Devendra Fadnavis appealed not to tag the city as “unsafe” on the basis of some incidents happening in any city. file | Photo courtesy: PTI
The attack on Hindi cinema actor Saif Ali Khan by an intruder at his home has shocked the entire nation and raised questions over the security concerns of public figures and common people. As the day progressed, the incident took a political turn as the film industry as well as the opposition raised questions on the decision grand alliance Alliance regarding law and order situation in Maharashtra
Responding to all the allegations claiming that Mumbai is no longer safe for anyone, Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis appealed that the city cannot be declared “unsafe” on the basis of a few incidents that happen in any city. ” Do not be tagged as. “Mumbai is the safest among all other big cities in the country and there is no doubt about that. What happened to Saif Ali Khan is a matter of serious concern but it would not be right to call Mumbai unsafe. Such statements tarnish the image of the city. If any such incident happens in the city, we should take it seriously and act accordingly to ensure the safety of Mumbai. The government will take all steps to make Mumbai safe for everyone,” he said.
Criticizing the law and order situation, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole called Mr Fadnavis an “ineffective” and “weak” CM and demanded his resignation from the post of Home Minister. “If such incidents happen in the bustling Bandra area of Mumbai, then who is safe in the city? Seeing the rising crime rate in Mumbai, Pune, Beed and Nagpur, one wonders if there is a Home Minister in the state. The Chief Minister should have the courage to take concrete action to curb incidents of crime instead of making empty statements. The law and order situation in Maharashtra has completely broken down.
Coming in support of Mr Fadnavis, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said Mumbai is a safe city and the opposition is only politicizing the matter to give it a wrong turn because of the actor’s surname.
Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Sena (UBT) leader, Sanjay Raut claimed that not a single person is safe in the state under the current government’s rule. “Saif Ali Khan is a Padma Shri recipient and recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi with his entire family. But what is the situation of law and order in this state? Where is our Home Minister? When a celebrity who can afford heavy security is not safe, leave alone the common people living in huts and slums in the state. We are talking about this case because he is a celebrity, but if he was a common man then no one would have even known.
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, while talking to reporters in Baramati, said that law and order is deteriorating in Maharashtra. “The attack on Saif Ali Khan shows that law and order is deteriorating in the state. The Chief Minister, who is also in-charge of the Home Department, should take the rising crime incidents in Maharashtra seriously.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray wrote on social media platform X, “The infiltration and knife attack on Saif Ali Khan is shocking. We are relieved to hear that he is stable and recovering, and we pray that the difficult times are over, and that he gets back to normal as soon as possible. However, the fact that this happened only highlights the completely poor state of law and order in Maharashtra. In the last 3 years, hit and run cases, threats to actors and politicians and cases like Beed and Parbhani only show that the government has completely failed to curb crime and maintain law and order. Is there anyone in our government who cares about civilian security?”
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale met Saif Ali Khan at Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai and told reporters that Mr Khan is in good health. “I also spoke to him and he told me he is fine. Whatever happened was not good. Saif Ali Khan is a famous actor. There was only one attacker and he had come with the intention of stealing. When Saif Ali Khan tried to catch him, he was attacked. Saif is out of danger.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi hit out at the Fadnavis government and said, “What a shame that Mumbai witnessed another high-profile attempt on life. The attack on Saif Ali Khan once again raises questions on Mumbai Police and Home Minister.
He also said that this incident is happening after a series of incidents which show that there has been a deliberate attempt to weaken Mumbai by targeting big names like Baba Siddiqui, whose family is still in trouble after his shocking murder. Awaiting justice; He said, Salman Khan is forced to live in a bulletproof house and now Saif Ali Khan comes. “All these incidents took place in Bandra, an area with the highest number of celebrities, which is believed to have adequate security. If celebrities are not safe, then who is in Mumbai?”
NCP (SP) national spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the attack on Mr Khan was a cause for concern. “If high-profile people with high levels of security can be attacked in their homes, what can happen to ordinary citizens? Due to leniency in the last few years, the fear of law has reduced in Maharashtra.
Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA) President Ashok Pandit termed the incident as a matter of great concern. “IFTDA condemns this attack. The concern is about the security of the building, the building security agencies are worried about how an intruder reaches the 12th floor and enters the house. This is a matter of investigation, which Mumbai Police is very competent and capable in looking into.”
Actor Raza Murad also expressed surprise over the security concern of the apartment and said, ‘The surprising thing is that the security in the building where he lives is very efficient. There are three to four layers of security where you have to sign the register, write your mobile number, sign and CCTV cameras are also installed. And since this is a celebrity’s house, it will also have its own security. Despite so many security measures, how did the attacker reach inside the flat? What was his intention in going there? “Did he just want to steal, or did he intend to attack, and that too a deadly attack?”
published – January 16, 2025 09:35 PM IST
