Nagpur: The opposition, led by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), announced plans to visit Parbhani and Beed on Wednesday to meet the families of custodial death victim Somnath Suryavanshi and murdered Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The decision comes amid escalating protests against the state government over alleged police brutality and rising lawlessness.
Opposition leaders staged a protest on the steps of Vidhan Bhavan on Tuesday, holding placards and raising slogans against the government's failure to ensure law and order. The protests were sparked by Suryavanshi's death, confirmed by a postmortem report as caused by injuries inflicted during police custody, and Deshmukh's murder in Beed district.
Veteran Congress leader Nitin Raut demanded a judicial inquiry into Suryavanshi's death and swift action against the police personnel involved. "The medical report exposes the police's role. This is a gross governance failure. The government must act swiftly to deliver justice," he said.
LoP Ambadas Danve accused government of systemic apathy and suppressing dissent. "The fundamental right to protest is being crushed in this democracy," he said, calling for accountability.
"The Speaker's refusal to address these critical issues is an attempt to shield the government from accountability," Vijay Wadettiwar said. Nana Patole further accused the administration of complicity, stating, "The government has ignored the victims and shielded the culprits."
The opposition plans to visit Parbhani and Beed to assess the ground situation and extend support to the victims' families. "We will expose the government's failure and continue this fight until justice is delivered," Patole declared.
Tuesday's protests have highlighted growing tensions between the ruling government and opposition, with the latter vowing to intensify its campaign. Public outrage over alleged police excesses and government inaction has become a rallying point, adding to the mounting pressure on the administration.