Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the state government and police department responded quickly to the knife attack on actor Saif Ali Khan, emphasising that Mumbai is the safest city in the country. Khan (54) suffered grievous injuries after an intruder stabbed him with a knife repeatedly at his 12th-floor flat in Bandra in the early hours of Thursday. The actor, who received six stab injuries, including in his neck, underwent emergency surgery and is doing well, according to doctors.

Following the attack, leaders from the opposition parties, including the Congress, NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT), said the attack on Khan showed that not even celebrities are safe in the state, and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio, has failed to maintain law and order.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Bawankule said the government took such incidents seriously, and the chief minister had stated that the government and police took cognisance of the attack and quickly responded.

“We have seen how the then government responded to the incident that took place near Ambani ji’s residence (industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s Antilia). We don’t want to compare these incidents. But Mumbai is a safe place and the safest city in the country. The Mumbai and Maharashtra police are alert, and it is important how they respond when such incidents occur. Our home minister is taking proper action,” he said.

Bawakule, who is also the state BJP chief, said the decision on assigning guardian ministers to districts will be made in two to three days and informed that instalments for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme will be disbursed before January 26.