Mumbai: Samajwadi Party National President MP Akhilesh Yadav has made it clear that not only Muslims have faced problems due to ISR, but Hindus in Uttar Pradesh have also been forced to stand in queues. Hindus are also facing problems due to SIR. The Chief Minister was also alarmed by this and said that 4 crore votes were cut from us. Those who were looking for papers of Muslims, now they have put all Hindu brothers in the queue. Hindu brothers are looking for papers. It is not the opposition that is worried about SIR in UP, but the ruling parties are worried. Fake votes were cast. The Election Commission was silent in the by-elections, and its impartiality and honesty were also questioned. Akhilesh Yadav said that the opposition has no problems due to SIR. He was addressing a summit here in Mumbai. He also predicted and claimed that Mamata Banerjee will return to West Bengal once again. Maharashtra Samajwadi Party State President Abu Asim Azmi was also present in this press conference. Akhilesh Yadav has also strongly criticized the Election Commission and the UP government and has also raised questions about the government’s methods and communalism.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation on Saturday removed the red and blue flashing lights installed on the official vehicle of Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and the escort vehicle accompanying her, after a controversy erupted over whether the use of such lights was authorised.

The matter gained traction over the past few days following social media posts and a formal complaint by an RTI activist, which questioned whether the installation of police style lights violated rules introduced to curb VIP culture.

The controversy first came to public attention on March 11 when an X user with the handle posted a photograph of the mayor’s official car showing red and blue flashing lights mounted on the vehicle.

The post questioned whether the mayor had permission to use lights resembling those installed on police vehicles. The images quickly circulated on social media and triggered debate about whether the installation was in line with existing regulations.

Two days later, RTI activist Anil Galgali formally raised the issue with the mayor. In a letter dated March 13, he objected to what he described as the unauthorised use of flashing lights on official vehicles.

In his communication, Galgali stated that such lights had been installed on both the mayor’s car and the escort vehicle accompanying it.

He pointed out that the Central Government had already restricted the use of flashing lights to specific emergency services and urged authorities to treat the matter seriously and take immediate action.

The escort vehicle, a Scorpio, was reportedly used by the mayor’s personal assistants and protocol officer and was also seen carrying similar flashing lights.

Responding to the controversy, Mayor Ritu Tawde said she had no interest in using a beacon on her vehicle and described the incident as an administrative oversight.

“As mayor, I have no interest in a red beacon car. This is a mistake of the administration. While providing an official vehicle to the mayor, the administration should have checked what was permissible,” she said.

Tawde added that she simply used the official vehicle allotted to her and said the responsibility of ensuring compliance with regulations lay with the civic administration.

She also indicated that she was not particularly concerned about the criticism coming from the opposition.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also addressed the issue and said the mayor should not be held responsible for the controversy.

According to him, inquiries revealed that the light was mounted on the bonnet of the vehicle rather than on the roof.

He reiterated that the government’s earlier decision clearly prohibits the use of red beacons on official vehicles and said the mayor was aware of these rules. Fadnavis added that targeting her over the issue was not justified.

The episode drew political reactions as well. Leader of the Opposition and former Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar criticised the development, stating that it went against the Centre’s move to eliminate VIP culture.

She questioned whether the mayor considered herself above the rules introduced by the central government and pointed out that the use of red beacons had been banned in 2017.

Under the decision implemented from May 1, 2017, the Central Government prohibited the display of red beacons, insignia and similar symbols on government vehicles, except for authorised emergency services.

Following that order, the red beacon had earlier been removed from the mayor’s official vehicle during the tenure of then mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar.

Meanwhile, UBT MLC Milind Narvekar also commented on the issue on social media, questioning whether the controversy was an attempt to target the newly elected mayor.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India, alleging that the constitutional body was functioning as an “extended branch” of the Bharatiya Janata Party and claiming that opposition parties had lost faith in the poll panel following controversies around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise after the Bihar Assembly Elections.

Speaking to reporters, Raut questioned the independence of the Election Commission and criticised its functioning.

“I don’t know where the Election Commission’s press conference will be held. Perhaps at the BJP office,” Raut said.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader further alleged that the poll body was no longer functioning as an independent institution responsible for ensuring free and fair elections in the country.

“The Election Commission today is an extended branch of the BJP,” he said.

Raut also claimed that the opposition did not trust the poll body, accusing it of acting in favour of the ruling party.

“We do not trust this Election Commission. These are people who work for the BJP,” he added.

His remarks come at a time when the Election Commission has been facing criticism from sections of the opposition following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted after the Bihar Assembly elections. Opposition leaders have alleged irregularities and raised concerns over the transparency of the exercise, leading to renewed political debate over the functioning of the poll panel.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission is expected to announce the schedule for by-elections in Maharashtra’s Baramati and Rahuri assembly constituencies on Sunday, along with the much-awaited poll dates for five states.

The announcement will be made during a press conference scheduled at 4 pm. The five states where election dates are expected to be declared are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Puducherry and Assam.