Maharashtra may witness early elections: Supriya Sule
Assembly elections in Maharashtra may take place even before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and the anxiety and mistrust within the present state government is evident, said Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule. She was speaking at the Townhall organised by The Indian Express.
“State elections can happen even before Lok Sabha. Anything is possible. I don’t see happiness in what’s going on. I see a lot of discontent,” she said, adding that the unhappiness is clearly visible in the administration.
“There is a parallel organisation that does transfers and decision-making, including visibility of some people in Davos. I hear from the press that secretaries are going to people for transfers. Six departments are being run by one person. There is consolidation of power at one end and the anxiety and mistrust among them is evident,” she said.
On Maharashtra Governor Koshyari’s decision to step down, Devendra Fadnavis says ‘could continue for five years if he wishes’
The decision of Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to step down from his post is his personal choice and nobody asked him to resign, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Tuesday.
Koshyari had said, in a statement released by Raj Bhavan Monday, he has conveyed his desire to step down to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“I have always received love and affection from the Hon’ble Prime Minister and I hope to receive the same in this regard. It was an absolute honour and privilege for me to serve as the Rajya Sevak or Rajyapal of a great state like Maharashtra – the land of saints, social reformers and valiant fighters… I can never forget the love and affection I have received from the people of Maharashtra during the last little more than three years,” Koshyari said in the statement.
The Mumbai unit chief of BJP Ashish Shelar on Friday received a death threat by a letter that was received at his office in Bandra.
An officer said that the letter, written in crude language was received via post. The letter sent by an unidentified person asked the BJP MLA to keep quiet and not talk much failing which he and his family would face the consequences.
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The officer said that an FIR has been registered against unidentified persons under section 506 of the Indian Penal Code for criminal intimidation and other offences at the Bandra police station.
An officer said that they are checking CCTV cameras and trying to trace from where the letter was posted to track down the perpetrators.
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch arrested a man alleged to be involved in nearly 400 cybercrimes across the country.
Thanks to the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal, where citizens can upload complaints and phone numbers used in the crimes, when the police entered the accused’s number, they found out that 39 FIRs and 326 online complaints were filed against him. Most of the complaints were filed from Telangana.
An officer from Unit IV of the crime branch said that they received information about a cybercriminal who often came to a hotel on the Andheri Ghatkopar Highway and laid a trap. Read More
The Maharashtra government has stripped the title of a public garden named after 18th-century ruler Tipu Sultan, a year after the renovated garden in Malad West was inaugurated by the previous government led by the Shiv Sena.
The decision was announced by the guardian minister for Mumbai suburbs, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, on Friday afternoon. Lodha said the decision was taken in a DPDC meeting last week, following demands from the local public and from their elected representatives; and that the board at its entrance identifying the garden by this name was removed two days ago with the initiative of the locals from the area.
On Friday afternoon, Lodha took to social media and said, “Finally, victory of the Right! Ordered removal of name Tipu Sultan from the park in Malad after considering the protests by Sakal Hindu Samaj & demand by @iGopalShetty Ji in the DPDC meeting. Last year MVA govt had named the ground after Tipu Sultan and we had to protest it!” Read More
Environmental activist Zoru Bhathena has moved the Bombay High Court against a notice issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Tree Authority that invited feedback on the plan to remove 177 trees at Aarey, describing it to be “in breach of a Supreme Court order”.
In his public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking the quashing of the notice, Bhathena claimed on January 21 that the notice was issued on the basis of an application from the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (MMRCL).
Refusing to stay the Maharashtra government decision to allow a car depot for the metro’s Line 3 to be set up in the Aarey region, the apex court on November 29, 2022, let the MMRCL pursue its application before the Tree Authority for felling 84 trees to construct a ramp for the project. Read More
A 22-year-old medical student was strangled to death and set ablaze allegedly by her father, brother and three other male relatives over her love affair in Maharashtra's Nanded district, an official said.
