Porsche, BMW hit-and-run: Shinde on Yogi way, adopts 'bulldozer action'

CM Shinde discusses Kolhapur flood situation with collector, issues directions

Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has earned the moniker "Bulldozer Baba" due to his government's contentious policy of demolishing the residences of individuals implicated in criminal cases. While some political analysts perceive this "bulldozer action" as a testament to Yogi's stance against anti-social elements, others condemn it as a violation of human rights. The policy has been emulated by other BJP-led governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, and now Maharashtra's Eknath Shinde government is following suit, amidst mounting criticism over the state's deteriorating law and order situation.

In recent months, the Opposition has repeatedly cornered Shinde over a string of hit-and-run cases and drug abuse incidents. One of the latest controversies involved a Pune MLA from Ajit Pawar's NCP, accused of interfering in the initial police investigation into a fatal hit-and-run case involving a Porsche car. The incident sparked widespread outrage, culminating in the demolition of nightclubs in Pune and pubs in Mahabaleshwar linked to the accused family.

Before the Porsche case controversy dissipated, another incident in Pune surfaced, showing two youngsters consuming Mephedrone in a night club. The viral video prompted the Opposition to question the government's efficacy in curbing drug abuse. Shinde ordered the demolition of pubs facilitating drug abuse, vowing to render Maharashtra "narcotics-free". Several nightclubs in Pune were subsequently razed.

The recent hit-and-run case in Worli, Mumbai, further exacerbated the government's woes. An allegedly intoxicated youngster, driving a luxury car, knocked down a scooter-riding couple, resulting in the woman's death. The accused was revealed to be the son of a Shiv Sena leader in Palghar. Aditya Thackeray, whose constituency the accident occurred in, extended condolences to the victim's husband and lambasted the Shinde government, demanding the case be treated as a murder case. The incident embarrassed the government, as it occurred while the Maharashtra legislature was in session. The demolition action followed, with parts of the night club where the accused consumed liquor before the accident being razed.

The Opposition has previously cornered the Shinde government over law and order issues, including the Maratha agitation turning violent and a politician shooting his rival in a police station.