Nagpur violence: Maharashtra CM Fadnavis dismisses claims of intelligence failure; says cost of damage will be recovered from rioters

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis dismisses intelligence failure in Nagpur violence, confirms no political angle, vows strict action.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday (March 22, 2025) dismissed claims of an intelligence failure in the recent Nagpur violence, asserting that there was no political angle involved.

Speaking in Nagpur, Mr. Fadnavis confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to the city would proceed as planned, unaffected by the unrest. “Stones were hurled at female police constables, but reports of molestation are not true. We will not tolerate attacks on police personnel and will take strict action,” he said.

Nagpur violence: 14 more held, number of arrests reaches 105; 3 fresh FIRs registered

The Chief Minister arrived in Nagpur late Friday evening (March 21, 2025) for the first time after Vidarbha’s largest city saw violence on March 17, 2025.

Earlier in the day, at an ABP Majha event, the CM said, "Some social media posts had content in Bengali, which is also spoken in Bangladesh. It needs to be ascertained whether this is part of a larger design. Messages were sent through social media asking people to gather, and these individuals are being arrested.”

“We have the capability but the habit (of tracking social media posts) needs to be inculcated. Had social media been tracked well that afternoon, we would have come to know (what was being planned),” he said. “During the violence, the problem was not on main roads but narrow lanes,” he said.

Peace returning to Nagpur; 84 persons in police custody