The police on Friday arrested the five for the killing that took place on January 22 in Pimpri Mahipal village under Limbgaon police station, around 600 km from Mumbai, an official said.
Shubhangi Jogdand was strangled to death with a rope by her family members, who later set her ablaze and threw her remains in a stream to destroy the evidence, he said. The victim was a third year student of Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) and her marriage had been fixed. However, she informed the man chosen by her family that she was in love with another man from her village, the official said. The victim's family had been upset after the wedding was called off, he said. (PTI)
The Maharashtra government's Department of Tourism will organise a Shivaji Maharaj Janm Utsav at Shivneri Fort in Junnar between February 18 and 23.
The Utsav will entail open markets, fetes, and plays along with a museum showcasing weapons and items that were used during the time of Maharaja Chhatrapati Shivaji. The play Jaanta Raja will also be enacted during the festival.
The Bombay High Court recently observed that “imposing a prohibitory ban for a long period on merchant establishments and establishments which provide livelihood is contrary to principles under Article 21 of the Constitution and whenever such a thing happens, the authorities need to be thoughtful.”
The bench directed that the prohibitory ban imposed on liquor sale in Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and Nashik districts during elections for Maharashtra Legislative Council seats for graduates’ and teachers’ constituencies, shall be restricted to January 30, the election day, and all other days stand exempted. Read the full story by Omkar Gokhale here.
The Maharashtra government Friday reversed the decision of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government to name a garden in Malad after Mysore king Tipu Sultan. The state government ordered the removal of the name of Tipu Sultan which had earlier been given to a garden in Malad.
Guardian Minister for Mumbai Suburbs, Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Friday afternoon tweeted, 'Finally, victory of the Right! Ordered removal of name Tipu Sultan from the park in Malad after considering the protests by Sakal Hindu Samaj & demand by @iGopalShetty Ji in the DPDC meeting. Last year MVA govt had named the ground after Tipu Sultan and we had to protest it!'
Lodha, in a statement said, "Last year, we protested the name of Tipu Sultan for the garden. We were even arrested by at the behest of government (MVA). I was there, Gopal Shetty was there. We were taken in police custody and even detained for a long time." "Last week, DPDC meeting happened and I immediately decided that the name should be removed. Day before yesterday, the people themselves from the area came forward and removed the name of the board," he continued.
Ashfaqulla Khan, Ramprasad Bismil are other names that are being considered for the garden. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the state government are likely to take a call on the matter soon. Emphasising his order, Lodha said "Tipu Sultan name was never there. There is no record in any government document of this park names such. So the board was removed because the name didn't exist."
Amarinder Singh, former chief minister of Punjab, is likely to be appointed as the new Governor of Maharashtra. The development comes days after incumbent Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari expressed his desire to step down from the position.
Koshyari, who has faced Opposition criticism and demands for his resignation over various issues throughout his tenure, had said on Monday that he had conveyed his desire to step down to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Read here.
VBA president Prakash Ambedkar's remark against NCP president Sharad Pawar Friday evoked angry reactions from Shiv Sena and the NCP. 'Sharad Pawar is with BJP,' said Prakash Ambedkar, while talking to the media.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut cautioned Ambedkar against such adverse comments on Pawar. Raut said, "Ambedkar should mind his words. If he wants to continue the alliance, he should stop criticizing Pawar."
NCP (MLA) Jeetendra Awadh also sharply retorted, "We will not tolerate such criticism against Pawar." "You cannot make any loose comment and get away," he said. Read the full story here.
Days after Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi announced their alliance and made it clear the VBA will be part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole Friday said that the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) and Shiv Sena (UBT) alliance has no connection with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) led by Ambedkar.
While speaking at a function in Gondia on Friday, Patole said that the Congress has not received any proposal about the VBA's wish to join MVA.
A massive (level 4) fire was reported on the 42nd floor of the 45-storey R A Residency tower on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road in Dadar East in central Mumbai, at 8.32 pm on Thursday. No injuries have been reported in the fire.
