Oppn trying to demoralise police over death of Badlapur case accused in shootout: Fadnavis

Pune, Sep 27 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday accused the opposition parties of having double standards and trying to demoralise the police over the death of the Badlapur sexual assault case accused.

The accused, Akshay Shinde, 24, was shot to death in a retaliatory firing by the police when he was being escorted to Badlapur in Thane district from the Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai earlier this week. Shinde was accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls at a school in Badlapur and was arrested last month.

Shinde’s death in police shootout drew condemnation from the opposition parties, who questioned the chain of events and also asked if it was a move to destroy evidence in a case that had triggered national outrage.

Speaking to reporters in the temple town of Shirdi in Ahmednagar district on the sidelines of the state government’s ‘Ladki Bahin’ scheme event, Fadnavis hit out at the opposition.

“These people (opposition parties) have double standards. They write editorials in support of the encounter (of a rape and murder accused) in Telangana, but raise questions over the action by the police, who had to open open fire in retaliation. It seems that there is an attempt to demoralise the police,” he said in response to a query.

On the incident of a woman creating a ruckus and vandalising his name plate outside his cabin at the Mantralaya in Mumbai, Fadnavis, who also holds the home portfolio, said it happened on Thursday.

“We will try and understand her grievances. We will try to understand what prompted her to indulge in that act and will try to address her issues…We will also try to know if she was sent by someone,” he said.

On the opposition’s claim that this incident shows that women in the state were angry against the current dispensation, he said the opposition was “depressed” and does not have any issue.

“There are several instances that happened under their rule. But I will not stoop so low,” he said.

During their tenure, people had even poured kerosene in the Mantralaya, Fadnavis said.

“We allow everyone to enter the Mantralaya. Sometimes, people jump off the floors on the safety net put up at the building. They try to express their disappointment, but we try to address their issues,” he said.