Mumbai: Reacting sharply to the recent blast near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station, Samajwadi Party’s Maharashtra President Abu Asim Azmi criticised the NDA government, calling the incident a “total failure of national security.”

Azmi said, “If a blast can occur in Delhi, where the Prime Minister and President reside and where the entire government operates, it reflects a 100% failure of the ruling government. Such an explosion in the heart of the capital exposes the cracks in our security system.”

Calling the incident “tragic and unacceptable,” Azmi extended condolences to the families of the victims and urged the authorities to act swiftly. “Those responsible for the blast should be investigated and sentenced to death within six months,” he added, demanding strong action and accountability from the Centre.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule expressed solidarity with the government, stating that matters of national security transcend political differences. “Whenever it’s a matter of national security, regardless of which government is in power, we always stand with the government,” Sule said.

She emphasised the need for transparency and a thorough probe, urging the Union Home Minister to inform the nation about what exactly transpired. “Since the Parliament session will begin soon, we will demand a detailed discussion on whether this was an intelligence failure or not,” she said.

Sule also appealed for patience until the Ministry of Home Affairs provides a detailed response. “Until the Home Ministry gives a full explanation, I believe we should wait and see what the government’s reply is,” she stated.

The blast, which took place in a high-security zone near Red Fort, has triggered outrage and concern over lapses in security preparedness in the national capital. Political parties have called for a full investigation into the cause and motive behind the explosion.

Mumbai: The lottery for reservation of wards for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes, Backward Classes of Citizens (OBC) and Women, for the upcoming BMC elections was drawn on Tuesday.

The draw has decided the fate of hundreds of aspirants and shaping the poll campaign for all political parties. Mumbai has total 227 electoral wards, of which 50% are reserved for women candidates including SC, ST, OBC and General.

A total of 15 wards are reserved for SC, out of which 8 wards are reserved for SC women candidates. While two wards are reserved for ST, out of one is reservation for ST woman candidate. Total 61 wards in Mumbai are reserved for OBCs, including 31 women OBC candidates. While 149 wards are reserved for general category candidates, including 74 women candidates from general category.

For the upcoming BMC elections, the wards reserved for ST, including the women candidates are 53 and 121.

The wards reserved for SC candidates, including the women are 23, 93, 151, 186, 143, 152, 155, 147, 189, 118, 183, 215, 141, 133 and 140.

1, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 27, 32, 33, 46, 49, 52, 72, 80, 82, 100, 105, 108, 117, 128, 129, 150, 153, 158, 167, 170, 176, 191, 198, 216, 4, 10, 41, 45, 50, 63, 69, 70, 76, 85, 87, 91, 95, 111, 113, 130, 135, 136, 137, 138, 171, 182, 187, 193, 195, 208, 219, 222, 223 and 226.

The draw was drawn by the hands of school children, in presence of BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and other officials from BMC elections department. “This is the first election under the new reservation rotation framework announced by the state government and as instructed by the state election commission,” Gagrani said before starting the lottery procedures.

On October 9, the UDD had issued BMC- Manner of Allotment and Rotation of Reservation of Seats of Councillors in Wards) Rules, 2025. As per the fresh rules, the wards with the highest population of SC, ST, OBC and Women will be prioritised for reservation. 

The draft will be published on November 14, after which citizens’ suggestions/objections will be called.

The Mumbai Customs Department has seized 14 crore rupees worth of hydro ganja and smuggled gold in five separate operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport between November 6 and 9. Officials from Zone 3 of the Customs Department carried out the operations, which led to the arrest of multiple passengers arriving from Bangkok, Phuket, and Nairobi.

The first seizure took place on November 6, when a passenger arriving from Bangkok was found carrying 2.87 kilograms of hydroponic cannabis valued at Rs 2.87 crore. The next day, two more passengers flying in from Phuket were caught with nearly 4 kilograms of hydro cannabis, worth approximately Rs 4.2 crore.

On November 8, Customs officials intercepted more passengers arriving from Bangkok and Nairobi, recovering additional hydro cannabis and smuggled 22-carat gold bars weighing 358 grams. The estimated value of the gold is Rs 3.7 lakh.

In total, 13 kilograms and 84 grams of hydro ganja and 358 grams of gold were confiscated over three days. Customs officials stated that strict surveillance measures are being maintained at the airport, and all attempts to smuggle narcotics or gold will be firmly dealt with.

Hydroponic cannabis, often called hydro cannabis, is grown without soil using a nutrient-rich water solution. Common in Thailand, this method enables cultivators to precisely control growing conditions, resulting in faster growth and higher yields. These plants are usually grown indoors under LED or HPS lights, with regulated temperature, humidity, and nutrients. The increasing production of hydro cannabis in Thailand has led to rising smuggling attempts into India.