Mumbai, March 19 -- A massive war of words broke out in Maharashtra on Tuesday over the communal violence witnessed in Nagpur on Monday night, with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis charging that the riots were "pre-planned" and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) blaming the BJP-led MahaYuti for the disturbances in the other-wise peaceful orange city.

On a day when the chief minister said that the recently-released film "Chhaava" had ignited people's anger against Aurangzeb, the ruling MahaYuti and MVA traded charges on the circumstances leading to the massive violence - in which nearly 40 persons, including 33 police personnel, were injured and scores of vehicles were damaged in Bhaldarpura area of Nagpur.

Fadnavis said that the vio...