According to Sanjay Manjrekar, chief fire officer (CFO) of the Mumbai Fire Brigade, the internal firefighting system of the building was not operational. It took the Mumbai Fire Brigade almost 7.5 hours to douse the fire, which was declared level 4 by the fire brigade at 11.10 pm on Thursday. Read the full story by Eeshanpriya MS here.
Mumbai once again recorded very poor air quality index on Friday. The AQI of the city was 310, in the 'very poor' category.
At 351, the AQI was reportedly the worst at Chembur. Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) recorded an AQI of 334, followed by 328 in Andheri, and 312 in Borivali, all falling under the 'very poor' category. According to SAFAR’s AQI monitoring chart, an AQI between 301-400 is termed as ‘very poor’.
Colaba reported an AQI of 280, followed by 269 in Malad, and 239 in Mazgaon, all falling under the 'poor' category. Further, AQI in Worli (180) and Bhandup (193) stayed in the 'moderate' category.
For the first time after a split in his party, Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray visited Thane, the home turf of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and launched an attack on Shinde and the faction led by him. He also paid tribute at the memorial of Aanand Dighe, the late Sena leader who is also considered to be Shinde’s mentor.
Thackeray also announced that soon he will hold a massive gathering in Thane and said the Shinde faction got “sold out”. Read more
Adding 10 acres to the open green space of Mumbai city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to expand the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Vanaspati Udyan and Zoo, popularly known as the Byculla zoo.
The zoo is spread across about 53 acres, and the BMC will add another 10 acres—seven acres of the newly acquired pocket of the Mafatlal Compound and the rest in the Poddar area.
Read the full story here
Maharashtra’s disaster management department has recovered around Rs 1 crore so far from the kin of Covid-19 victims who filed duplicate claims — more than one claim was filed for the same victim — for ex-gratia. The recovered sum is likely to cross Rs 10 crore as more duplicate claims are detected, the department said.
The state government has warned of stringent action against the kin of Covid-19 victims filing duplicate compensation claims. The kin of victims are given Rs 50,000 each as compensation. Read more
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) has conveyed to Sena (UBT) that the latter’s alliance with Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) is essentially about Mumbai and the party is unlikely to spare seats for VBA outside Mumbai.
Senior NCP leaders, including Ajit Pawar, Jayant Patil and Sunil Tatkare held a meeting with Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday night to discuss the party’s alliance with the VBA. Read more
A total of 189 inmates were released from various prisons in Maharashtra on the occasion of the Republic Day on Thursday, an official said.
The state government had issued an order to give special remission to the 189 prisoners.
The prisoners who were released included 35 each from central prisons in Nashik and Nagpur, 20 from Yerwada Central Jail in Pune, 16 from Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai, 11 from Thane Central Jail and four from Mumbai Central Prison (Arthur Road Jail), a prisons department spokesperson said. (PTI)
Police detained eight persons after they tried to set themselves ablaze to press for the demand for getting their house land title documents in their names in Maharashtra's Dhule district Thursday, police said.
The incident took place near Dhule district collector's office after the national flag was unfurled on the occasion of the Republic Day, an official said. The police seized kerosene bottles from the agitators and detained them, he said.
These people have been residing in Chitod Road Mill area of Dhule city for more than 30 years and demanding registration of their houses as well as the 7/12 extract (land title document) in their names, the official said. (PTI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde unfurled the national flag at his residence on Thursday.
The Bombay High Court on Wednesday issued notices on an appeal by filmmaker Rakesh Roshan seeking return of the remaining Rs 20 out of Rs 50 lakh recovered by the CBI from two men who duped him in 2011.
