Anil Deshmukh injured in stone pelting near Nagpur | Latest India News

Bombay: Former home minister and Communist Party (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh suffered a head injury on Monday when unidentified people pelted stones at his car while he was returning to Katol near Nagpur in the evening. Harrsh Poddar, Superintendent of Police (SP), Nagpur Rural, said Deshmukh’s CT scan was normal and he was being treated for shallow injuries at Alexis Superspeciality Hospital in Nagpur.

Speaking to HT shortly after the attack, Poddar said the attackers were yet to be identified. “I’m going to the place. The deputy SP and the inspector are already at the spot and we have initiated an investigation,” he said.

Deshmukh, 74, home minister of the previous Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, was arrested in 2021 by the Enforcement Directorate on charges of money laundering and corruption and is currently free on bail. His son Salil Deshmukh is the NCP(SP) candidate from Katol and the senior leader has been campaigning in this constituency all along.

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Shortly after the incident, MVA supporters marched to the Katol police station, demanding the immediate arrest of the attackers. The mobilization continued till late evening, prompting Salil Deshmukh to ask them to disperse from the scene.

Senior Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat condemned the attack and shot at BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the home department and hails from Nagpur district. “There is no law and order in the district where the interior minister comes from. I demand immediate intervention by the electoral commission,” he said.

NCP (SP) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase also said the Election Commission must take note of the attack on Deshmukh. “The former interior minister is pelted with stones. We need to check whether it is politically motivated,” he said.

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KPK (SP) working president Supriya Sule said the attack was unfortunate and disturbing. “I condemn it. In the past, no one has ever attacked rivals during elections, but there is bad law and order in Nagpur district,” she said in a post on social media platform X.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said the police must probe whether there was a conspiracy or conspiracy to kill the former home minister. “A few days ago he published a book in which he revealed many things. I condemn the attack on him,” he said.