Mumbai, 18 March,
Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council, Ambadas Danve, has blamed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his government for violence in Nagpur, and claimed the ruling BJP was trying to disrupt harmony in the state.

Violence erupted in central Nagpur on Monday with stones hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, leaving several persons including 12 policemen injured, officials said.

Several houses, vehicles and a clinic were vandalised during the violence.

Nagpur is the hometown of CM Fadnavis. He is an MLA from the Nagpur South-West assembly seat.

Danve in a video statement on Monday night said, "I am clearly stating that the Maharashtra government and state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the home department portfolio, are behind the Nagpur violence."

The CM holds the home department portfolio but does not get to know about the possible eruption of violence in his native place, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader said.

"This government has made efforts for the last one month to stoke Hindu-Muslim violence in the state. Such violence would disrupt the daily life of Hindus as well as Muslims, but (the government) wants to reap political benefits out of it. The BJP and its associated organisations are trying to disrupt the harmony in the state," he alleged.

The state government cannot run away from its responsibilities, Danve added.