 | « Back to article | Print this article |
The knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan by an intruder shows that not even celebrities are safe in the state, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has failed to maintain law and order, Opposition leaders said on Thursday.
"No one is safe. Let alone ordinary people, even celebrities who have their own security are not safe," said Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut.
Khan is a Padma Shri recipient and had recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi along with his family, Raut noted.
Police in the state are mostly deployed for the security of politicians, "especially those who defect", Raut said, adding, "There is no fear of law. The government stands exposed."
Another Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi said the incident at Saif's residence is another "high profile attempt on life" after the firing outside superstar Salman Khan's home and the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.
"The attack on Saif Ali Khan yet again raises questions on Mumbai Police & the Home Minister. This is after a series of incidents that show there is a deliberate attempt to undermine Mumbai by targeting big names...
"All in Bandra. An area which has the highest concentration of celebrities, which is supposed to have adequate security. If celebrities are not safe then who in Mumbai is?
Wishing Saif Ali Khan a speedy recovery," she wrote on X.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe said the law and order situation has deteriorated in the state, and the incidents in Beed -- where a village sarpanch was brutally killed for allegedly thwarting an attempt to extort money from an energy firm -- showed that the administration is working for anti-social elements.
If people like actors Saif Ali Khan and Salman Khan who live in high-security zone were being attacked and needed to install bullet-proof windows, it means nobody trusts the government, the Congress leader said.
A bullet-proof glass panel was recently installed outside the balcony of Salman Khan's Bandra flat. Two members of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang had opened fire outside Salman's house last April.
"If such big people are not safe, what about common people? Even the hometown of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis has witnessed many murders and rapes in last ten days," he said, referring to Nagpur.
Chief Minister Fadnavis also holds the home portfolio.
"It clearly indicates that Fadnavis has completely failed in maintaining law and order in Maharashtra," Londhe said.
NCP-SP Lok Sabha member Supriya Sule expressed concern over the attack on Khan, terming the incident as "worrisome".
Another NCP-SP leader and former home minister Anil Deshmukh said an attack on a big star like Saif Ali Khan was very unfortunate, and the police department should take strict action.
It is the responsibility of the government to provide an environment free from fear for artistes, he said.