Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis targeted Shiv Sena for the statewide bandh in the wake of Lakhimpur Kheri violenve on Monday. The three ruling allies - Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP - called the statewide bandh to protest the recent killing of four farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district.
Mr Fadnavis said, earlier Supreme Court and Bombay HC had banned such bandhs and fined Shiv Sena and so he has demanded the high court to take cognizance of the matter.
Taking a swipe at the Mahavikas Aghadi government, he further said, first time in history of independent India, those who have the responsibility of running law and order decide in the cabinet meeting for bandh.
Fadnavis said the Uttar Pradesh government is capable of taking action against those guilty in the Lakhmipur Kheri incident. But, farmers in Maharashtra are in deep distress, he pointed out. Some 2,000 farmers have committed suicide in the state, and they have neither got loan waiver nor any kind of assistance from the state government, the former state chief minister claimed.
On the other hand, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said the bandh call was given by the NCP to divert attention from the Income Tax raids in the state.
The I-T department last week conducted raids on entities close to Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar. Patil claimed the bandh had failed and it got little response from people.
Hitting out at the three ruling parties, BJP Trade Front president Pradeep Peshkar said the call for the statewide bandh by the MVA partners is akin to "rubbing salt on the wounds" of traders, who are still recovering from the losses suffered during the coronavirus- induced lockdown.
