A massive war of words broke out in Maharashtra on Tuesday over the communal violence witnessed in Nagpur on Monday night, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis charging that the riots were “pre-planned” and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) blaming the BJP-led MahaYuti for the disturbances in the other-wise peaceful orange city.

On a day when the chief minister said that the recently-released film “Chhaava” had ignited people’s anger against Aurangzeb, the ruling MahaYuti and MVA traded charges on the circumstances leading to the massive violence - in which nearly 40 persons, including 33 police personnel, were injured and scores of vehicles were damaged in Bhaldarpura area of Nagpur.

Fadnavis said that the violence - which had broken out in Nagpur on Monday over the rumours that a holy book had been desecrated during a protest demandingthe removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb at Khuldabad near Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (erstwhile Aurangabad) - appeared more like a “planned incident”.

The violence broke out hours after the 200-odd workers of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bajrang Dal staged a protest near the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Nagpur demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb and allegedly burnt the burnt an effigy of Aurangazeb. However, the protest sparked rumours that a holy book had been desecrated, leading to violence in Nagpur’s Chitnis Park, Mahal, Kotwali and Ganeshpeth.

Making a statement in the Maharashtra Assembly, the chief minister said: “After the morning incident, there was peace in Nagpur. However, some people indulged in violence on Monday night in a pre-planned manner. We found a trolley full of stones and weapons were also found. The mob targeted specific houses and establishments. It (the attack) appears to be a premeditated conspiracy. We will not spare those behind the violence. The police were trying to maintain peace but became a target of attack”.

“Thirty-three police personnel, including three DCPs, have been injured severely. Five citizens were injured, while one of them was admitted to the ICU…Irrespective of their religious identity, no one involved in the attack on police officers will be spared,” Fadnavis said.

Deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, while making a statement in the State Legislative Council said: “Police have said that many people came from outside. Petrol bombs were also hurled. It is unfortunate that the Police were also attacked. Strict action will be taken in this incident. I appeal to all to maintain peace”.

Alluding to the recently released film “Chhaava” made on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of legendary Maratha warrior-king Chhatrapati Shivaj Maharaj - starring Vicky Kaushal (as Sambhaji Maharaj) Rashmika Mandanna (as Maharani Yesubai) and Akshaye Khanna (as Aurangzeb), the chief minister said that the film had brought to the people the “real history” of Sambhaji Maharaj to the people.

“(Following the release of the film), the emotions of people are overflowing and they are showing anger against Aurangzeb. All the same, people must maintain restraint, Maharashtra is getting lots of investment. We will get the investment iff we maintain law and order. I warn every one of those who disturb the law and order will not be spared,” Fadnavis said.

Hitting back at Fadnavis - who holds the State Home portfolio - for his allegation that the Nagpur violence was “pre-planned”, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said: “Nagpur is the home city of the chief minister himself. It is in Nagpur that the headquarters is located. How can the BJP `Hindu Khatre me hai in Nagpur’. If that is the case, what did you do all these years? You are alleging the Nagpur incident was pre-planned, what was your home department doing all the time? Was it sleeping? Why did you neglect the threat to law and order.”

“The BJP is indulging dirty politics over Aurangzeb…. We have seen people like Rahul Solapurkar, Prashant Koratkar and former Governor Koshyari heap insults on Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, but the BJP did not do anything then. Now, the BJP is trying to divide and trigger riots over Aurangzeb,” Uddhav said, while condemning a statement by BJP MP Pradeep Purohit that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Chhatrapati Shivaji in his previous birth.

Meanwhile, the other leaders from the Opposition MVA also slammed the ruling BJP for the riots in Nagpur. “There is no reason for violence to occur in Nagpur. It is where RSS is headquartered. It is also Devendra ji’s constituency. Who can have the courage to spread violence there?” Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sanjay Raut said.

“This is a new pattern to scare Hindus, make their own people attack them, and then incite and involve them in riots. The things which are happening regarding Aurangzeb are planting fear into the minds of people, they are trying to finish Maharashtra and the country,” Raut said.

Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar said: “Nagpur is a very peaceful city. But we are today witnessing communal violence all because of pro-ruling organizations. All this is because of ministers in the cabinet have been making absurd statements”

NCP (SP) Working President and MP Supriya Sule said: “The violence between two groups in Nagpur city has caused great damage. This incident is very sad and unfortunate. We appeal to the citizens to please not believe in any rumours. Let us all work together to maintain an atmosphere of mutual harmony and harmony. This is Maharashtra of progressive ideas. Let us all work together to maintain this identity of our state”.

In a related development, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the communal violence in Nagpur should be seen in the contest of the recent statements made by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his ministers of the MahaYuti-NDA government.

“In the past few weeks, the chief minister and other ministers of the Maharashtra government have been making provocative statements. They don’t even realise their responsibility that they are ministers and he is the chief minister,” Owaisi said.

“They (VHP and Bajrang Dal) burnt effigies of a certain emperor in the entire Maharashtra; there was no reaction and they did not like this. So they wrote verses of the Quran on a piece of cloth and burnt it” Owaisi said.

“You have taken oath in the name of Constitution…follow the rule law…this is the failure of the government and the intelligence….The incident happened in Nagpur, which is the hometown of CM (Fadnavis) and Union Minister (Nitin Gadkari),” Owaisi said.

Hitting out at the BJP-led MahaYuti-NDA dispensation, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi founder-President Prakash Ambedkar said that the Nagpur violence was a “pre-planned” conspiracy.

“A poisonous minister of Maharashtra is openly spreading hatred in the society. Not only this, people are being brought from outside to spread hatred in Maharashtra. This is part of a big well-planned conspiracy! An appeal to all the people including Nagpur to not pay attention to rumours and maintain peace,” said Ambedkar, who is the grandson of late Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, said.

Meanwhile, the situation in the communal violence-hit Nagpur was returning to normal on Tuesday, with no fresh untoward incidents reported from any part of the orange city.

In all, the Nagpur police have registered three cases at the Ganeshpeth Police Station, and two at the Tehsil Police Station in connection with the communal violence witnessed on Monday night. More than 50 persons have been rounded up during the overnight combing operations. The police are monitoring several social media accounts - which triggered violence in Nagpur on Monday

Curfew was clamped in several parts of Nagpur - under the jurisdiction of Kotwali, Ganeshpet, Tehsil, Lakadganj, Pachpavli, Shantinagar, Sakkardara, Nandanvan, Imamwada, Yashodharanagar, and Kapilnagar police stations - after the riots on Monday night.