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Maharashtra

Amit Shah’s Ganeshotsav trip to Maharashtra may be devotional-cum-political

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 Over two months after the alliance government of Shiv Sena rebel faction leader and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis took charge, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is slated to visit Mumbai on September 5, at the height of the Ganeshotsav festival.

Shah’s customary annual visit to the state’s biggest festival for the past few years used to be a largely religious affair – visiting the Lalbaugcha Raja and other important venues, and taking ‘darshan’ of Lord Ganesha at the homes of several BJP bigwigs in the city.

This year, however, the devotional menu may be laced with a subtle political docket intended to strengthen the Shinde-Fadnavis regime – currently bedevilled by internal, external and legal hassles, plus other political ghosts.

Fadnavis acknowledged all the possibilities with a grin, indicating “there will be a political agenda” during Shah’s visit on Monday, but declined to elaborate.

The Shinde-Fadnavis government has been struggling to attain credibility among the masses after it toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, led by Uddhav Thackeray.

The MVA has viciously targeted and vituperatively lampooned them for the manner in which the government came to power, with embarrassing choruses of “Khoke Ok” (boxes, implying Rs 50 crore), “traitors”, etc. haunting the “ED sarkar” and needling the 40-odd legislators of the rebel group who sneaked out from June 10 onwards.

The Thackeray-led Shiv Sena even went a step ahead comparing them with a famous Arabian Nights tale of 40 dubious characters, attracting howls of protests and bitter counter-attacks from the “turncoats”.

Shinde faced flak for the massive delays in the cabinet expansion with 18 Ministers – which took place 41 days after he and Fadnavis took oath on June 30 – followed by the hiccups in allocating portfolios, and the hanging swords of the legal tussle in the Supreme Court.

Now, he confronts discontent afresh with many MLAs from his and BJP side clamouring for ministerial berths, and while a second round of expansion may take a while, Shah may cast a benign “glance” and placate the restless legislators.

There is the pending issue of the proposed tie-up with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, which the BJP has been hoping for since the past over a couple of years.

Once a sharp BJP-baiter, Raj Thackeray apparently sobered up his pilgrimage to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in August 2019, and now the “ED sarkar” is “after” him for a much-anticipated partnership, ahead of the upcoming crucial civic polls.

After recovering from a hip surgery, Raj Thackeray has been the flavour of the season for the BJP with a host of leaders calling on him, like Shinde, Fadnavis, state and city party heads Chandrashekhar Bawankule and Ashish Shelar, respectively, and others.

There’s intense speculation that Shah may home in on the reluctant Raj Thackeray and nudge him into a cooperative alliance – for the mutual benefit of MNS-BJP-Shinde Group – in the civic elections, to begin with, and get a “Thackeray” on the BJP side.

In recent weeks, some prominent Congressmen like ex-CM Ashok Chavan, have been doing multiple rounds of several BJP leaders, rattling the party’s state unit.

However, Congress leaders and Chavan have been claiming that these meetings pertain to “official or constituency-related works”, but the political grapevine is furiously spreading into a vineyard!

It is not immediately clear whether Shah will devote any attention to this new political development – that may well spell further doom for the MVA.

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Ruckus over Aurangzeb’s picture being hoisted during protest at Dadar Chetana Bhoomi, police ordered to investigate, 8 FIRs registered so far

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Mumbai: A ruckus has erupted once again over the hoisting of Aurangzeb’s portrait at the CJP protest demonstration at Dadar Chetana Bhoomi in Mumbai, which has further escalated the situation, while politics has now started under the guise of Aurangzeb, while the police are investigating the matter. Mumbai Police has intensified its action against those protesting in support of the Delhi Jantar Mantar protest in Maharashtra and Mumbai. So far, about 8 FIRs have been registered against the protesters, of which four FIRs have been registered in Shivaji Park, Chetna Bhoomi, along with one FIR in Marine Drive and Azad Maidan. Now, politics has started in Mumbai over the hoisting of a poster of Aurangzeb (may Allah be pleased with him) during the protest. The police have started an investigation in this matter. Aurangzeb’s picture was hoisted during the protest in Dadar Chetna Bhoomi, which was later removed. However, in this matter, the police are investigating who had included this picture in the protest and what was the purpose behind it. The police have started an investigation in the matter of hoisting Aurangzeb’s picture in Mumbai and are formally finding out who was the one who hoisted this picture and what was the purpose behind it. DCP Mahendra Pandit said that in this matter, through social media, The identity of the accused is being ascertained, along with a case registered for illegally blocking the road and protesting without prior permission. In this case, an investigation is also underway as to why Aurangzeb’s picture was brought and what was the purpose behind it, while politics has started after this incident and the paper leak case has become Aurangzeb’s responsibility. The Home Ministry has ordered the Mumbai Police to investigate this matter and the police are conducting an inquiry into this matter. In the FIRs registered by the police so far, 600 accused have been named.

