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Big loss of face for MNS as Raj Thackeray defers Ayodhya trip

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In a big loss of face, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray on Friday morning announced that he has temporarily postponed his proposed visit to Ayodhya on June 5.

Raj himself made the announcement via social media but didn’t spell out any reasons for the move.

MNS Spokesperson Sandip Deshpande and party leader Bala Nandgaonkar both declined to provide what was the real trigger for the decision, but assured Raj will enlighten the people about it at his planned public rally in Pune on Sunday.

Adding to the MNS’s discomfiture, both Shiv Sena’s Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray and State Congress President Nana Patole announced that their upcoming tours for ‘darshan’ of Ram Lalla would proceed as per schedule and their trips would be ‘non-political’.

Raj’s abrupt decision came amid massive protests by certain Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and activists in Uttar Pradesh and even other northern states opposing his Ayodhya trip.

They were demanding Raj’s unconditional apology for the treatment meted out to North Indians in the MNS agitation in 2008.

The anti-Raj protests were spearheaded by Uttar Pradesh BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh who warned that unless he apologises, lakhs of his supporters would block his entry to Ayodhya in June.

Though Raj has not revealed anything, there’s speculation that the postponement may have been due to health reasons, but MNS leaders declined comments.

Back in Uttar Pradesh, Brijbhushan Sharan Singh dismissed the claims of “postponement” and said Raj has “cancelled” his trip, and his agitation would continue till he (Raj) tenders an apology.

Earlier, apprehending threats, Nandgaonkar had called on Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Home Minister Dilip Walse-Patil and demanded security for Raj either from the state government or the Centre.

Simultaneously, he warned that “even if a hair of Raj was harmed, Maharashtra would burn”, though preparations for the Ayodhya trip continued.

Since a month, Raj has been in the limelight after he launched an agitation demanding removal of loudspeakers from all mosques in the state failing which his activists would blare Hanuman Chalisa at double-decibel levels.

Maharashtra

Special NIA Court Allows Activist Gautam Navlakha To Visit Ailing Sister

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The special NIA court on Thursday permitted activist Gautam Navlakha, an accused in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case, to travel to Delhi for two months to be with his ailing elder sister.

Navlakha had approached the court for modification of the bail order granted last year, which restricted his movement to city limits.

The prosecution opposed the plea, apprehending that he may influence witnesses or skip the trial.

The court ruled out these possibilities and allowed the plea but with several conditions. Navlakha has been asked to furnish details of his mobile phone number on which video call facility is available, furnish his travel details, and deposit his passport in the court before leaving the city.

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Maharashtra

Party Rebels Contesting Against MVA Candidates To Face Six-Year Suspension: Congress Leader Ramesh Chennithala

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Party Rebels Contesting Against MVA Candidates To Face Six-Year Suspension: Congress Leader Ramesh Chennithala

Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala on Thursday said all the party rebels contesting against the official candidates of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) have been suspended for six years.

In a press conference, Chennithala stated that district units have been directed to compile a list of rebels still in the race for the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls and issue notices to them.

“There will be no friendly contests. All rebels running against the MVA’s official candidates have been suspended,” said Chennithala, the All India Congress Committee in-charge of Maharashtra.

In some constituencies, despite official candidates from both Mahayuti and MVA, candidates from allied parties have been fielded. In other areas, friendly contests are happening. Several leaders have filed nomination papers after rebelling.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Elections 2024: Devendra Fadnavis Refers To Sharad Pawar As ‘Owner Of Fake Narrative Factory’; Slams Opposition Over Claims About Industries Leaving State

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Maharashtra Elections 2024: Devendra Fadnavis Refers To Sharad Pawar As 'Owner Of Fake Narrative Factory'; Slams Opposition Over Claims About Industries Leaving State

Mumbai: In a scathing attack on Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis referred to the NCP leader as the “owner of a fake narrative factory” during an election rally in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Fadnavis accused Pawar and opposition leaders of spreading false information about industries leaving Maharashtra for Gujarat, attempting to tarnish the state’s image. He made it clear that Maharashtra remains the top choice for investment, with 52% of the country’s foreign investment flowing into the state.

Addressing a rally in support of Mahayuti candidate Shankar Jagtap, Fadnavis emphasized that Maharashtra is strong industrially and that the information being spread by the opposition is misleading. He stated, “Our government has made Maharashtra an ideal destination for investment.” According to Fadnavis, reports suggesting a shift in the state’s industrial landscape were false and intended solely to mislead the public.

Fadnavis Targets Supriya Sule

Fadnavis also targeted NCP MP Supriya Sule, calling her the “manager of the fake narrative factory.” He accused Sule of spreading incorrect information about IT companies leaving Hinjewadi, a major IT hub in Pune. Fadnavis stressed that both Maharashtra’s industrial and IT sectors are strong, and any challenges faced were the result of the difficulties encountered during the tenure of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government. He labeled Sule’s statements as incorrect and harmful to the state’s progress.

Fadnavis also responded to criticism of Uddhav Thackeray’s “Ladki Behin Yojana” . He said that Thackeray’s approach, focused on opposition for the sake of it, was disconnected from the needs of ordinary people. Fadnavis clarified that the scheme would provide financial aid and educational opportunities to thousands of girls across Maharashtra.

Concluding his speech, Fadnavis reassured the audience about job creation under the BJP government. He announced an ambitious goal of generating employment opportunities for 10 lakh youths and promised to rejuvenate Maharashtra’s economic stability. He urged voters to be cautious of the “fake narratives” being spread by the opposition and to trust in the state’s economic progress.

Throughout the rally, Fadnavis highlighted BJP’s transparency and development-oriented policies, portraying the opposition’s tactics as a strategy to promote “fake narratives” and undermine the state’s growth.

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