Prime Minister Uddhav Thackeray had also insulted the police during a demonstration, Fadnavis said. (Proceedings)
Mumbai:
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis today condemned comments made by actor Kangana Ranaut about the Mumbai police in the context of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, which he said amounted to an “insult” from the police force.
Ms. Ranaut had recently said that she feared the Mumbai police more than the “movie mafia”, and that she preferred the safety of Himachal Pradesh or the Center.
Speaking on the floor of the Legislative Assembly, the Opposition Leader said that he was aware of the capabilities of the Mumbai Police as he had served as Chief Minister of the state for five years.
“But the police can come under political pressure,” he said.
Fadnavis also said that since the handling of the Sushant Rajput death case was “incorrect”, the investigation was entrusted to the CBI.
“What had been going on? 40 days of investigation? This was a perfect case of ‘‘aa bail mujhe maar’ ‘ (inviting trouble), “he said referring to the investigation of the case by the Mumbai police.
Seeking to dismiss allegations made by the Shiv Sena and other ruling parties that the BJP’s demand for a CBI investigation had demoralized the police, Fadnavis said that many MLAs had made adverse comments against the police at different times.
“Even Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, during a demonstration in Kalyan, had said that the police could only wash utensils,” he said.
Kangana Ranaut’s recent comment comparing Mumbai to Pakistani-occupied Kashmir (PoK) has drawn the ire of the ruling Shiv Sena, whose leaders target the BJP for defending it.
Mr. Fadnavis further said that any disrespectful reference to the Chief Minister was incorrect. “Although we are in the opposition, Uddhavji is our chief minister,” said the BJP leader.
Citing the arrest of a reporter for a Marathi news channel for a report on the partial resumption of train services during the initial phase of lockdown, Fadnavis said the state government wanted to stifle the voice of journalists who criticize its operation.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
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