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Maharashtra

Raj Thackeray criticises Centre over CJP protest clashes

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Mumbai, July 21: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Central Government over the forcible hospitalisation of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and the violent lathi-charge on protesting students.

Taking to X, Thackeray condemned the government’s heavy-handed response, remarking, “This government itself has become mentally ill and needs to be admitted to a hospital.”

Expressing displeasure over the action against peaceful demonstrators, the MNS chief said the Central Government forcibly picked up Wangchuk and admitted him to a hospital. He added that the ruthless lathi-charge on protestors showed the government took pride in crushing legitimate protests.

Reiterating his demand for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Thackeray questioned the government’s reluctance.

“Who is Dharmendra Pradhan that accepting his resignation feels like a failure to the government? The outrage of the nation’s students is far more important than the ego of Dharmendra Pradhan and the government,” he said. He asked why the Prime Minister, who conducts ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha,’ was not engaging directly with students on the streets.

Criticising the ruling dispensation’s attitude toward grievances and the opposition, Thackeray asserted that the administration had developed an arrogant mindset.

He alleged that the ruling party believed it had won the elections through central agencies and EVMs rather than through public votes.

Drawing parallels with historical and global student movements, Thackeray cited the Arab Spring (2011), the Sri Lankan crisis (2022), anti-government protests in Nepal, and Jayaprakash Narayan’s ‘Sampoorna Kranti’ (Total Revolution) in India, noting that student unrest has historically triggered major political shifts.

“This movement isn’t restricted to just one exam. It is an outburst of public despair against inflation, contract culture, suffocating urban development, and broader governance failures,” he said.

He added that the courage shown by students stemmed from deep despair over the state of affairs in the country, warning that power gained through historic movements would slip away if the government relied on brutality rather than wisdom.

Reaffirming his party’s stance against centralised entrance exams like NEET, Thackeray urged the administration to show wisdom rather than force.

“An incompetent minister must resign, and complete transparency must be brought into examinations. There is no bravery in ruthlessly crushing protests; true wisdom lies in resolving them through dialogue. MNS extends its full support to these students and their demands,” he noted.

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Maharashtra

There is no opposition to peaceful protests, but violence broke out during protests in Delhi, conspiracy to create unrest during protests: Devendra Fadnavis

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has made a serious allegation and termed the violence in the peaceful protest of the CJP at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar as a political agenda. He said that behind it, many political parties are trying to gain political benefits, while many sincere people are also involved, but the way violence was unleashed in this protest is completely wrong. Stone pelting on the police and breaking vehicles is absolutely not right. Fadnavis has also supported the action of the Delhi Police and said that the police have shown patience and restraint. Regarding the protest, Devendra Fadnavis has made it clear that everyone has the right to protest in the Constitution and democracy, but no one has the right to disrupt the situation by protesting without permission. If someone protests without permission or creates violence and tension, action will be taken against him. He said that some elements have also joined the JCP protest who have nothing to do with the protest, they are only involved in their own benefit and a conspiracy to create unrest in the country. Devendra Fadnavis has said that action is taken against protest demonstrations only when they are ready for violence or are part of a conspiracy. He said that no action is taken against those who protest with permission, while everyone has the right to protest and no one can be deprived of it. Fadnavis said that in the backdrop of the JCP protest, an attempt is being made to spoil the situation, which is intolerable. He added that everyone has seen what happened in Delhi and how violence was unleashed here. Along with this, the police have also taken action against the protest demonstrations in Maharashtra and Mumbai, while Fadnavis has also supported the police action against the protesters.

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