The violent clashes that erupted in Nagpur on Monday night have triggered a massive political storm in Maharashtra, with opposition leaders directly blaming the BJP-led state government for the unrest. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray and Congress MP Praniti Shinde launched scathing attacks, alleging a deliberate attempt to create communal tensions and comparing the situation in Maharashtra to that of Manipur and Gujarat.

Speaking to the media in Mumbai on Tuesday, Aaditya Thackeray hit out at the state government, questioning its inaction during the violence. "I think BJP wants to make Maharashtra the next Manipur… Why did no reaction come from the CMO when violence was spreading in Nagpur?" he said. On Monday night, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, "The law and order situation in the state has collapsed like never before. Nagpur, the home city of the CM and Home Minister, is facing this."

#WATCH | Mumbai | On Nagpur violence, Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray says, "I think BJP wants to make Maharashtra the next Manipur...Why did no reaction come from the CMO when violence was spreading in Nagpur?..." pic.twitter.com/7Cj04wVoKP

— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2025

Congress MP Praniti Shinde also lashed out at the BJP, accusing it of trying to create divisions in Maharashtra. "They (referring to BJP) are trying to turn Maharashtra into Gujarat. Since they came to power, they have repeatedly tried to create divisions in society in the name of religion… They keep attempting to provoke violence like they did in Gujarat," she told news agency PTI. She further alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself was fueling tensions. "The most surprising thing is that the PM (Modi) himself delivers provocative speeches during his visits… There are so many contemporary issues in Maharashtra, but they don't want to address those. Instead, they are turning a 300-year-old incident, which is a non-issue, into an issue," she added.