‘Ruling alliance wants to keep Maharashtra turbulent’: State Congress chief on Beed mosque blast

Maharashtra Congress chief Harshvardhan Sapkal on Monday alleged that the recent blast at a mosque in the state’s Beed district could be part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance's "motive" to foment communal unrest in the state.

According to Sapkal, the politics of communalism is being spread in progressive Maharashtra.

"Unity in diversity is the hallmark of India and its people. Maharashtra dharma is innately progressive, but it is facing the crisis of communalism," PTI quoted Sapkal as saying.

The state Congress chief alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Mahayuti alliance has adopted the British-era policy of "divide and rule", while indicating that he thought the ruling parties want to keep the state in turmoil.

"I hope the better sense prevails. The ruling alliance wants to keep Maharashtra turbulent, and the Beed mosque blast could be part of that motive," he added.

Sakpal also attacked the government over the law and order situation in Maharashtra, saying that the criminals aren't found in several cases. Notably, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is also the home minister of the state.

Communal tensions in Maharashtra

Several incidents have occurred in Maharashtra in recent times, flaring up communal tensions in the state.

A blast occurred at a mosque in Ardha Masla village in Georai tehsil of the Beed district on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, allegedly after an altercation between two groups during a procession. The police have arrested two men in connection with the case.

According to a PTI report, Maharashtra had witnessed 823 incidents of communal unrest since January this year, including the violence in Nagpur, with demands for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb and the spreading of distorted facts on social media fomenting fresh trouble.

Nandurbar, Pune (Rural), Ratnagiri, Sangli, Beed, and Satara districts witnessed communal unrest besides other regions over the right-wing organisations’ demand for the demolition of the tomb of the Mughal emperor, located in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district, in recent days.

Mobs went on a rampage in several areas of central Nagpur on March 17 following a protest held by Bajrang Dal and Vishva Hindu Parishad demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb, which they claimed is a symbol of “pain and slavery”.