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1,500 km from Singhu border, celebrations erupt in Maharashtra

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Nearly 1,500 km away from the epicentre of the year-long farmers’ agitation, celebrations erupted in Maharashtra on Friday after Prime Minister Narendra Modi abruptly announced the yanking off of the three contentious farm laws, taking the nation by surprise akin to the demonetisation broadcast-blast.

Farmers and local leaders trooped out in places like Sangli, Palghar, Thane, Nashik, Satara, Kolhapur and other places to cheer the Prime Minister’s declaration — coming barely a week before the upcoming first anniversary of the peasants’ protests — by lighting fireworks, distributing sweets, dancing, hugging each other with joy, playing drums, offering thanksgiving prayers, and general revelry.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, currently convalescing, could not contain his excitement and said the farmers who are the breadwinners of the country deserved “3 Salutes” after their long struggle ended in victory.

“I welcome PM Modi’s announcement on Guru Nanak Jayanti. There was an atmosphere of strong opposition to the 3 laws all over India. But the breadwinners, who were victimised, showed their strength,” Thackeray said.

Chiding the Central government, he said the government should take into confidence all stakeholders including the Opposition before taking such decisions, and this would have prevented the “humiliation” of today.

Thackeray, the Shiv Sena President, also expressed optimism that the technicalities of the repeal process of the laws would be expedited since “the farmers’ agitation has still not ended”.

Maha Vikas Aghadi ally and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)president Sharad Pawar said he “salutes” the spirit of the peasants who braved the heat, cold, rains, labelled as ‘terrorists’ and inflicted other forms of humiliation, with many lives lost, but they finally achieved victory.

“The government rushed through the bills in Parliament without heeding to the Opposition demands for discussion… The government will have to pay the price for its mistakes… Elections are coming to Punjab and Uttar Pradesh and people were bound to question them on the three farm laws,” Pawar pointed out.

“We said in Parliament that agriculture is the soul of this country and economy… to solve the problems of hunger, and it (3 laws) must discuss in details while enacting the laws relating to the famers,” Pawar said.

State Congress president Nana Patole said that it was the fear of defeat in the coming elections that forced the “arrogant and dictatorial” government to bow before the united strength of the farmers.

“Not only the elections, the growing disenchantment among the masses has brought the BJP government to its knees. They are withdrawing the 3 laws. It is a historic victory for the farmers’ struggle. But the BJP will have to face the consequences,” Patole warned.

He said, in Maharashtra, the Congress had collected over six million farmers’ signatures and sent a memorandum to the President, the peasant protested on the border for a year under trying circumstances, but the Prime Minister had no time to meet them though over 700 lost their lives.

Patole said after the recent string of defeats in bypolls, the BJP reduced the petrol-diesel prices, now the farm laws, but the battle ahead will continue for other farmer-centric issues also.

Shiv Sena’s farmer-face and Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swavalamban Samiti President Kishore Tiwari — accorded an MoS status — said that after the 12-month long struggle, the farmers and people of the country have understood the “real motives” of the BJP government and how it is working for a handful of big industrialists.

“Hundreds of farmers have been martyred to the cause. The country has lost faith in the Narendra Modi government, they will show the BJP its place in the next elections. The historic agitation has served its purpose, the government has suffered a huge setback,” Tiwari said.

However, he said that the unending farmers suicides will not end — Maharashtra being the highest in the country, as per official data — till the BJP government takes this opportunity to bring about fundamental changes in the existing setup to genuinely benefit the peasantry as a long term solution to the end bloodshed in farmlands.

Top leaders of MVA from Shiv Sena, NCP, Congress, Samajwadi Party, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, All India Kisan Sabha, farm activists and others have hailed Modi’s move, urging that now “it’s time to get back to business” and do something long-lasting for the cause of the country’s ryots.

Incidentally, Maharashtra had contributed by sending several bus-loads of people at various intervals to the farmers protesting outside Delhi borders, and many top leaders visiting and addressing.

Maharashtra

Abu Asim Azmi praised for introducing a bill against hate speeches and hate crimes, Muslim organizations called Abu Asim Azmi’s step commendable.

