BJP pulls up Maharashtra Govt. over Mumbai violence

New Delhi/Mumbai, Aug 12 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday hit out at the Maharashtra Government over lawlessness and violence that took place near Mumbai's Azad Maidan yesterday in which two youths were killed and at least 55 others got injured.

BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman attributed the violence to lapse on security mesh of the state authorities.

"It's a complete failure of the security and intelligence network of the Maharashtra Government, for something that happened in Assam mainly an issue of Indian versus foreign illegal immigration which resulted in four lakh Indians being driven out of their villages, a failure of the Assam Government and a failure on which the entire nation has stood up to say what is happening in a sensitive area like Assam," she said.

Sitharaman questioned the easy access demonstrators had to the protest site at the Azad Maidan.

"It may be useful and relevant here to remember that peaceful protestors whether of Anna Hazare team or even the BJP earlier have been denied access to Azad Maidan. We were not given permission, whereas yesterday's programme in spite of the fact that the groups were coming from different parts of the outskirts of Mumbai, and BJP Mumbai unit tells us that they came in armed with hockey sticks, iron rods and knives and so on," said Sitharaman.

Congress Party, however, hit back at the BJP, saying it is inappropriate for any political party to gain political mileage out of the Mumbai violence.

"Whatever has been happening in Assam is unfortunate. It is highly important not to take political mileage out of the situation and on the contrary collectively work to take control of it. It is important to restore peace and law there," said Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has strongly condemned the Assam violence protests at Azad Maidan, and ordered a crime branch probe into it.

Violence erupted at Azad Maidan in South Mumbai yesterday after a rally organised by city-based Raza Academy turned unruly, with the mob damaging buses, hurling stones and setting vehicles on fire.

The rally was being held to denounce riots in Assam and also the alleged attacks on a minority community in Myanmar. (ANI)