Politics
Will Rahul Gandhi’s promises to Adivasis fetch votes for Congress?

Congress party’s former president Rahul Gandhi has promised to scrap the rivers interlinking project in Gujarat, provide free health services and education.
Though these issues are deeply touching the bottom of the pyramid, the big question for Rahul and the party is, will these promises bring votes for their candidates and win more seats than the 2012 and 2017 Assembly elections.
Rahul Gandhi is on a day’s visit to Gujarat on Tuesday. While addressing Adivasi Satyagrah rally in Dahod, he said tribals have rights on the natural resources, and development should not be at the cost of their existence and livelihood.
He promised that if the Congress comes to power in the state it will scrap the Par- Tapi- Narmada interlinking project, which is being opposed by tribals from Valsad, Navsari, Tapi and Surat districts.
Reminding that during the BJP regime, he said that the privatisation has grown by leaps and bounds in social sectors like education and health sectors, this has become a burden for some parents and families. Rahul promised to give free health and education in the state, as the party did in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.
In an effort to expose the BJP’s failure in tackling the Covid pandemic, he mentioned about the shortages in oxygen, ventilators and beds faced by the people of the state in first and second wave. He said because of the shortage “some three lakh persons lost their lives during the pandemic”. He also mentioned about the bodies floating in the Ganga River during the pandemic.
To connect with tribals as well as the general public, Rahul Gandhi recalled how the Land Acquisition Act 2013 was benefitting the people at large because strict norms and connecting land price with market value is helping in getting good financial rewards if their land is acquired for development projects. He also emphasised that the Congress brought changes in the ages old land acquisition Act introduced by the British.
He said that this was not a public meeting, “the Congress today launched ‘Satyagrah’ for the Adivasis’ rights and will continue to fight for their rights till they get justice. During the BJP rule people have benefitted less, but millionaires have made huge profits and the Indian society is divided into two parts — rich people’s India and poor India…”
For the first time Gujarat Congress has aggressively used social media to reach out to millions of people. Will Rahul’s speech influence the voters is difficult to answer, because to win elections the BJP will also fight aggressively. The Congress has to work hard as it has to overcome its internal fighting, build confidence and trust among the people and show they can deliver results, only if people are convinced such meetings will reap results, is the assessment of Hari Desai, a political analyst.
National
Bengal minister among 30 TMC MLAs asked to clarify absence on last day of Assembly session

Kolkata, April 1: The internal disciplinary committee of Trinamool Congress’ legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly has finally shortlisted 30 party MLAs, including a member of the state cabinet for being absent on March 20, the last day of the second phase of the budget session, ignoring the party whip.
The absent MLAs had not even given prior intimation about their absence to the office of the Speaker, Biman Bandopadhyay.
These legislators, including the state minister, will have to personally appear in front of the disciplinary committee this month and justify why internal disciplinary action will not be initiated against them for ignoring the party whip.
The name of Manoj Tiwari, the cricketer-turned-politician and the current West Bengal Minister of State for Youth and Sports Affairs department, also figures in the list of those who will have to justify the reason behind their absence during House proceedings and ignoring party whip, said a member of the disciplinary committee who refused to be named.
Tiwari joined Trinamool Congress in 2021 before the state Assembly elections that year and was elected as a party legislator from the Shibpur Assembly constituency in the Kolkata-adjacent Howrah district. After the new state cabinet was announced, his name figured in the list.
Initially, it was decided that the meeting of the internal disciplinary committee would be conducted on March 29. However, the meeting on that date was cancelled because of the preoccupations of the MLAs including the members of the disciplinary committee because of the Eid festival.
The committee is chaired by the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Sovandeb Chattopadhyay. The other members of the committee include the West Bengal Minister of State for Finance (independent charge) Chandrima Bhattacharya, the state Municipal Affairs and Urban Development Minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, state Power Minister Arup Biswas and the chief whip of Trinamool Congress’s legislative party in state Assembly, Nirmal Ghosh.
Trinamool Congress had issued a whip, making the presence of all party legislators mandatory on the last two days of the second phase of the budget session on March 19 and March 20.
Although the presence on the part of the legislators was almost 100 per cent on March 19, several legislators, including the minister, skipped attendance on March 20.
Crime
Mumbai Malad Gudi Padwa violence: Three arrested, situation peaceful, police alert, DCP Asmita Hotel