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Mumbai: Leading Mumbai NGOs like OZ Seva Trust, Minara Masjid Trust, All India Ulema Board, Malik Liaquat Hussain Trust, National Uni-Ayush Activist Trust, Mumbai Central Association etc. today felicitated SP State President Abu Asim Azmi at Islam Gymkhana and appreciated his efforts to maintain unity and brotherhood in the society by respecting all religions in the Maharashtra Assembly. Azmi had introduced a bill in the Nagpur Assembly to enforce strict laws against religious hatred, blasphemy, prophets, religious leaders, and religious places, and hate speeches and hate crimes.

The event was organised at Islam Gymkhana, Mumbai. Addressing the event, Abu Asim Azmi said that nowadays hatred is being spread among the brothers by making objectionable or insulting inflammatory speeches against any religion, religious leader, religious book, religious place, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This poses a threat to peace and order. Therefore, we have presented this bill in the Legislative Assembly against those who insult any religion, religious leader, religious book, religious place, or Prophet. This bill proposes a penalty of imprisonment for up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 2 lakh for those who make slanderous statements about any religion, religious leader, religious book, or religious place or spread it on social media. Such a punishment will curb hate speech and hate crimes. MLA Raees Shaikh, State Working President Yousuf Abrani, Chief General Secretary Meeraj Siddiqui and Advocate Rizwan Merchant, Maulana Ijaz Kashmiri, Nizamuddin Rain, Naseem Siddiqui, Sarfaraz Arjo were present at the event.

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Maharashtra

A split in Maha Vikas Aghadi before BMC elections, Congress’s slogan is ‘akela Chalo’

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The trumpet of the municipal elections has sounded in the state. Voting for 29 municipal corporations will be held on January 15, while the counting of votes will be held on January 16 and the results will be announced. In this election, everyone’s attention will be focused on the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The Shiv Sena Thackeray group will try to retain power in the Municipal Corporation. While Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and BJP will try to rule the BMC in Mumbai. Negotiations on seat sharing are ongoing in Mahayoti, but the electoral understanding has not been completed yet. However, a major rift has arisen in the Maha Vikas Aghadi before the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections. The Congress has announced to fight the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections on its own. Due to which the competition in this election has intensified further.

Congress will fight the elections alone
Congress has announced to fight the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections on its own. Congress’ Maharashtra in-charge Ramesh Chinnathala is currently on a visit to Maharashtra. After a meeting held in Mumbai today, Ramesh Chinnathala has said that he will fight the upcoming elections on his own. He said that there is a lot of corruption in Mumbai. That is why the Congress has decided to fight the elections alone. We have decided to fight against the BJP and the Shiv Sena Thackeray group. True patriots and secular people should support us in this fight. After coming to power, we will resolve the issues of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation in a good way. Therefore, I appeal to the voters to support us and we will develop Mumbai.

Mumbai Municipal Corporation Elections
The State Election Commission had announced the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections in a press conference on December 15. According to this announcement, candidates will be able to file their applications from December 23 to December 30, 2025. The Election Commission will scrutinize the applications on December 31. Candidates can withdraw their applications till January 2, 2026. Voting for the Mumbai Municipal Corporation elections will be held on January 5. The voting will be held on January 16, 2026 and the results will be declared on the same day.

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Maharashtra

After Babri, it’s Kashi Mathura’s turn. Baba Bageshwar Dham’s provocation in Mumbai.

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Mumbai: After the Babri Masjid, now it is Kashi Mathura’s turn, the slogan and provocation has been given by Dhirendra Shastri Bageshwar Dham Baba here in Mumbai. While answering the question of journalists in Andheri, Bageshwar Dham said that the temple is ours and we cannot give it up. When Baba was asked that the dispute had ended after the Babri Masjid, then why is the process of finding temples in mosques going on, to which he said that there are temples in many places and the dispute here is old. On Hindu Rashtra, Bageshwar Dham made it clear that there is also room for Muslims in Hindu Rashtra, his aim is to strengthen Sanatan, while a pilgrimage for Hindu Rashtra will start in Maharashtra to promote Hindutva. He said that it is wrong to declare India a secular country because India has never been secular. He said that there is a need for brotherhood and unity in this country and for that he goes on pilgrimage. Baba, while spewing venom, said that if efforts are not made for Hindu Rashtra and Hindus are not united, then the time is not far when the invasion of India will take place. He said that highly educated doctors in the country are becoming terrorists. If there is a Hindu Rashtra, then a Muslim youth will become Abdul Kalam. Will the mayor of Mumbai be a Muslim or a Hindu? On this, Bageshwar Dham said that he is away from politics, so a candidate should be selected who is useful for the people.

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