Mumbai, Dec 27 (PTI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday claimed that the Beed district of central Maharashtra where a sarpanch was brutally murdered earlier this month has witnessed 38 killings during the year.
Talking to reporters, Raut hit out at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the law-and-order situation, and said it was a mistake to include NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, who hails from the district, in the new state cabinet.
"Beed has witnessed 38 murders in one year. Who is responsible for young men roaming around villages (in the district) with guns and pistols? These are the scenes in a progressive state like Maharashtra. Who is their leader?" asked the Rajya Sabha member.
If people thought that action was not being taken against those who are facing criminal cases, then the home minister is responsible, he said.
Fadnavis holds the charge of the Home department.
"The home minister is trying to save someone. He is weak and it is evident from these events. If people think the real culprit is being shielded, then it tarnishes the home minister's reputation," Raut added.
Raut's tirade came against the backdrop of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh's murder earlier this month.
The Opposition had claimed during the winter session of the state legislature that Walmik Karad, Munde's associate, was the "mastermind" of the murder, but he was being shielded. The FIR in the murder case does not name Karad, though he is named as an accused in a related extortion case.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Prakash Mahajan said he was planning to surrender his firearm as well as the weapon license to the police. With a spurt in crime in the region, possessing a firearm is creating a negative image, he said.
BJP MLA Suresh Dhas, a legislator from the district, claimed that a person from Beed was involved in transactions of "Rs 9 billion" related to the Mahadev online betting case, and its link reaches Malaysia.
"Event management politics happens in Beed, and if anyone wants to witness that, they should come to Parli," Dhas said, without naming Munde who represents the Parli assembly constituency.