,” Fadnavis said.