Mumbai: After the violence on Gudi Padwa in Malad, Mumbai, the situation is now peaceful here, but despite this, politics has also started on this issue and an attempt has been made to spread communal tension by giving it a Hindu-Muslim color. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa, a local youth attacked five minors passing in front of Noorani Mosque. In this case, the police has controlled the situation and so far three people have been arrested. A case of rioting has also been registered against them. The crowd is also being identified. The accused have been identified on the basis of CCTV and three people have been arrested. Along with this, after getting control of the situation, the police has put Malad on high alert and is also keeping an eye on communal elements.
Now communal elements have started trying to spoil the atmosphere in Mumbai, so the police is also keeping an eye on social media. Local DCP Smita Patil said that the situation in Malad Maloni is peaceful and action is being taken against the miscreants. Arrests are also continuing after examining CCTV footage and other footage.
So far three people have been arrested in this case, one of whom is Sharan, who attacked the minor. In this case, Vishwa Hindu Parishad Bajrang Dal has given an ultimatum to the police that if they do not arrest the accused as soon as possible, they will protest. In this case, the DCP has made tight security arrangements at all places and has also appealed not to pay attention to rumors and not to share unverified videos or controversial posts on social media. The police is on alert to maintain law and order in Mumbai and Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Panchalkar has issued strict instructions.
Sanjay Nirupam’s venomous attack on the violence on Gaddi Padwa
After the violence on Gudi Padwa, Sanjay Nirupam has made many serious allegations against the police, he has accused the police of delaying action and protecting the accused. He has questioned the action of Mumbai Police and said that the main accused Sharan and his mother do not allow Hindus to celebrate their festivals and their hooliganism continues here. Sanjay Nirupam has called Muslims Jihadis. Sanjay Nirupam said that the police took action when pressure was put on them.
Maharashtra
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Achieves Historic Property Tax Collection Nearing ₹800 Crores In Financial Year 2024-25

Mumbai: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has reached a historic property tax collection of Rs 795 crore for the first time ever. High-ranking officials from the property tax department mentioned that this amount might increase since the deadline for online payments remains available until midnight.
A campaign was launched to engage delinquent taxpayers, and the collection offices stayed open during holidays. Moreover, the ‘Abhay Yojana’ was introduced on March 10, 2025, providing a 50 percent reduction on late fees for outstanding payments if settled by March 31, 2025.
Municipal Commissioner took advantage of the chance to auction assets owned by individuals with tax debts, after sending notices to proprietors with unpaid taxes for three straight years, including state entities. This initiative led to the largest recovery of property taxes in the municipality’s history, according to report by Lokmat.
Municipal Commissioner Dr. Shinde advised property owners at risk of confiscation to settle their debts right away, cautioning that seized properties would go up for auction beginning in April 2025.
Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Achieves Historic Property Tax Collection Of ₹795 Crores. Comparative data shows a steady increase in property tax income over the years: ₹521 crore in 2021-22, ₹562 crore in 2022-23, and ₹666 crore in 2023-24.
During the first nine months of the financial year 2023-24, Rs 465.70 crore has been gathered, rising from Rs 398.65 crore in the equivalent timeframe of the prior year. The NMMC aimed to reach its target of Rs 800 crore for the whole financial year, ultimately arriving at Rs 795 crores.
PMC Achieves Record Property Tax Collection
The Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) has reached a historic Rs 400 crore in property tax revenue this financial year, representing its highest earnings since being founded in 2016.
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