Mumbai, July 8: Replying to a debate under Rule 293 on the development of Mumbai and its satellite cities, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly. Adopting a defiant stance against ongoing social media trolling and allegations of corruption following a recent landslide on the Mumbai-Pune ‘Missing Link’ expressway, CM Fadnavis declared himself “abuse-proof” while defending the project as a global engineering marvel.

The political storm erupted after torrential rains triggered a landslide on the recently inaugurated Rs 7,000-crore project, halting traffic for roughly 18 hours. The Opposition immediately targeted the Mahayuti government, alleging rampant corruption and structural failure.

Responding to the heavy criticism, CM Fadnavis did not mince words, accusing opposition leaders of blatant fabrication. “The Pune-Mumbai Connecting Link issue was brought up because of the heavy rains. Such absolute liars have been born; they must have been born after a crore of liars died,” he stated.

He revealed that the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance government had practically killed the project. “The Chief Minister of the previous government had written a two-page note listing 14 reasons why the Missing Link could not be built and closed the file. But the Mahayuti government had the courage, which is why we built it,” he added.

CM Fadnavis rejected claims that the structural integrity of the project had been compromised or that public money had “gone down the drain”. He clarified the mechanics of the incident to the House. “The heavy downpour caused mountain debris to fall onto an outer arch, which broke under the impact. The main structure has absolutely no cracks. The tunnel’s integrated safety systems functioned flawlessly. Once the emergency button was pressed, heavy cranes arrived within three minutes,” he noted.

Defying opposition narratives, emergency crews cleared the debris and reopened the critical transit route to traffic within 18 hours, he said.

The Chief Minister reminded the Assembly that the route features the tallest cable-stayed bridge in India and the widest twin tunnels in the world, completely bypassing the treacherous, accident-prone older ghat section.

Addressing targeted online campaigns, CM Fadnavis took a swipe at what he termed “paid trollers” on social media while asserting the long-term legacy of his administration alongside Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

“Abuse Devendra Fadnavis, that is fine. I am used to it; I am abuse-proof. I have learned one thing in life — 10 years from now, those who are abusing today won’t be seen, but the Connecting Link will stand, and it will bear the names of Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde. Defame me all you want, but if you defame Maharashtra, I will not spare anyone,” he declared.

To put infrastructure risks into perspective, CM Fadnavis invoked the legacy of the historic Konkan Railway and socialist leader Madhu Dandavate. “When the Konkan Railway was being planned, people said it was impossible due to frequent landslides. But Madhu Dandavate had the courage to build it,” CM Fadnavis recalled. “For 15 years after it opened, landslides occurred every single year. But we learned, we engineered solutions, and we fixed it. What would have happened if we had never built the Konkan Railway out of fear?”

Shifting focus to the broader monsoon crisis gripping the state, the Chief Minister briefed the House on emergency relief measures. “Vasai-Virar recorded a staggering 772 mm of rain within 72 hours, knocking out power grids and mobile networks. Disaster management teams are actively working with telecom and electricity providers to restore services. Immediate emergency funds have been deployed to the worst-hit districts of the Konkan region, including provisions for free food distribution,” he added.

CM Fadnavis also announced a major fiscal victory for the state, noting that shifting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to the central GeM (Government e-Marketplace) portal had successfully cancelled inflated tenders worth Rs 1,032 crore, saving the public exchequer massive sums.

The Chief Minister concluded his high-octane speech by reciting a famous Urdu couplet on taking risks and facing adversity: “Girte hain shahsawar hi maidan-e-jung mein…(Only the warriors who ride horses fall on the battlefield)”…, reiterating that true leadership lies in executing massive projects despite political headwinds.

A bus accident in Mumbai’s Bhandup area has created chaos in the area. An out-of-control bus hit several vehicles on the road in the Critical Hospital area of ​​Kokan Nagar in Bhandup, including some pedestrians. The vehicles were severely damaged in the accident. It has been reported that the victim of the accident is an E-bus. It is estimated that the accident occurred due to the bus driver losing control of the bus. According to initial information, it is being estimated that the accident occurred due to the bus driver losing control of the bus. However, the extent of the accident is clear from the damage to the bus. The bus crushed a pedestrian crossing the road, in which he was seriously injured. It has been learned that the name of the injured pedestrian is Atul Padley. As a result, Padley is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital. After the accident, local citizens immediately reached the area and admitted the injured pedestrian for treatment. However, his condition is currently said to be critical. Meanwhile, while the news of the horrific BEST bus accident in Dadar was fresh a few days ago, now the accident in Bhandup has created chaos in the area, so the police are investigating how the accident happened.

