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Congress should not undermine regional parties: Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena

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Mumbai, Jan 13: Amid talks of the disintegration of INDIA bloc and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the Shiv Sena(UBT) in its mouthpiece ‘Saamna’ editorial took a dig at the Congress party saying that it should not undermine the regional parties as it alone cannot fight on its own in many states.

“Congress does not have the strength to fight, but it does not stop putting its fingers in the bowl of the regional parties. Its results were seen in a state like Maharashtra. One truth that should be accepted is that the allies who entered the BJP’s “cave” have lost their existence. Congress should not behave with that attitude. Congress is and will remain a national party. There is no reason for anyone to have any doubts about that,” says the editorial.

“The earthworms or frogs formed during the monsoon season are destroyed as soon as the monsoon season ends. We are of the opinion that alliances like ‘INDIA’ formed for elections should not have a short life and should always be dedicated to national service. Congress and AAP may have a face-off in Delhi, but projecting Kejriwal as an anti-national during the poll campaign issue is not in keeping with the Congress culture. If Congress ‘alone’ has the ability to defeat the Modi mentality, no one will stop them. They should definitely do it. Still, winning a state like Maharashtra in a mafia-like manner shows what kind of politics the BJP and its affiliated gangs are winning. To fight this aberration, we need a thunderbolt of unity, leadership of the INIDIA bloc and if possible, a convenor. Otherwise, everything will go to waste. The All India National Congress should think about whether to let that happen,” reads the editorial requesting Congress to take an initiative to further strengthen the opposition alliance.

“There is an INDIA bloc in the country and MVA in Maharashtra but there is a feeling among the people that they are in a mess, who is responsible for it? When these two alliances were formed and started working, enthusiasm was created in every constituent party in the alliance and the public mind as a whole. Indians were confident that a force had been created to fight against the arbitrary administration and corruption imposed on the country. The feeling that Modi could be defeated in the country and the illegal government in Maharashtra started to burn like lightning, but are these two alliances now becoming dull and inactive? This is not good for the country,” reads the editorial.

It further adds, “The tree of INDIA bloc does not seem to be blooming. Omar Abdullah of the National Conference says that the last meeting of this alliance was held on June 1, 2024. After that, the Assembly elections of Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, and Jharkhand were held. Congress could not make a big leap in these elections. Congress suffered a major defeat in Haryana and Maharashtra. After that, questions started being asked about the existence of the INDIA bloc. Mamata Banerjee even publicly said that she formed the INDIA Alliance and now if she gets the opportunity, she is ready to lead this alliance. This means that the leadership of the Congress is not acceptable to anyone. Lalu Prasad Yadav also expressed similar views.”

“In various states such as Punjab and Delhi, AAP and Congress are fighting against each other. In Kerala, there is a battle between Congress and the Left. In West Bengal, Congress will continue to fight against Trinamool and there is no alternative. Because every regional party has to maintain its own role, workers and existence, the Congress party is not ready to understand this. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge is a seasoned and experienced leader but asks who will take the responsibility of restoring the disarray that has arisen in the INDIA bloc,” read the editorial.

The editorial mentions that some of the parties in the INDIA bloc today were once members of the National Democratic Alliance. “What does the experience of that alliance then tell us? Whether it was in power or not, when a national issue arose, an ‘NDA’ meeting was called in Delhi. Often, leaders like Pramod Mahajan and L.K. Advani would go to that state and discuss with the party chiefs there. The NDA also had a strong convener. For a long time, a senior leader like George Fernandes was in this position and this convenor would interact and discuss with the heads of all the constituent parties, and convene the meetings with dignity. Sometimes Atal Bihari Vajpayee would chair such meetings or L.K Advani would. Therefore, it must be accepted that the relationship within that alliance was not superficial, but rather built on family ties.”

Against this backdrop, the Shiv Sena(UBT) in the editorial makes a strong pitch for a strong INDIA bloc, saying that “elections will come and go but insisting that there is a need to put an end to jealousy, hatred and gossip to take on those who hijacked the elections and taken control of the country”.

Maharashtra

‘BJP Has Polarised Religion, Now They Are Trying To Polarise Language’: Maharashtra Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal

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New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing language row in Maharashtra, state Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal hit out at the BJP and alleged that they were trying to polarise the language.

