Mumbai, Sep 27 (PTI) A woman has vandalised the name plate of Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis outside his office at `Mantralaya’ in south Mumbai.
The incident which took place on Thursday evening raised questions about the security at the state government’s headquarters. Fadnavis, a former chief minister who currently handles the home portfolio, was not in his sixth-floor office at the time, officials said.
The woman, a resident of central Mumbai, appeared to be “mentally disturbed”, Deputy Commissioner of Police Pravin Munde told reporters. She had committed a similar act at the state BJP office earlier, police sources said.
A police team went to her house on Friday to offer her counselling, an official said, adding that they were also probing if she suffered from mental ailments.
The incident took place after 6.30 pm on Thursday.
The woman removed the name plate and banged it on the floor before leaving, the official said, adding that she also tried to vandalise flower pots placed outside Fadnavis’s cabin.
“She walked into the Mantralaya without an entry pass through the `secretary gate’. Investigation revealed that she told the security personnel that she had forgotten her bag inside and merely wanted to collect it,” the police official said.
After vandalising the name plate, she exited the premises through the same gate, he added.
Police were probing how she was allowed to enter when entry is prohibited for visitors from the secretary gate which is reserved for senior officials, the official said.
Statements of the police personnel posted at the entry gate were being recorded and action would be taken if any lapses are found, he said.
As the incident came to light, videos of the same woman purportedly committing similar acts of vandalisation at other places, including on the premises of her own residential building, circulated on social media.
No police complaint has been filed in Thursday’s incident.
When asked about the incident, Fadnavis, who was visiting Shirdi on Friday for a program about the government’s flagship `Ladki Bahin’ (Beloved Sister) scheme — under which women receive Rs 1,500 per month — said officials will find out if the woman had any grievance.
“If our sister is angry, we will try to understand what was the problem, and will also check whether she was sent (by someone) deliberately,” the BJP leader said.
Asked about Opposition leaders taking digs at the government over the incident, Fadnavis said they had run out of issues.
Vijay Wadettiwar, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, took swipes at the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP government. “You can see how angry is the `Ladki Bahin’ and how much anger she has towards the government…it was seen on the sixth floor. My sister has shown that you are not fit to be in power,” he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Anil Desai said the incident showed how bad the law and order situation was. “People are angry and waiting for the polls,” Desai added.
BJP MP Anil Bonde said the incident showed how the success of the Ladki Bahin scheme had rattled the Opposition.
It should be probed whether the woman was ferried by any opposition leader in his car, he demanded.
Bharat Gogavale, MLA of the ruling Shiv Sena, also demanded a probe. PTI DC PR NP KRK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.