Maha crisis: No law and order issue in state, says Home Minister

MUMBAI: Amid the ongoing political turmoil in Maharashtra, Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Sunday said there is no major incident of disruption of law and order in the state.

The minister stated that adequate security has been provided at the office and residence of all MLAs who have gone to Guwahati.

Taking to Twitter, HMO Maharashtra wrote "There is no major incident of disruption of the law and order situation in the State today. Adequate security has been provided at the office, and residence of all MLAs who have gone to Guwahati. At no point was the security withdrawn of the MLAs who have gone to Guwahati."

"The Maharashtra Police is on alert and geared up to deal with any law and order issue which, (if at all) arises. Prohibitory orders are in force in various parts of the state. Anybody trying to disrupt peace will be dealt with as per the law," it said in a subsequent tweet.

Earlier in the day, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari said that he received a complaint from 8 MLAs, of Shiv Sena, 2 MLAs of Prahar Jan Shakti Party and 7 Independent MLAs stating that the police security of their families has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn.

Koshyari said, in the complaint, they have raised serious concerns about the safety of their homes and families in the context of the provocative and threatening statements being made by certain political leaders.

On Sunday, top government sources said the Central government has provided 'Y+' category armed Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security cover to 15 rebel Shiv Sena MLAs, who are currently in Assam's Guwahati.

The MLAs provided with round the clock CRPF security are Ramesh Bornare, Mangesh Kudalkar, Sanjay Shirsat, Latabai Sonawane, Prakas Surve, Sadanand Saranavnkar, Yogesh Dada Kadam, Pratap Sarnaik, Yamini Jadhav, Pradeep Jaiswal, Sanjay Rathod, Dadaji Bhuse, Dilip Lande, Balaji Kalyanar and Sandipan Bhumare. The security was provided on Sunday by the CRPF which received an order from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Saturday.

The political turbulence in Maharashtra was triggered by the faction war in Shiv Sena after Minister Eknath Shinde flew to Surat with some MLAs and then to Guwahati where he claims of having the support of 38 MLAs of the 55 Shiv Sena legislators, which is more than two-thirds of the party's strength in the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. It means that they can either leave and form another political party or merge with another without being disqualified from the state assembly.

According to sources, Maharashtra deputy speaker Narhari Zirwal has sent notices to the 16 Shiv Sena rebel MLAs. The MLAs have to be present in Mumbai on Monday for the hearing of disqualification.