Roshan had said one of the two men who duped him impersonated as a CBI officer. After he filed a complaint, the CBI recovered Rs 50 lakh belonging to Roshan from the accused. However, when Roshan sought the amount to be returned to him, he was in 2012 permitted by a special CBI court to withdraw only Rs 30 lakh. (Read more)
The national flag was unfurled at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Maharashtra's Nagpur city on the occasion of the Republic Day on Thursday.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was not present at the function as he is currently in Rajasthan capital Jaipur, where he will participate in a Republic Day event.
Nagpur Mahanagar Sah-Sanghchalak Shridhar Gadge unfurled the tricolour at the Sangh headquarters in Mahal area of Nagpur in the presence of RSS volunteers and pracharaks. The Sangh has also organised a programme on the occasion of the Republic Day at Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti in Reshimbagh area here. (PTI)
The Mumbai Metro Line One – which operates from Versova to Ghatkopar via Andheri – has witnessed an increase in ridership. The operator – Reliance Infra-led Metro One – said the daily ridership crossed the four-lakh mark Tuesday for the first time after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Metro officials said the ridership count increased owing to the integration of Line One with the recently started Mumbai Metro Lines 2A and 7. Read more
A “short circuit” triggered a fire in a BEST bus in Bandra area, but nobody was injured in the accident. The CNG-powered bus with 20-25 commuters on board was on route no. 51 (Santacruz to Colaba) when the driver noticed sparks coming from the gearbox around 1.15 pm, they said.
The driver stopped the vehicle, which was on Turner Road, while the conductor asked the commuters to get down, said the BEST administration. A fire brigade official said that two fire engines and an ambulance were sent to the spot and the fire was hosed down in a few minutes. But the bus was completely gutted.
The Bombay High Court bench of Justice Makarand S Karnik granted bail to Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh's personal secretary Sanjeev Palande in a corruption case registered by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On December 20, 2022 another bench of HC of Justice N J Jamadar granted bail to Palande in a money laundering case registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). However, he continued to stay in jail in connection with the CBI case since he had not availed bail in a corruption case filed by the CBI.
Observing that “merely because a sound was created by accused in his own house cannot directly infer to be done with sexual intention towards the complainant woman,” the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court recently granted pre-arrest bail to three persons booked for atrocities against a member of Scheduled Caste.
A division bench bench of Justice Vibha V Kankanwadi and Justice Abhay S Waghwase passed a verdict earlier this month noting that the appellants who had challenged the sessions court order refusing relief to them, had initially tried to lodge complaints against the informant, however the police refused to register the same.
The bench said when a “law abiding citizen was adopting legal procedure and had gone to the Police Station to lodge the report, but his report has not been taken, then such person/s deserve to be protected.” (Read More)
Sena's Hingoli MLA from the Eknath Shinde camp Santosh Bangar courted fresh controversy after he allegedly assaulted a professor in Hingoli. Bangar has landed in controversy earlier when he allegedly abused the security at the entrance gate of Mantralaya for stopping over 20 people accompanying him and asking them to register their names.
Prior to this, he was in the news for allegedly slapping a catering manager in Hingoli, after claiming that the food served to labourers under the state government's midday meal scheme was of sub-standard quality. He was reprimanded by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde for his behaviour.
The overall air quality index in Mumbai on Wednesday was recorded at 297, falling in "poor category." The AQI in in Colaba is at 242, in Malad at 221, Mazgaon- 256, in Borivali - 201 and in Andheri at 269.
Whereas in BKC it is 359, and in Chembur at 329, both in the "Very Poor category."
One new case of coronavirus has been detected in Maharashtra's Thane district, taking its infection tally to 7,47,439, a health official said on Wednesday.
The new case was reported on Tuesday, he said, adding that there are currently 25 active COVID-19 cases in the district, which comes under the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The death toll in the district remained unchanged at 11,969 and the recovery count stood at 7,36,213, he said. (PTI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Tuesday said his government has prioritised Mumbai’s infrastructure development and will make the city pothole-free in two years.
“The state government has taken the infrastructure development of Mumbai on fast track, starting with the city’s beautification and redevelopment of old dilapidated buildings and koliwadas. The state government is focused on a complete Mumbai makeover,” Shinde said while addressing a television programme.
