Mumbai, Nov 19 (IANS) As Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Abu Azmi met Islamist cleric Mufti Salman Azhari ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande on Tuesday said that this meeting was a conspiracy to create a conflict between the two communities particularly Hindus and Muslims for the sake of votes in imminent elections.

Talking to , Manisha Kayande said, "Two Muslim organisations have issued fatwa urging support for the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in upcoming elections. The Election Commission should step in and investigate this matter. I believe this meeting could be part of a larger conspiracy aimed at driving a wedge between Hindus and Muslims. Uddhav Thackeray must answer for his decision to ally with Congress in this context. This development raises serious concerns, and it may be part of a new strategy for vote jihad. The ECI and Home Ministry must ensure that the elections are conducted without any irregularities or communal violence."

She further reacted to the stone-pelting attack on NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

"A video is going viral on social media in which Anil Deshmukh claims he was attacked. This incident warrants a thorough investigation. Such events should not occur during election time. We demand a probe to identify who is behind this attack."

The stone-pelting attack on Anil Deshmukh, which left him injured, has sparked a loud political uproar in the poll-bound state. Opposition leaders have sharply criticised the ruling Mahayuti alliance over the incident, which occurred on Monday.

Manisha Kayande also demanded for a proper investigation into this matter.

"It should be investigated whether the attack was politically motivated and if it could have been orchestrated by someone within his own party," she concluded.

Deshmukh was injured on the head after stones were thrown at his car in Nagpur on Monday night. The incident occurred around 8 pm when Deshmukh was returning to Katol after campaigning for his son, Salil Deshmukh, who is contesting the Maharashtra Assembly elections as a Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) candidate.