Mumbai: After the rejection of the Women’s Reservation Bill by the Parliament, the Maharashtra Minister has now targeted the opposition parties including the Congress in a press conference held in Mumbai and has shown mischievousness and called them pro-Pakistan. He said that just as Sharia law is being implemented in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Islamabad, these opposition parties are depriving women of their rights here too, but the NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will again present the Women’s Bill to provide justice to women. He said that in the criticism of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the opposition, he said that after the rejection of the Women’s Reservation Bill, the opposition’s veil was torn and the opposition has been completely exposed. He said that on the same lines as the fatwas were issued from mosques during the parliamentary elections, these MPs have become supporters of Sharia law. To please the father of Pakistan, these women oppose the bill. He said that Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders only speak on the Pakistani script. Rane targeted Supriya Tai Slay and said that Supriya Tai is a supporter of love jihad and the same position is also held by the Congress and its allied parties because their victory came through the mosques and fatwas were issued for them from the mosques. During the press conference, Nitesh Rane, while spewing venom against Muslims, also demanded a ban on Islamic clothing, hijab and prayers under the guise of company and corporate jihad. He said that why hijab or prayers in the company or workplace? Are Hindus allowed to do this? On the issue of Lenskart, Nitesh Rane threatened and said that now Lenskart also needs treatment for his eyes. If he does not do it, we will treat him. Targeting Uddhav Thackeray, Rane has made a serious allegation and said that it is Uddhav Thackeray’s turn that he can also stand in the Sarpanch election. Now, they will all secretly call for membership of the Legislative Council. Uddhav Thackeray has undergone a political conversion, so now he is not Uddhav Thackeray but Uddhav Khan. He said that he has also offered five daily prayers. On the honorable release of the Hindutva accused in the Malegaon bomb blasts, Nitesh Rane said that Bhagwadhari can never be a terrorist. This has now been proven. He said that opposing the Women’s Bill is Pakistan’s stance and what happens in Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi and Congress do the same in India.

Mumbai, April 22: In a significant relief to four accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday quashed and set aside a special court order framing charges against them.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar delivered the verdict while allowing appeals filed by Rajendra Chaudhary, Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh and Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria.

The High Court had earlier observed that a prima facie case existed for interference with the order of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court.

The four had been charged with offences including murder and criminal conspiracy under the IPC, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following a September 30, 2025, order by the special court. Wednesday’s ruling effectively halts proceedings against them at this stage.

The case pertains to the September 8, 2006, blasts in Malegaon, where explosions near the Hamidia Masjid and adjoining areas shortly after Friday prayers left 37 people dead and over 300 injured.

The investigation has witnessed multiple twists over the years. Initially, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested nine Muslim men, who spent several years in jail before being granted bail in 2011. A special court later discharged all nine in 2016, citing insufficient evidence.

Subsequently, the probe was taken over by the NIA, which pursued a different line of investigation. The agency arrested the present four accused after alleged disclosures by Swami Aseemanand, pointing to the involvement of right-wing elements. The four were granted bail by the High Court in 2019.

The Malegaon blast probe has been marked by conflicting findings between agencies, with the NIA diverging from earlier conclusions of the ATS and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

With the High Court now setting aside the framing of charges, the case takes yet another turn in a long and complex legal trajectory.

Mumbai: In a bid to strengthen sanitation efforts, Ashwini Bhide, Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), conducted a surprise early-morning inspection at a solid waste management facility in Bandra West on Tuesday.

The inspection was carried out at Dharmashala Chowki in the H-West Ward, located at Kherwadi opposite the Government Polytechnic. During the visit, Bhide reviewed staff attendance, checked official registers and interacted directly with sanitation workers to assess on-ground workforce deployment.

Stressing strict hygiene standards, the civic chief directed officials to prioritise cleanliness across the ward. She instructed teams to ensure effective road sweeping, proper waste handling, and regular sanitation of public spaces such as bus stops and surrounding areas.

Bhide also stressed the need for stronger coordination between various departments within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, stating that improved inter-departmental cooperation is crucial for maintaining cleanliness and enhancing overall civic management.

Senior officials, including Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management) Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Commissioner Prashant Gaikwad, Deputy Commissioner Vishwas Mote and Assistant Commissioner Dinesh Pallewad, were present during the inspection. The surprise visit highlights the BMC’s renewed focus on accountability and real-time monitoring as part of its city-wide cleanliness drive.

Meanwhile, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has allocated Rs 105 crore for pothole repairs ahead of the monsoon, much lower than last year’s Rs 200 crore expenditure. Officials attribute the reduced cost to the ongoing Rs 17,000-crore road concreting project, which is now nearly 75 per cent complete, compared to 45 per cent progress during the same period last year. The use of mastic for road repairs has also declined by 50 per cent over the past year.

The repair plan includes two major tenders of Rs 30 crore each for the Western and Eastern Express Highways, along with multiple tenders for roads of varying widths that have not yet been concreted. A separate tender has also been floated for procuring cold mix material. With the monsoon approaching, the civic body aims to minimise pothole-related disruptions while continuing its push for improved road infrastructure and urban sanitation.