Mumbai : Uddhav Thackeray faction MP Sanjay Raut on Friday alleged that the state government is responsible for the clash in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur that erupted over alleged objectionable social media status with reference to Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan.

Raut further alleged that the state home department and the Chief Minister are also responsible for the clash.

“State government is responsible for this (Kolhapur clash), State Home department and CM responsible for this…violent incidents are happening in Maharashtra in the name of Aurangzeb even after 400 years…Aurangzeb is being brought back to life again and again for political gains…”, he said.

He claimed that efforts are being made to run Aurangzeb in Maharashtra because Bajrang Bali failed in Karnataka.

“No one has the guts to convert Hindu to Muslim in Maharashtra but BJP and Shinde faction are doing all this. Action should be taken on all these incidents it seems that all this is planned. Work is being done to take advantage of such incidents. Bajrang Bali failed in Karnataka, so efforts are being made to run Aurangzeb in Maharashtra”, he alleged.

Internet services have been partially resumed in Kolhapur in Maharashtra on Friday.

The local administration had suspended internet services in the district until Thursday midnight after tensions erupted over alleged objectionable social media status with reference to Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan.

An FIR has been registered against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Sandeep Deshpande and eight others under Maharashtra Police Act 37, 135, for burning an effigy of Aurangzeb in the aftermath of Kolhapur violence, said Mumbai Police on Thursday.

“A total of 36 people have been arrested on the charges of rioting, damaging public property and for unlawful assembly, over the clash that broke out yesterday between the members of some Hindu organisations and Police in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Mahendra Pandit on Thursday.

Security forces are heavily deployed to maintain law and order in the area. Kolhapur SP Mahendra Pandit informed that the situation in the disputed areas is returning to normalcy. However, security has been tightened to avoid any occurrence of clashes.

“The situation of Kolhapur city and district has become normal since yesterday afternoon. 4 SRPF company, 300 Police constables and 60 officers deployed…,” said Kolhapur SP Pandit.

A curfew was imposed in Kolhapur on Wednesday following the violent clashes that broke out between two groups after which police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd and bring the situation under control.