Uddhav calls Fadnavis government ‘useless’, demands full-time Home minister for Maharashtra

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Wednesday took on the Devendra Fadnavis-government in Maharashtra, and called it “useless”.

Thackeray slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government over the murder of two Sena leaders in Ahmednagar district earlier this month and said that the law and order situation in the state is worse than Bihar.

The Sena chief, who visited the families of the two Sena leaders on Wednesday, said that the Sena has been demanding a full-time home minister in the state. Fadnavis is currently handling the Home portfolio. “The Fadnavis-government is useless; the situation in Maharashtra is worse than Bihar. The state needs a full-time home minister,” Thackeray told reporters in Ahmednagar. He added that an “independent inquiry” should be carried out in the case.

Sanjay Kotkar, deputy chief of Shiv Sena in Ahmednagar, and Vasant Thube, a party leader, were murdered after being shot and attacked with sharp weapons in Ahmednagar on April 7. So far, nine people have been arrested in connection with the murders including an NCP MLA and a Congress corporator. Thackeray demanded that the accused should be given a death penalty. He added, “The state should appoint Ujjwal Nikam as the prosecutor in the case. I have personally spoken to Nikam regarding this.”

The party chief also handed over a cheque of Rs15.50 lakh each to the two families.