Mumbai, June 12: Amid several MPs and legislators deserting the Trinamool Congress (TMC) after the party’s rout in the recently held state Assembly polls, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Friday claimed that politics in the country has degenerated into a mere trade of self-interest.

It said that the voters cast their ballots based on a specific party symbol and ideology, expecting representation, only for self-serving political opportunists “to immediately jump from one plate to another for personal gain”. Much like the nursery rhyme ‘Hop along, little pumpkin’, these opportunistic politicians and their leaders hop all the way to Delhi.

The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece, ‘Saamana’, argued that just as various varieties of grapes and mangoes have been developed, new breeds of these volatile politicians have now emerged — and leading the pack is the ‘Saayoni Ghosh’ variety, a seed that will undoubtedly become famous as ‘Saayoni Seeds’.

The editorial stated that many are left wondering how to deal with characters like Saayoni Ghosh. “During the West Bengal Assembly election campaign, Ghosh made a name for herself with her sharp, fiery speeches. She crafted an image as a “mini-Mamata”, ripping into the BJP at every rally and proclaiming Mamata Banerjee as her mother figure. Consequently, when cracks began to appear in the Trinamool Congress parliamentary ranks, few expected her name to be on that list,” it added.

The editorial further stated, with fortunes shifting at Mamata’s camp, Saayoni Ghosh has abandoned her “mother figure” and the Trinamool Congress “to park her horse firmly inside the BJP stable. While the defecting TMC MPs have formed an independent group for now, they are bound to merge with the BJP sooner rather than later”.

According to the editorial, the irony is stark. “When Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP, abandoned his party to join the BJP, Ghosh had expressed immense fury over his betrayal. She lamented the complete loss of loyalty and morality in modern politics. When asked back then if she too would eventually defect to the BJP, an enraged Ghosh had snapped: ‘I am Ghosh, not Chadha, who would turn into a pair of shorts’. Today, however, she has metaphorically become that very entity, casting off her cloak of honesty to join the ranks of those dancing to the ruling party’s tunes,” it said.

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena observed that unbridled ambition and betrayal turn politicians into “an eggplant on a plate – a turncoat.”

“This is no longer just an idiom; it has become the bitter reality of contemporary Indian politics. A turncoat politician, like an eggplant, can be mixed into any dish on the stove – from bharit (mashed eggplant) to bhajiyas (fritters); it possesses no distinct flavour of its own,” it commented.

The editorial said that Maharashtra’s political landscape has recently witnessed a bumper crop of such turncoat politicians, and their cultivation is being thoroughly nurtured. “The case of Saayoni Ghosh serves as an ideal case study. These ‘plate-hopping’ politicians change colours faster than chameleons – a phenomenon so rampant it could warrant a PhD research study. The style of opportunistic politics has flourished so heavily that everyone seems to want to become a turncoat. This marks a severe degradation of the country’s politics and ideology,” it noted.

“Ultimately, these politicians have become cheap and universally available commodities. Lacking an inherent spine or flavour, they soften and wilt the moment they are exposed to political pressure. They can no longer be trusted,” said the editorial.

Mumbai, June 12: In a major anti-narcotics operation, the Customs Department has arrested a 28-year-old woman at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle a large quantity of hydroponic weed into the country. The seized contraband, weighing more than 11 kg, is estimated to be worth Rs 11.82 crore in the international market.

According to Customs officials, the woman arrived in Mumbai on a flight from Bangkok and came under suspicion during routine surveillance and passenger profiling. A detailed examination of her luggage led to the recovery of 12 vacuum-sealed transparent plastic packets concealed inside her trolley bag.

The packets were found to contain hydroponic weed, a high-grade form of cannabis. Officials said a total of 11.824 kg of the narcotic substance was seized during the operation. The accused, who reportedly worked as a relationship manager at a private company, was taken into custody following the recovery.

A case has been registered against her under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. She was subsequently produced before a court, which remanded her to judicial custody.

The seizure is part of a series of recent operations by Customs authorities aimed at curbing international drug trafficking through Indian airports.

Earlier, on June 8, customs officials at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport had foiled a major narcotics smuggling attempt by seizing 15.38 kg of suspected hydroponic weed concealed inside two geysers. Acting on specific intelligence inputs and passenger profiling, officers intercepted two passengers who had arrived from Kuala Lumpur on Flight D7-182. The passengers were stopped after crossing the Green Channel, and a detailed inspection led to the recovery of the contraband.

In another significant case on May 23, Customs officials at IGI Airport had intercepted two Thai nationals arriving from Bangkok on flight AI-2356 after they crossed the Customs Green Channel. Based on profiling inputs and suspicious travel patterns, officers carried out a detailed examination of their baggage.

The inspection resulted in the recovery of six vacuum-sealed packets suspected to contain hydroponic weed. Of the total seizure, approximately 29 kg was recovered from one passenger’s baggage, while around 19 kg was recovered from the second passenger.

Washington, June 12: US President Donald Trump said that the United States and Iran are close to finalising an agreement that would bar Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, raising the prospect of a signing ceremony within days and a broader easing of tensions across the Middle East.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said negotiations had advanced to the point where final documents were being prepared.

“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, and we’re going to be subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days,” Trump told reporters. “We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said the agreement could be signed “very soon,” possibly over the weekend in Europe, although he indicated Vice President JD Vance would represent the administration at any formal ceremony.

The President said he had spoken with leaders from several countries involved in the diplomatic effort, including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.

A central element of the proposed deal, according to Trump, is Iran’s commitment to permanently forgo nuclear weapons.

“They will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way, shape or form a nuclear weapon,” he said. “They will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Asked whether Iran’s Supreme Leader had approved the arrangement, Trump replied: “Sir, I understand the answer is yes.”

Trump described the framework as “a very strong memorandum of understanding” and said it had been endorsed by countries with significant influence in the region.

“It’s a very detailed memorandum of understanding, also agreed to by many other countries that have great influence over them,” he said.

The President also said the maritime blockade linked to the conflict would end once the agreement is signed.

“The Strait will open as soon as we have it signed,” Trump said. “Maybe it’ll be Saturday or Monday.”

He claimed the United States had been conducting operations to secure shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

“We brought many, many ships across and millions, hundreds of millions of barrels of oil were brought across,” Trump said.

Trump argued that recent military pressure had altered Tehran’s calculations and increased its willingness to reach an agreement.

“They’ve taken a pounding,” he said. “They want to make the deal a lot more than I do.”

He further claimed that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded during the conflict.

“Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone,” Trump said. “But we found them to be rational and they’re going to make a deal.”

Throughout his remarks, Trump repeatedly returned to what he called the core objective of the negotiations.

“Iran will in no way, shape or form have a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon,” he said.