Maharashtra
CVoter IndiaTracker Poll: Majority Indians believe Thackeray supported Murmu to avoid another split
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has declared that the Shiv Sena led by him would support BJP-led NDA’s presidential candidate Draupadi Murmu.
The decision to back Murmu was taken a day after 16 Shiv Sena MPs conveyed to Thackeray to support her as she is a woman from tribal community.
Thackeray said that he is not under any pressure to back Murmu in the upcoming presidential elections. “Nobody pressured me in the meeting of Sena MPs,” Thackeray said, referring to the deliberation at the meeting of Sena MPs.
However, the decision is being seen as an attempt on the part of Thackeray to avoid further dissension in the party. Shiv Sena faced a major rebellion last month that resulted in the split in the party. Almost 40 of 55 party MLAs broke away under the leadership of Eknath Shinde, who replaced Thackeray as the chief minister of the state.
CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted a countrywide survey for IANS to know people’s opinion about Thackeray’s decision to back Murmu and the possible impact on the party if Shiv Sena had backed opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha.
During the survey, the majority of respondents opined that the Shiv Sena would have faced another split if the party had supported Sinha. According to the survey data, 63 per cent respondents said the Shiv Sena could have broken once again if the party had supported Sinha. However, 37 per cent of respondents disagreed with the sentiment.
The survey further revealed that while a majority of the NDA supporters — 77 per cent believe that Shiv Sena would have faced another rebellion if the party had not supported Murmu, views of opposition supporters were divided on the issue. During the survey, while 54 per cent of opposition voters said that Thackeray decided to back Murmu to avoid another revolt in the party, 46 per cent did not share the sentiment.
According to the survey data, while a majority of most of the social groups believe that Thackeray decided to back Murmu under pressure from the Shiv Sena MPs to avoid dissension in the party, a majority of Muslims did not share the sentiment.
According to the survey data, 75 per cent Upper Caste Hindus (UCH), 63 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC), 69 per cent Scheduled Tribes and 66 per cent Scheduled Castes opined Shiv Sena would have faced another division if the party had hot declared its support for the NDA presidential candidate. At the same time, the majority of Muslims – 68 per cent did not agree with this opinion.
India will become the most populous country in the world, surpassing China in 2023, according to a United Nations report released on World Population Day on July 11.
India’s population is likely to go up from the present figure of 1.417 billion to 1.429 billion to surpass China. Population explosion in the country has been a major concern for the ruling dispensations in the country. There have been demands from different quarters for strict population control law in the country.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh demanded stringent population control law in the country after the UN released its latest report that projected India to surpass China’s population in the coming year.
CVoter-IndiaTracker conducted an opinion poll for IANS to know people’s views about the issue of increasing population in the country. During the survey, a whopping majority of respondents — 82 per cent said that the population of India is going out of control, only 19 per cent disagreed.
Problem of the ever increasing population of the country is one issue on which the majority of both NDA voters and opposition supporters expressed unanimity in their views. During the survey, 88 per cent of NDA voters and 77 per cent opposition supporters opined that the population explosion has become a perennial problem for the country.
Similarly, the majority of respondents from different social groups opined that the country’s population is becoming unmanageable.
As per the survey data, 87 per cent Upper Caste Hindus (UCH), 86 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC), 77 per cent Scheduled Tribes (ST), 83 per cent Scheduled Castes and 65 per cent Muslims believe that India’s population is becoming uncontrollable.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Cleanliness of Narelwadi graveyard since Shab-e-Barat, restoration of closed pillars in the graveyard, cleaning of the graveyard by Corporator Waqar Khan’s team

Mumbai: Ahead of Shab-e-Barat, the process of cleaning the graveyard is underway. South Mumbai Ward No. 211 Corporator Waqar Khan met the trustees of Narelwadi graveyard recently. During this meeting, it was revealed by the trustees that the six high-mast lights installed in the graveyard had been switched off for the last eight months, due to which severe difficulties were being faced at night.
Taking the issue seriously, Waqar Khan spoke to the concerned officers of the BMC and demanded an immediate solution to the problem. Initially, the officers told that a fund of about Rs 24 lakh was required for this work, which is not available at the moment and it has to be approved.
Later, Waqar Khan maintained constant contact with senior officers and ward officers, as a result of which all the high-mast lights were reactivated within just two days.
During the visit to the graveyard, it was also observed that there is a need for serious cleaning. So within two to three days, under the leadership of Waqar Khan, about 40 to 50 locals of Madanpur Hanagpada personally took up the task of cleaning the graveyard without any political motive. In two to three hours, the area around about 50 graves was cleaned.
Taking forward this spirit, it was decided that a major cleaning drive would be launched on Sunday, February 1, in which 100 to 150 local, non-political people would participate.
This cleaning drive would continue from 11 am to 3 pm, with the aim of making this final resting place of Muslims clean, tidy and dignified. This drive is being carried out purely as a public service and religious and social responsibility, which does not involve any political motive.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Court Bars Filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap & Others From Making Statements Against Salman Khan, Family