Harshwardhan Sapkal said, “The BJP keeps cursing the word secularism every day. Secularism is a necessity for the country and its culture. Secularism is not only used for language but also equality and caste. States also use secularism. Secularism is used for language also. BJP has no concern about secularism so they are trying to create rift in between 22 languages in the country. Unity in Diversity has a direct connection with secularism, and both concepts are related to language and culture. They have already caused polarisation based on caste and religion. Now they are trying to polarise language as well.”

He further said that the BJP believes in one country, one leader, one religion, one language and before this, the BJP has created a rift in religion and caste.

Earlier, addressing the issue of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers being detained in Mumbai, Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday stated that everyone has the right to protest in the country.

“Everyone has the right to protest. We don’t know why the BJP is anti-Maharashtra and anti-Marathi, and why people were arrested last night. There was a peaceful protest. They should have allowed it. Everyone has the right to protest”, he said.

Aaditya Thackeray noted that the BJP is trying to spread “hatred” and create conflicts between “Marathi and non-Marathi people,” he said.

He further stated that the “BJP’s divisive agenda,” ahead of the BMC and Bihar elections, would not succeed.

“The BJP is trying to spread hatred in Maharashtra and create conflicts between Marathi and non-Marathi people. Their agenda won’t work. Their agenda for the Bihar and BMC elections is to create division. This is the BJP’s tactic, and it won’t succeed”, he said.

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Maharashtra

‘Food Was Stale, I Vomited’: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad Defends Himself For Hitting & Abusing Canteen Staff In Mumbai

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Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad punches canteen staff over stale food “The food was stale, I vomited after smelling it and taking the first bite,” said Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, defending his assault on a canteen staffer at the MLA Hostel in Mumbai.

The video of the incident, which has surfaced on social media, showed the Maharashtra lawmaker calling people and asking them to smell the food packet in the canteen. The heated confrontation soon led to physical violence.

MLA’s Reaction To Backlash

Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad expressed his frustration over the poor food quality at the Akashwani canteen, where he has been a patron for 30 years. He highlighted complaints about stale and unhygienic food, including 15-day-old eggs and non-vegetarian items, and the presence of insects and dirt.

After experiencing bad food himself, he insisted that others confirm its staleness, which they did. Gaikwad stressed the importance of serving clean and healthy food, labeling current conditions a health hazard. He lamented the lack of action from the government despite numerous complaints and urged for a check on the canteen’s kitchen, voicing concern for the health of the 5,000-10,000 patrons who rely on the service.

‘I Will Do It Again…’: Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad

When asked about assaulting the canteen staff, Gaikwad said that the food was in the worst condition and that he would hit the canteen staff again for a similar service. “Natural meri jo reaction thi ki agar aap Hindi mein samajhte nahi ho, Marathi mein samajhte nahi ho, angreji (English) mein samjhte nahi ho toh aakhir mein humara Shiv Sene ka style humara phir asal rehta hi hai”, MLA stated this conversation

“Meri bhasha aakhir mein ye rehti hain” said Gaikwad in response to the incident. The incident took place at the Akashvani MLA canteen in Churchgate, where several legislators are staying during the Monsoon Session of the Maharashtra Assembly.

The incident comes amid ongoing political friction between the MNS and the Mahayuti government, led by the BJP, over the MNS’s aggressive campaign promoting the use of Marathi among residents of the state.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar Urges Maharashtra Govt To Resolve Teachers’ Protest At Azad Maidan Without Delay

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Mumbai: NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded that the Maharashtra government take immediate action to resolve the ongoing protest here by teachers of aided and partially aided schools from across the state.

He was speaking to reporters after meeting the protesting teachers at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

The teachers from aided and partially aided schools have launched an agitation claiming that the government has not increased grants to their institutes despite announcements. Also, whatever grants they receive now are being released in instalments, which hampers the management of their schools, they have said.

“The state should not waste more than a day issuing the order (resolving their issues). I have worked in various legislative houses for the last 56 years. I am aware of how decisions are made,” said Pawar.

The NCP (SP) chief was accompanied by Lok Sabha member Nilesh Lanke and MLA Rohit Pawar.

He criticised the practice of releasing grants in batches. “Without real financial allocation, issuing orders means nothing. They should be thrown into the dustbin. The government cannot shy away from its responsibilities,” Pawar said.

The teachers have been protesting for the past four days, coinciding with the monsoon session of the state legislature.

“Be it government or semi-government, workers are important. Teachers provide knowledge to society. It is the responsibility of the state government to give these people an opportunity to live a respectful and dignified life,” he said.

Stressing that teachers shape the new generation, Pawar said it does not look good for Maharashtra that they must sit in the rains to protest for their “rightful” demands.

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