Maharashtra
Curb ‘crowded fests’ to avoid Covid spike: Centre tells Maharashtra
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has urged the Maharashtra government to impose and enforce ‘restrictions’ to prevent the spread of Covid-19, officials said here on Saturday.
The directive from the Centre came late on Friday through Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan — barely five days after the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced a near-total ban on the upcoming ‘Dahi-Handi’ celebrations starting Sunday.
Referring to the Centre’s earlier guidelines on ‘focused containment measures’, Bhushan advised the state government to consider imposing and enforcing local restrictions for the people.
Citing the concerns of the Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) of such mass-gathering fests turning into ‘super-spreader events’, thereby resulting in a spike in Covid cases, Bhushan said the same was communicated to the states on July 20.
“This is particularly important in view of circulation of more transmissible variants of concern being reported by various states, including Maharashtra,” said Bhushan, hinting at the recent increase in Delta Plus cases which have already claimed 5 lives in the state.
However, the state Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Ram Kadam has slammed the state government’s move to impose “a blanket ban” on celebrating ‘Dahi-Handi’ and demanded that festivities at local levels should be permitted with full Covid restrictions.
The state Health Minister Rajesh Tope has warned that the possible ‘third wave’ could be a ‘Tsunami’ of over 6-million cases in the state, which could be triple of the 2-million recorded in the ‘first-wave’ in 2020 and much higher than the 4-million notched in the ‘second-wave’ this year.
The MoHFW has cautioned that “any laxity” in ensuring strict adherence to the five-fold strategy of ‘Test-Track-Treat-Vaccinate-Ensuring Covid Appropriate Behaviour’ may result in losing the impetus that Maharashtra and the country has gained so far in managing the pandemic.
Maharashtra
Shiv Sena wave in North Maharashtra, Dr. Shrikant Shinde takes charge of election campaign

Mumbai Nandurbar: Shiv Sena is on a wave in North Maharashtra. A large number of “Ladli Bheenas” and youth are participating in the rallies of Shiv Sena youth leader Dr. Shrikant Shinde. Dr. Shinde launched his election campaign in North Maharashtra today. Addressing the gathering, he said that the Mahayoti government has taken strong steps to empower women and youth, which is why Maharashtra’s Ladli Behna Yojana is becoming self-reliant. Attacking the opposition, he said that many opposition leaders were opposing the “Ladli Behna Yojana” but under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, this scheme was implemented and it will not be stopped under any circumstances. The opposition is only spreading confusion, Ladli Behna will respond with their votes. Dr. Shrikant Shinde explained that in the last three years, Shiv Sena has reached every corner of Maharashtra under the leadership of Eknath Shinde. Shinde Sahib is empowering his workers by holding eight meetings every day. He has an Urban Development Department, which has resulted in record-breaking funding for the backward villages of Maharashtra, paving the way for strong rural development.
Dr. Shrikant Shinde criticized UBT and said that some people are experts in criticizing, but they have never done any concrete work for the people. That is why today Mahayoti candidates are seen everywhere. The people are well aware of the state of the opposition.
Maharashtra
Kalyan College Namaz Controversy: SIO Demands Action Against Perpetrators

Mumbai: SIO has demanded strict action against the hooliganism of Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad on offering prayers in Mumbai’s Kalyan College. Here, State Secretary SIO Aziz Ahmed said that
The incident that took place at Ideal College of Pharmacy and Research in Kalyan is highly condemnable and unacceptable, where hooligans belonging to Bajrang Dal entered the college campus, threatened and harassed Muslim students for offering prayers and even tried to make them sit in front of the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. This incident is a direct attack on religious freedom and the sanctity of the educational campus.
SIO strongly condemns this incident and expresses complete solidarity with the affected students. We demand that strict action be taken against the accused at the earliest, the college administration ensure the safety of the students and take concrete steps to prevent such incidents in the future.
We appeal to the entire student community to maintain religious harmony and remain united against such sectarian attitudes and demonstrate strong solidarity.
Maharashtra
Five-year-old kidnapped girl rescued from Vakola, five arrested, girl held hostage by uncle in Panol

Mumbai: Police has claimed to have arrested five accused, including uncle Momani, on charges of kidnapping a five-year-old girl. The gang had planned to kidnap and sell the girl. A case of kidnapping of a minor girl was registered on November 22 under the limits of Vakola police station. Several teams were formed in Zones 8 and 7. During the investigation, it was revealed that a suspicious rickshaw had gone to Panvel and returned. A man, a woman, a rickshaw driver and the girl were in the rickshaw between 2 and 3 am. The kidnappers were identified as the girl’s uncle Lawrence Niconelis Fernandes, 42, and his wife Momani, who is a Mangal degree, both of them had gone to Panvel by rickshaw and were going to sell the kidnapped girl. The kidnapped girl was recovered from the possession of their acquaintance Sans. The Sans gave details about the wanted accused during the investigation, after which Windra Dinesh Chavan, 60, and Anjali Ajit Korgaokar, 57, were arrested from New Panvel, Raigad. The kidnapped girl was sold for Rs 1,80,000 and Vrinda Chavan was taken into custody from her house and the girl was safely brought to Vakola. This operation was carried out by DCP Manish Kalwaniya on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti and the girl was recovered safely. In this case, the police have arrested rickshaw driver Latif Abdul Majeed Sheikh, 52, a resident of Santa Cruz, Lawrence Nicholas Fernandes, 42, a laborer from Raigarh, Mangal Dagra Jadhav, 38, from Raigarh, Kiran Maruti Sons, 38, from Panvel, Vrinda Vanish Chavan, 60, from Raigarh and the investigation is underway.
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