Mumbai: The city civil court on Friday barred filmmaker Abhinav Kashyap and others from making any comments against Salman Khan and his family on any platform, in any form, while granting interim relief to the actor in a defamation suit filed against the filmmaker and others.
Khan had filed a defamation suit against Kashyap, Komal Mehru, Khushnoo Hazare, Ashok Kumar / John Doe, and various social media platforms for allegedly making defamatory statements against him and his family. While issuing restraining orders, the court observed that freedom of speech does not mean one can use abusive or threatening language against any individual.
Khan had approached the court following allegedly “scandalous, false, and grossly defamatory” statements made by Kashyap against him and his family members in various video interviews aired on the “Bollywood Thikana” channel, owned by Hazare. In those interviews and videos, Kashyap is alleged to have used offensive language and accused the family of running a cartel to destroy careers.
There are allegedly 26 such video interviews and podcasts released between September and December 2025, which are at the centre of the controversy. In the suit filed through advocate Pradeep Gandhy, Khan sought a permanent injunction and Rs9 crore in damages for the comments made by Kashyap and others against him and his family.
Maharashtra
Crackdown on illegal street vendors in Andheri, Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘K-Waste’ department takes action, citizens are relieved

Mumbai: Around 200 unauthorised hawkers and additional structures on footpaths in Ram Ganesh Gadkari Marg (Arla Marg) area of Andheri (West) in Mumbai were evicted by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation’s ‘K-West’ department yesterday (January 29, 2026). The operation, as per the instructions of Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani, was conducted under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone-4) Bhagya Shri Kapse, and Assistant Commissioner (K-West Division) Chakrapani Ale. Unauthorised additional structures were found on footpaths connecting Swami Vivekananda Marg and Gulmohar Marg in Andheri (West) and on Ram Ganesh Gadkari Marg (Arla Marg) adjacent to the entrance of Dr. No. Cooper Hospital. It was also observed that unauthorised hawkers have set up shops in this area. It was creating obstacles for ambulances bringing patients to Cooper Hospital in case of emergency and for pedestrians to walk on the footpaths.
In this context, an eviction drive was launched by the ‘K-West’ administrative department of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. Under this, around 200 unauthorized hawkers and unauthorized additional structures established on the footpaths in this area were evicted.
The eviction was carried out with the help of 04 encroachment removal vehicles, 03 JCBs and other equipment. During this operation, an adequate police force including 100 officers and employees of the Municipal Corporation were deployed. Local representatives and citizens are expressing satisfaction over this action. The Municipal Corporation administration has made it clear that regular evictions against unauthorized structures will continue in the future.
-
Crime3 years agoClass 10 student jumps to death in Jaipur
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMumbai Local Train Update: Central Railway’s New Timetable Comes Into Effect; Check Full List Of Revised Timings & Stations
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMumbai To Go Toll-Free Tonight! Maharashtra Govt Announces Complete Toll Waiver For Light Motor Vehicles At All 5 Entry Points Of City
-
Maharashtra1 year agoFalse photo of Imtiaz Jaleel’s rally, exposing the fooling conspiracy
-
National News1 year agoMinistry of Railways rolls out Special Drive 4.0 with focus on digitisation, cleanliness, inclusiveness and grievance redressal
-
Maharashtra1 year agoMaharashtra Elections 2024: Mumbai Metro & BEST Services Extended Till Midnight On Voting Day
-
National News1 year agoJ&K: 4 Jawans Killed, 28 Injured After Bus Carrying BSF Personnel For Poll Duty Falls Into Gorge In Budgam; Terrifying Visuals Surface
-
Crime1 year agoBaba Siddique Murder: Mumbai Police Unable To Get Lawrence Bishnoi Custody Due To Home Ministry Order, Says Report
