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Speaking out on the attack on actor Saif Ali Khan after his government faced flak from opposition leaders and some people from the film fraternity, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis - who also holds the Home portfolio - has said what happened was unfortunate, but it would not be correct to say that Mumbai is unsafe.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon after attending a special screening of the movie 'Emergency', starring Kangana Ranaut, Mr Fadnavis said, "Among all the megacities in the country, Mumbai is the safest. It is true that some incidents take place sometimes and they should be treated with seriousness but to say, based on one incident, that Mumbai is unsafe would not be correct. This tarnishes Mumbai's image. But the government is working to make Mumbai even safer."
After the early morning burglary attempt at Saif Ali Khan's home in Bandra, during which the actor was stabbed six times but is out of danger, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi was among the first to hit out at the government, asking, "If celebrities are not safe, who in Mumbai is?"
"What a shame that Mumbai sees another high-profile attempt on life, the attack on Saif Ali Khan yet again raises questions on Mumbai Police and the Home Minister. This is after a series of incidents that show there is a deliberate attempt to undermine Mumbai by targeting big names," she wrote on X.
The MP also brought up the murder of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique in October last year and the firing outside actor Salman Khan's home in April. Both of these incidents had also taken place in Bandra, which is one of Mumbai's poshest areas and is home to many of the city's rich and famous.
'In A Shambles'
Expressing relief that Mr Khan is stable, Aaditya Thackeray, who is also a Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and son of former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, said the incident highlights the poor law and order situation under the BJP-led government in the state.
The intrusion and knife attack on Saif Ali Khan is shocking.
We are relieved to hear that he is stable and recovering, and we pray that tough times are over, and he bounces back to normalcy at the earliest.
The fact that it happened, however, only highlights the absolute…
— Aaditya Thackeray (@AUThackeray) January 16, 2025
Referring to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed - allegedly involving the close aide of a leader from the Ajit Pawar led-NCP - and a custodial death in Parbhani, Mr Thackeray wrote on X, "The fact that it (the attack on Saif Ali Khan) happened, however, only highlights the absolute shambles law & order is in Maharashtra. Over the past 3 years, hit-and-run cases, actors and politicians being threatened and cases like those in Beed and Parbhani only show that the Government has been an absolute failure in curbing crime and maintaining law and order. Do we have anyone in the government that cares about citizen safety at all?"
Similar statements were made by NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Clyde Castro, Varsha Gaikwad of the Congress and Sanjay Raut from the Shiv Sena (UBT).
Attacking the BJP over the issue, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, "This morning we got the shocking news that Saif Ali Khan was stabbed... I pray that he gets well soon but it is a matter of concern that such a big actor who lives in such a safe place is attacked in his house in this manner. This raises questions on the state and central government,"
'What About Order?'
Several actors and others from the film fraternity have also spoken out after the attack. Actor and filmmaker Pooja Bhatt said she had "never felt so unsafe before".
In posts on X tagging Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, she asked for the "lawlessness" to be curbed.
"Can this lawlessness please be curbed @MumbaiPolice @CPMumbaiPolice. We need more Police presence in Bandra. The city and especially the queen of the subburbs, have never felt so unsafe before (sic)," Ms Bhatt said.
In another post, she wrote, "Law & Order. We have laws.. what about order?"