Maharashtra's Armour: Unnecessary Weapon Licenses Under Scrutiny
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar announced the cancellation of superfluous weapon licenses in Pune district, following similar actions in Beed district. This decision follows a thorough police review of licenses after the murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The issue re-emerged with the Vaishnavi Hagawane suicide case linked to abuses in license issuance.
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In a decisive move to regulate firearm ownership, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar declared that Pune district will follow Beed district in cancelling unnecessary weapon licenses. The initiative comes after a detailed examination of gun permits issued in Beed, prompted by the murder of Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, highlighted the potential for misuse.
Pawar, also the guardian minister for both regions, underscored the importance of verifying genuine need in weapon license issuance. Recent developments in Pune, notably linked to the Vaishnavi Hagawane suicide case, which exposed questionable license allocations, have brought renewed attention to this issue. Some licenses in Beed have already been revoked.
Simultaneously, political dynamics are at play as speculations surface about a potential alliance between Raj Thackeray's MNS and Uddhav Thackeray's Shiv Sena (UBT). However, Pawar stressed that decisions regarding election strategies will see no rush, with major parties focusing on bolstering internal strengths.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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