Pune businessman’s killing an alarm bell for Maha govt: Sena

Team Udayavani, Jan 16, 2018, 12:44 PM IST

Mumbai: Chastising the Maharashtra government over the law and order situation in the wake of the killing of a businessman in Pune, the Shiv Sena said today the incident should set off alarm bells for the BJP-led dispensation.

Further taking a swipe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ claims of maintaining a good law and order in the state, the ally said the BJP won at the Centre and in Maharashtra because of industrialists and traders, but they were the ones bearing the brunt now.

The Sena’s remarks come after a 56-year-old real estate businessman, Deven Shah, was allegedly shot dead by two unidentified men outside his house in the Deccan Gymkhana area of Pune on Saturday late night.

“The killers in Pune are roaming freely. If they are not reigned in time, then the city, which is known for its cultural values, will become ugly. The killing of Deven Shah should ring alarm bells for the government,” the party said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“Industrialists and traders have brought BJP to power at the Centre and in Maharashtra but they are the ones who are getting killed. This raises questions on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ stand that the law and order situation in the state is good,” it added.

Fadnavis recently asserted that the law and order situation in the state was “absolutely good”. Earlier this month, various pockets, especially the industrial ones like Pune and Mumbai, witnessed unruly mobs going on a rampage, damaging public property and bringing economic activity to a standstill through blockades.

The unrest began after a group of Dalits observing the 200th anniversary of an Anglo-Maratha battle were allegedly attacked on the outskirts of Pune. The Sena said like Mumbai, instances of gang war, ransom demand and issuing threats to people have increased in Pune, which is no more a city for pensioners (referring to the city no more being peaceful) but is dominated by education tycoons, builders and land mafia.

The mass inflow of people for education and jobs in Pune, which has the tag of an IT hub, has spoilt the picture of the city, said the editorial. Cases of thefts, arson and rave parties continue to bring the city into news every few days, it noted. “The increasing crimes in the last 15 to 20 years in Pune and its adjoining areas have become a cause of worry,” the Sena said.