On the other hand, on Monday night, a tire of a BEST bus burst while passing through the Vashi toll plaza. The accident was averted due to the presence of mind of the BEST driver. This incident took place around 9:30 pm when the bus number 8230 of Wadala depot was passing through the toll plaza. At that time, the driver Kiran Jadhav suddenly burst, due to which he lost control of the moving bus. However, the driver Kishore Gaur immediately controlled the accident and stopped the bus safely before it hit other vehicles or pedestrians.

Speaking on this, Assistant Police Inspector (API) of Vashi Ravinder Nirod said, “Kiran Jadhav (aged 32) was a BEST bus driver who was taking passengers from Wadala bus depot towards Ghansoli. At around 9.50 pm, Jadhav suddenly got a tyre burst and lost control of the vehicle. In this accident, the driver Jadhav suffered minor injuries as he hit the steering wheel and the front windshield of the bus was broken in the accident.” Senior Police Inspector of Vashi Shashikant Chandikar said, “Fortunately, the BEST bus driver got a tyre burst while passing over the Vashi Creek bridge but the BEST driver avoided the accident.”

Mumbai, July 8: A Shiv Sena corporator from Kalyan-Dombivli, Ramesh Mhatre, has come under scrutiny after CCTV footage purportedly showed him and several of his supporters assaulting doctors and hospital staff inside a municipal hospital in Maharashtra’s Kalyan.

The incident, which occurred on July 6, has sparked widespread condemnation from the medical fraternity and political leaders.

According to hospital officials, the incident stemmed from the treatment of a woman admitted to Shastrinagar Hospital for childbirth. Following a caesarean delivery, doctors found that the newborn required specialised medical care because the umbilical cord had been wrapped around the baby’s neck twice.

As the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) was reportedly operating at full capacity, the attending doctors, Dr Srushti Baviskar and Dr Vaibhav Salunkhe, advised the family to shift the infant to another medical facility equipped to provide the required treatment.

Doctors alleged that the patient’s relatives subsequently contacted Shiv Sena corporator Ramesh Mhatre. Since the doctors were attending to other patients at the time, they were unable to answer his calls. They claimed that Mhatre later arrived at the hospital along with several supporters.

Hospital CCTV footage, which has since surfaced on social media, appears to show an altercation during which Dr Salunkhe and Dr Baviskar were allegedly assaulted. The doctors alleged that they were verbally abused before being physically attacked without any attempt to understand the medical circumstances surrounding the case. Dr Salunkhe reportedly sustained injuries during the incident.

Two members of the nursing staff, Namita Ubale and Dravya Giri, who intervened in an attempt to protect the doctors, were also allegedly pushed and manhandled. The entire incident was captured by the hospital’s surveillance cameras.

The footage quickly went viral, triggering outrage among medical professionals and the public. Several healthcare organisations demanded strict action against those involved, stressing that violence against healthcare workers cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Despite the public backlash, Mhatre denied allegations that he had assaulted the woman doctor. Speaking to NDTV on Wednesday, he maintained that he had not physically attacked her, claiming instead that he merely slapped her mobile phone as she was not responding to their concerns.

He argued that he was attempting to draw the doctor’s attention after repeated phone calls went unanswered. Mhatre also defended his actions by claiming that he was acting in the interest of the patient and the newborn.

He further stated that he would not apologise for the incident and asserted that his actions had helped save the lives of the woman and her child. However, he added that he would express regret if the doctors apologised for their behaviour.

Taking note of the incident, Shiv Sena MP and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s son, Shrikant Shinde, condemned the assault on the doctors and the nursing staff.

“The assault on doctors and medical staff at Shastri Nagar Hospital of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) is highly condemnable. As a doctor myself, I know that patient service is not merely a job but a service to humanity. In extremely adverse and stressful conditions, doctors, nurses, and other health workers labour day and night for the public’s service,” Shinde posted on X.

He also promised strict action on the guilty. “A case has been registered in connection with this incident. No one who takes the law into their own hands will be spared, and strict action will be taken against the guilty as per the law. The party’s stance on this matter is also clear. The party will not support any individual involved in this attack. Strict disciplinary action will also be taken within the party against those found guilty.”