Fadnavis questions veracity of Anil attack; ‘reminds Rajinikanth movie scenes’

Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday used a Rajinikanth movie analogy to pick holes in circumstances surrounding the stone attack on ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh, saying the “entire story” seems a hoax to gain sympathy in the face of imminent poll defeat.

The senior NCP (SP) leader suffered a head injury when some unidentified persons hurled stones at his car on Monday night when he was returning to Katol after attending a poll meeting in Nagpur district.

“This purported attack is part of a larger conspiracy orchestrated by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) to divert attention from the imminent defeat they are facing in (November 20) assembly elections,” Fadnavis told reporters in Nagpur.

Fadnavis, who heads the state Home department, said the claim regarding a “10-kg stone” hitting Deshmukh’s car doesn’t add up, as the vehicle reportedly didn’t suffer a significant damage.

“If such a large stone was hurled at the car, the windshield should have been smashed. Moreover, the bonnet of the car didn’t receive a scratch,” he said.

If a stone is claimed to have been hurled from the backside of the car, how did Deshmukh suffer injuries to his forehead? Fadnavis asked.

“Why did Deshmukh sustain only minor abrasions? This entire story is reminiscent of scenes from a Rajinikanth movie rather than reality. It reads like Salim-Javed script of yesteryears,” the home minister added.

He said the entire narrative of the attack is a fabrication aimed at discrediting the BJP while deflecting attention from the electoral challenges facing Deshmukh’s son.

“This claim is amplified by the eco-system including (Sharad) Pawar saheb and others to harm the BJP’s reputation ahead of the assembly elections,” Fadnavis claimed.

Anil Deshmukh’s son Salil Deshmukh is contesting from the Katol assembly constituency on the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) ticket against BJP’s Charansingh Thakur.