Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, addressing a Dussehra rally on Tuesday, criticised the Maharashtra government's response to the attack on actor Tiger Shroff. Three men opened fire at Shroff's car in Mumbai's Juhu area on Sunday evening as he was leaving a football ground.
Targeting the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis-led state government, Thackeray said in the rally, “An attack took place on Tiger Shroff the other day. Did you rush to meet him immediately to gain publicity?”
"But how did the attackers manage to bring weapons there in the first place? This is not an act worthy of a Shaurya Medal," news agency ANI quoted the leader as saying.
Thackeray further alleged that the Bishnoi gang claims its network exceeds 70,000 members and challenged the chief minister to take on the gang leaders.
"Had they been shot the moment they arrived, that would have been something worth acknowledging. The Bishnois are sitting around eating dhokla. Bishnoi's men claim that they have 70,000 people in their network. If Devendra Fadnavis has the courage, he should go to Delhi and tell their leader directly," Thackeray added.
Tiger Shroff shooting case
In the incident, the actor escaped unhurt, his driver and another person were injured in the incident.
Following the attack, the Lawrence Bishnoi gang claimed responsibility, according to a viral social media post. However, police have yet to verify the claim, news agency PTI reported.
Meanwhile, the three assailants who shot at Shroff were arrested from aboard a Jaipur-bound express train at Kota junction on Monday, as HT reported earlier.
Also Read | Mother of suspect in Tiger Shroff shooting case claims son was lured, trapped
Tiger Shroff's team releases statement after attack
The actor's team released a statement on Tuesday, warning against the spread of fake news and AI-generated content.
"We would like to categorically clarify that Tiger Shroff has made no statements, released no videos, and authorised no communication regarding the recent incident or any related developments," the statement noted.
"It has come to our attention that several social media pages and digital platforms are circulating fabricated stories, AI-generated videos, and scripted narratives, falsely attributed to Tiger. These are completely false, unauthorised, and intended to mislead the public We do not endorse, support, or have any association with such content," it read.
The statement added, "We request everyone to rely only on verified communication from Tiger Shroff and his official team."
(with inputs from agencies)