Ghosalkar killing: Uddhav calls for imposition of President’s Rule in Maharashtra

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday intensified his criticism against chief minister Eknath Shinde-led government as he demanded its dismissal. Addressing a press conference, he also demanded that the President’s rule be imposed in the state and fresh polls be conducted.
Thackeray lambasted the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party coalition government, accusing it of “harbouring criminals who are instilling fear in society”. He made these remarks following Thursday’s killing of UBT party leader Abhishek Ghosalkar.
Thackeray’s primary demand is for fresh elections to be conducted, signalling his lack of confidence in the current administration’s ability to maintain law and order. He stressed the importance of providing a free hand to the police to tackle the rising wave of terror perpetuated by criminals.
Addressing the Supreme Court, Thackeray appealed for justice, urging the judiciary to comprehend the gravity of the situation prevailing in the state. “The government must refrain from supporting criminals and instead stand firmly behind law enforcement agencies,” he said.
Also Read: Why Mauris Norhona killed Abhishek Ghosalkar on Facebook Live
Former corporator Abhishek Ghosalkar, 40, was allegedly shot dead during a Facebook Live by local businessman and social activist Mauris Noronha on Thursday evening, police said. Noronha later killed himself.
A viral video of the incident, which took place at Noronha’s office in IC Colony in the northern suburb of Borivali (West), showed Ghosalkar being shot in the abdomen and shoulder.
Thackeray said that Noronha, despite being unarmed, seized his bodyguard’s weapon to commit the heinous act. This incident, according to Thackeray, underscores “the deteriorating law and order situation in the state”. Noronha later turned the gun on himself and was declared “brought dead”.
Furthermore, Thackeray condemned the statements made by deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis following Ghosalkar’s murder, describing them as unacceptable, claiming the deputy CM had “trivialised the incident by making inappropriate remarks”. He was referring to Fadnavis’ remarks that the “opposition would demand his resignation even if a dog died under his car”.
Also Read: Ghosalkar murder: Mauris Noronha’s security guard remanded to police custody
Thackeray’s vocal stance against the government’s handling of security issues and his call for drastic measures such as the imposition of President’s Rule and fresh elections signal a heightened political tension in the state.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on the response from both the state government and the judiciary to address these pressing concerns raised by Thackeray and his party.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has written to Union home minister Amit Shah seeking his “urgent intervention over the deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra” in the wake of the murder of a party leader in Mumbai.
In the letter written on Friday, Chaturvedi referred to the murder of Ghosalkar and an incident earlier this month in neighbouring Thane district where a BJP MLA opened fire inside a police station.
“I implore you to urgently intervene in the deteriorating law and order situation in Maharashtra before irreparable harm is inflicted upon its residents,” the letter reads.