After Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan was repeatedly stabbed six times inside his 12th floor apartment in upscale Bandra early Thursday in a shocking attack, celebrities and politicians questioned lawlessness in Mumbai. Reacting to the attack on Khan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, said that Mumbai is one of the safest places in the country and it is not right to say that Mumbai is unsafe based on certain incidents.
'Mumbai is the safest mega city in the country; the incident is serious but wrong to brand the city as unsafe," Fadnavis said. Talking to media persons he said, "The police have given you all the information about this. What kind of attack it is and what kind of intention was behind it, all these things have come to you."
The actor was out of danger, according to the doctors who operated on him to remove the knife from his back. Opposition leaders including state Congress chief Nana Patole have targeted Fadnavis over the attack on Saif Ali Khan, demanding his resignation as state's Home Minister.
Glaring example of the 'breakdown' of law and order in Maharashtra
Patole said the attack on the Padma Shri award-winning actor is a glaring example of the 'breakdown' of law and order in Maharashtra. "If such incidents occur in the bustling area of Bandra in Mumbai, who is safe in the city? Looking at the increasing crime rates in Mumbai, Pune, Beed, Parbhani, and Nagpur, one wonders if there is a home minister in the state at all," Patole said.
The BJP-led Mahayuti government has allowed lawlessness to thrive, and the attack on Khan is a direct challenge to the state's law and order machinery by criminals, he claimed.
Knife attack on Saif Ali Khan
The 54-year-old actor is 'in recovery' after he went underwent surgery, one of hs representatives said. The intruder fled from the spot following the incident which took place at around 2.30 am at his house in Satguru Sharan building in Bandra area. The actor's representatives described the incident as an "attempted burglary" though police were yet to comment on it.
No person has been arrested so far, a senior police official said. After Khan's medical procedure, his team in a statement said the actor has come out of the surgery and is out of danger.
"He is currently in recovery and the doctors are monitoring his progress. All family members are safe and the police is investigating the incident," the statement said.
(With PTI inputs)