Amravati: Former Maharashtra chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Devendra Fadnavis has dared the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state to ban Raza Academy in Maharashtra in view of the Amravati violence.


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Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, he said, "...I demand a ban on Raza Academy...I dare the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to ban Raza Academy," adding "Why does the Raza Academy attack the police only under the Congress government? Before this, the riots in Mumbai and attacks on the police were orchestrated by the organisation. Everybody knows who is behind Raza Academy."


Maharashtra LoP Devendra Fadnavis said, "I demand the imposition of a ban on Raza Academy. Would Congress do it?"


BJP MLA Nitesh Rane, however, alleged that the Raza Academy was behind the violence in the different parts of the state.


Addressing the reporters, Rane is quoted as saying by ANI, "Raza Academy had organised a march on November 12 against the Tripura violence. I have the pamphlets that they had distributed. I challenge the Raza Academy to show evidence of Hindus burning down Masjid in Tripura. Burning of Masjid by Hindus was fake news." 


The BJP MLA further alleged, "The Academy is a terrorist organisation and the founders of the organisation stay in Afghanistan and have Talibani ideology. They don`t do any social work and had opposed revocation of Triple Talaq."Rane said, "The state government should arrest all the senior leaders of Raza Academy. If any violence happens on Hindus, we will not tolerate and if the situation goes out of control."


On Nawab Malik`s allegation of his links with Raza Academy, BJP leader Ashish Shelar said, "It is true. But what is the connection between the riots in Maharashtra and the 2016-17 photo? What has this photo of mine got to do with Raza Academy? The meeting did not take place at the Raza Academy office."


"Don`t try to hide the failure of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government in riots by showing some old photos. If you are not going to show your face when you have to show us so many photos with Raza Academy, then there will be no space for you to show your face. Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi and the NCP should stop the politics of photos," Ashish Shelar added.


On November 12, Raza Academy and several other Muslim organisations in Amravati submitted a memorandum to the District Collector against violence in Tripura last month, according to the police.


The BJP, VHP, Bajrang Dal and other affiliated organisations called for a bandh in Amravati on November 13 and gathered at Rajkamal chowk for the protest at 12 pm. Later, the mob went on a rampage in nearby areas like Itwara bazaar and Namuna area, pelting the shops with stones and damaging properties.


Following this, the police had resorted to lathi-charge and firing teargas shells to disperse the protesters and late imposed Section 144 in the city for the next four days.


The police have also arrested BJP leader and former Maharashtra Minister Dr Anil Bonde, Amravati Mayor Chetan Gawande, BJP Amravati Rural president Nivedita Chaudhari, and Amravati Municipal Corporation leader of house Tushar Bharatiya.


Earlier on Friday, incidents of stone-pelting were reported on Friday from Nanded, Malegaon and Amaravati in the backdrop of protests staged against the violence that took place in Panisagar in Tripura in October 27.


"A sit-in protest was organised by Raza Academy in Nanded. Some youth were going towards mixed residential areas, police stopped them following which they pelted stones. Police used force to disperse them. It happened at three to four locations in the city," said Pramod Kumar Shewale, Superintendent of Police, Nanded district told. 


(With Agency Inputs)


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