The chief minister said that the recurring issue of potholes in the state capital will be addressed effectively. “Stress on zero tolerance to potholes is our directive [to officers]”, he added. (Read More)
Shah Rukh Khan’s long-awaited return to starring roles, the action-thriller Pathaan, is finally out in theatres, and fans are turning out in droves to support the Badshaah of Bollywood. After a week of tremendous response, during which Pathaan set advance sales records, the film is poised to deliver a blockbuster opening at the box office.
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, the film is expected to hit the Rs 50 crore mark on opening day alone, which would put it in touching distance of the day one figures posted by Hrithik Roshan-starrer War (Rs 53.3 crore), Aamir Khan’s Thugs of Hindostan (Rs 52 crore) and the Hindi dub version of the Kannada film KGF: Chapter 2 (Rs 53.9 crore). Pathaan will comfortably overtake Happy New Year’s Rs 44 crore debut figure, and become SRK’s top opener of all time. Incidentally, Hrithik Roshan is expected to appear as his character from War in Pathaan, as YRF builds its shared universe of spy movies. (Read More)
Shah Rukh Khan is returning to the screens after four long years with Siddharth Anand’s Pathaan. Also starring Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia and Ashutosh Rana, the film is a part of YRF’s spy universe. Salman Khan is expected to have an extended cameo in the film and Shah Rukh had previously confirmed that the two actors shot together for the Siddharth Anand film. It is yet to be seen if Hrithik Roshan will also appear in a cameo in the film as War also belongs to the same universe as Tiger and Pathaan. (Click here to read all the latest updates on Pathaan's release today)
THE NCP on Tuesday said it has no objection to the alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT), led by Uddhav Thackeray, and Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) as each party within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is free to form alliances with other parties.
In a meeting called by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, which was attended by all its senior leaders, the party said it’s position is that the bypolls in both Kasba Peth and Chinchwad should be fought by the Opposition and a final decision will be taken after discussions between all parties in the MVA.
Senior NCP MLA and Opposition leader Ajit Pawar said they have no objection over the alliance between the Shiv Sena (UBT) and VBA. (Read More)
CHIEF MINISTER Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the problems and challenges facing the sugar cooperative industry in Maharashtra.
While the discussions centered around making the cooperative sector robust, enhanced allocation of quota for export of sugar for Maharashtra, 20 point programme for primary agriculture credit societies and restructuring of pending loans among others were discussed at the meeting. (Read More)
A day after Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray’s oil portrait painted by Thane-based artist Kishor Nadavdekar was unveiled at the central hall of state legislature building, another artist Chandrakala Kadam, who claimed she had got the contract to paint the portrait, on Tuesday expressed her displeasure stating that her painting was overlooked.
On the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Bal Thackeray, the state government unveiled his oil portrait at the central hall of Vidhan Bhavan.
The decision to install Bal Thackeray’s portrait was announced by Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rahul Narvekar in the House in August last year. Several artists were asked to submit their quotation. Kadam said her quotation was submitted in the office of state legislature and based on her experience and qualifications she was selected and work order was issued to her to make the portrait. (Read More)
A fire broke out in a 29-floor residential building in Mumbai on Wednesday, following which four people suffered from suffocation and were hospitalised, officials said.
The blaze erupted at around 1.45 am in a common passage on the 24th floor of Shivshakti building in Lokhandwala complex in suburban Andheri and caused thick smoke, they said.
At least four fire engines along with five jumbo tankers and other fire brigade vehicles were sent to the spot and the blaze was doused by 5.15 am, a fire brigade official said.
The fire confined to electric cables in a common passage on the 24th floor, a civic official said, adding that heavy smoke also spread to the building's 23rd floor.
Four people, including two senior citizens, suffered from suffocation and were rushed to the nearby Kokilaben Hospital where they were undergoing treatment, the official said. (PTI)