Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has announced traffic diversions as football fans in the city are set for a major attraction, with Argentina skipper and World Cup winner Lionel Messi scheduled to visit Mumbai on December 14. The global football icon will visit Wankhede Stadium, where the event is set to begin at 5 pm. With a large turnout expected, the police have put special traffic arrangements and diversions in place to manage crowd movement and ensure smooth traffic flow in and around the stadium area.

diversions will be effective on 14 December from 12:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

According to the report, commuters heading to Wankhede Stadium should note that no parking will be permitted inside the stadium premises. As per the report, parking restrictions will be there on C, D, E, F and G roads. In addition to this, along with these, there will also be restrictions on Veer Nariman, Dinshaw Vachha, Jamshethji Tata and N.S. Road.

To manage traffic flow, one-way movement will be implemented on D Road (west to east) and E Road (southbound). Entry and movement on Veer Nariman Road will also remain restricted during this period.

Several road closures have also been announced, including the Coastal Road stretch between Marine Drive and Worli/Tardeo, and Chandra Bose Road, according to the report.

For those arriving by car, parking facilities will be available on a limited basis near Churchgate, HT Parekh Marg, Dorabaji Tata Road, Jamanalal Bajaj Marg and Vidhan Bhavan.

Messi’s Mumbai visit will begin with his participation in a high-profile charitable fashion showcase, where memorabilia from Argentina’s historic 2022 World Cup win will be auctioned. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to charitable causes, adding a meaningful layer to the event.

As per media reports, Bollywood heavyweights such as John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Jackie Shroff are expected to join the showcase.

Sport will take centre stage again at the Cricket Club of India, which will host a special Padel Cup. The friendly yet competitive match is set to feature cricket icons, including Sachin Tendulkar, alongside celebrity guests. A separate 7v7 celebrity football match with Bollywood actors is also reportedly in the works, promising crowd-pleasing entertainment.

At Wankhede Stadium, fans will witness Messi in his element. The football icon will conduct an exclusive coaching clinic for 60 children, 30 boys and 30 girls, selected from emerging football talent pools. The stadium event also includes interactive penalty shootouts and a masterclass led by Messi himself, followed by a musical concert celebrating his legacy.

Thiruvananthapuram Dec 13: Congress candidate Vaishnav Suresh on Saturday described her victory in the Kerala local polls as “a triumph of democracy and truth”, days after her candidature, initially rejected by the authorities, was restored following the intervention of the Kerala High Court.

Suresh defeated sitting Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor Amshu Vamadevan, who shifted from his original seat to contest the Muttada seat but lost to the first-timer.

The Muttada seat, since its inception, was a citadel of the CPI-M.

Soon after the early results indicated her victory, Vaishnav said she was “very happy” and termed the outcome a clear message from the people.

“This is a victory for democracy. Truth will always triumph, and it has done so here. People knew what was happening,” she said, adding that she had “fought a good fight”.

Vaishnav’s candidature had attracted statewide attention after her nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny on technical grounds.

The decision triggered protests from the Congress, which alleged unfair treatment and claimed the rejection was politically motivated.

Vaishnav subsequently approached the High Court, which, after hearing her plea, ordered the authorities to accept her nomination, allowing her to re-enter the fray.

The legal battle, coupled with her young age, turned Vaishnav into a prominent face of the Congress campaign in the constituency.

Party leaders projected her case as an example of institutional injustice and rallied support around what they described as a fight to protect democratic rights.

Her campaign, which resumed after the court order, focused on governance issues as well as the larger theme of safeguarding democratic processes.

Political observers note that the verdict in her favour is significant not just for the Congress, but also in the broader context of the local body elections, where procedural disputes and legal challenges featured prominently in several places.

Vaishnav’s win is being seen as a morale booster for the Congress, particularly among youth and first-time candidates.

Congress leaders welcomed the result, stating that it reaffirmed public faith in both the judiciary and the electoral process.

They also credited voters for “seeing through attempts to deny a candidate her legitimate right to contest”.

For Vaishnav, the victory marks the beginning of her political journey under intense public scrutiny.

Reiterating her commitment to the electorate, she said she would work to justify the trust placed in her and focus on addressing local issues.

“This mandate belongs to the people who stood by me,” she said, signalling that the fight, though won at the ballot box, was only the first step in public life.

Nagpur, Dec 13: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday expressed serious concern over the rising incidents of child abduction and missing children in Maharashtra, urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to take concrete and immediate action.

In a post on X, Thackeray cited National Crime Records Bureau data to underline the scale of the problem.

“According to NCRB data, even if we look at recent years, this rate has increased by nearly 30 per cent from 2021 to 2024. Interstate gangs have emerged that abduct young children and then force them into labour or push them into begging on the streets. These gangs are brazenly abducting very young children, and it is unclear what exactly the government is doing about it,” he said.

Thackeray said mere statistics offered little reassurance to families. “We in Maharashtra do not want a government response along the lines of, ‘So many cases of child abduction have been registered, and X per cent of those children have been traced and safely returned to their families.’ Fundamentally, the figures reported by the NCRB only show how many parents have filed complaints with the police. But do even a few thousand such complaints actually reach the police in the first place?” he asked.

He also raised concerns about the long-term impact on rescued children. “Even if a child is somehow rescued and returned, what about the trauma inflicted on their minds during that time? More importantly, how are these child-abducting gangs allowed to operate at all, and how do they carry out their activities so boldly and without fear?” Thackeray said.

Questioning the government’s resolve, the MNS chief asked whether there was any urgency to deal with the issue. “When we see young children begging on the streets, at railway stations, or at bus stands, who are they? Are the adults begging alongside them really their parents? Should the government not issue orders for investigations or, if necessary, even conduct DNA tests?” he asked.

The MNS chief further said that in the state today, young children and girls were being abducted and land in Maharashtra was being usurped, and asked whether these issues should not be discussed in the legislature with the administration compelled to take unanimous steps.

Referring to the winter session of the Assembly, he criticised what he described as a lack of seriousness. “Is the winter session only meant to clear supplementary demands to cover up faulty budget estimates? Very often, ministers are absent when answers are required. It almost feels unreasonable to expect discussions on issues like missing children or abducted girls. But this is what Maharashtra expects,” he said.

Thackeray also suggested a coordinated national approach. “Ideally, the central government should discuss this with all states and form task forces. But it does not appear likely that a central government busy with heated debates over ‘Vande Mataram’ will hear the anguish of mothers,” he said.

Addressing Fadnavis directly, he added, “As the Chief Minister and Home Minister of the state, we expect you not only to facilitate a discussion on this during the session but also to take concrete action.”