Mumbai, Nov 10: Amid the ongoing elections to the local and civic body elections, the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party on Monday released a list of 17 party spokespersons to strongly put up its stand.

The list of spokespersons includes Anil Patil, Rupali Chakankar, Brijmohan Srivastava, Chetan Tupe, Anand Paranjape, Avinash Adik, Sana Malik, Rajlaxmi Bhosale, Suraj Chavan, Hemlata Patil, Pratibha Shinde, Vikas Pasalkar, Rajiv Sable, Prashant Pawar, Shyam Saner, Sayali Dalvi and Shashikant Tarange.

The announcement coincided with the opposition’s move to target the NCP chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar over the Pune land deal involving his son Parth Pawar.

NCP also chose to appoint the State Women Commission chairperson, Rupali Chakankar, and state NCP women wing president as spokesperson despite being targeted by the opposition and the party activist Rupali Patil for her statements on the suicide of a Satara woman doctor.

However, NCP has stripped Rupali Patil of the party spokesperson’s job for making anti-party statements. The party had recently served her notice in the wake of making personal allegations against Rupali Chakankar.

Rupali Patil, in her reaction, said, “ I am out of Pune today. I could not be contacted as I am on a trip. Today, the party has appointed new spokespersons. The names of MLAs Amol Mitkari and Vaishalitai Nagwade, including me are not part of the list. We are ready to face the upcoming elections. We will do the party’s work vigorously. I will meet Ajit Pawar and talk about this list and get information about it, then I will talk to all of you in detail.”

NCP has also dropped party legislator Amol Mitkari as the spokesperson. Mitkari has been hogging headlines for sparking controversies by targeting the leaders of the MahaYuti alliance.

Further, NCP also removed Vaishali Nagawade, who comes from the Daund constituency in Pune district, as the spokesperson.

Incidentally, Suraj Chavan, who was embroiled in a controversy over the assault case, has been appointed as spokesperson. Suraj Chavan had to step down as the NCP’s state youth wing after the video went viral about him allegedly assaulting Chhava Sanghatna state president Vijaykumar Ghatge in July.

Thereafter, he was appointed as the state party general secretary. The Maharashtra government later inducted Suraj Chavan into the committee to draft the state’s revised youth policy.

NCP has released the list of party spokespersons when the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena legislator, Mahendra Dalvi from Alibag constituency in Raigad district, accused party president and DCM Ajit Pawar of lying to save his own Parth Pawar in the Pune land deal case. NCP has already hit back, saying that it will adopt a tit for tat policy to give a befitting reply.

Paranjape, in his reaction, said, “The Party gives responsibilities at different junctures. With the local and civic body elections under way the party has released a list of spokespersons with the task of putting the party’s ideology and line before the people of Maharashtra. Those who have been dropped will be given responsibilities in the party organisation.

Thane: The Maharashtra State Tax Department (Thane Zone) arrested a Mira Road resident, identified as Srikanth Vaidyanath, for his alleged role in generating and passing on fake Input Tax Credit (ITC) worth Rs 8.43 crore through a non-existent firm. The arrest was carried out by the State Tax Investigation Branch, Bhayandar, following a detailed probe into suspected fraudulent GST activities.

Srikanth was listed as the proprietor of M/s Srikanth Enterprises, a firm that cops believe existed only on paper. When tax officers visited the firm’s registered business address, C-118, Mira Darshan Complex, MTNL Road, Jangid Circle, they reportedly found no evidence of commercial operations. The premises lacked essential records such as invoices, stock registers and ledger books, strongly indicating that the entity was merely a shell company used for bogus transactions.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that Srikanth had obtained GST registration by submitting his PAN card, Aadhaar, and an electricity bill, completing the process via OTP-based authentication. However, during physical verification, his family members, including his parents and wife, denied any awareness of a business being operated in his name, further confirming suspicions about the fraudulent nature of the enterprise.

The investigation found that the accused availed fake ITC worth Rs 8.43 crore from M/s Vishal Enterprises and later passed on the same ineligible credit to M/s Shree Kuldevi Industries Pvt Ltd during May and June 2025. Officials stated that the entire operation was conducted using bogus invoices and electronic entries without any actual movement of goods or stock, violating provisions under the Goods and Services Tax Act.

Srikanth was arrested on November 7 under relevant sections of the GST Act and produced before a court, which remanded him to judicial custody. A senior officer from the Thane Zone told media that further investigation is underway to identify other beneficiaries and uncover additional shell firms connected to the racket. Authorities are now tracing the money trail and examining linked entities and bank transactions to determine the full extent of the fraudulent network.

Bengaluru, Nov 10: The Karnataka BJP unit on Monday staged a protest condemning the purported videos showing radical elements, ISIS operatives, and criminals inside Bengaluru Central Prison getting luxurious treatment.

The BJP leaders, led by state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka, MLAs, MLCs, and former ministers, headed to gherao the residence of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah but were detained by the police.

Police forced the BJP leaders, including women leaders, onto buses and took them to an undisclosed location. The BJP leaders raised slogans against the Congress-led government, demanding the resignation of CM Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara.

Vijayendra demanded that CM Siddaramaiah and Home Minister G. Parameshwara resign, following reports of prisoners receiving royal treatment in Parappana Agrahara Jail.

Speaking to reporters, he said that Parappana Agrahara Jail has effectively turned into a nightclub or entertainment club. Terrorists, ISIS agents, and Muslim fundamentalists allegedly enjoy luxurious treatment inside the jail. Inmates are reportedly provided with TVs, mobile phones, and even weapons, and all of this is happening smoothly, he alleged.

He criticised the state government for turning a blind eye to the situation. “It is evident from the negligence of the Congress government that luxury facilities have been provided to anti-national elements in Parappana Agrahara Jail. Even after reports appeared in newspapers and visual media, action was only taken yesterday,” he said.

“Our democracy is under threat; this is nothing short of a massacre,” he said, adding that luxury arrangements for anti-national elements have been made inside the jail by Siddaramaiah’s government.

Vijayendra warned that if nothing is done, the government will fail to pursue cases against anti-national elements. He demanded that, in the interest of dignity and public accountability, both the Chief Minister and Home Minister resign immediately.

Vijayendra stated, “Not only do radical elements and ISIS operatives enjoy a free hand outside, but even the prisons in Karnataka have been turned into government-sponsored recreation clubs for terrorists.”

“Rahul Gandhi, who frequently travels abroad and seeks external interference in India’s internal matters, is he now enabling these terrorists and using their networks to create unrest across the nation and destabilise our democracy for artificial regime change with the help of the same foreign forces?” Vijayendra questioned.

“Mobile phones, luxury comforts, and ample ‘fun time’ – no wonder these radicals find it so convenient to operate under this shameless regime and treat prisons as their favourite holiday destinations, where everything is provided to them free of cost, courtesy of the Anti-National Congress government and our poor taxpayers’ money,” he charged.

R. Ashoka alleged that calls are being made from the jail to Pakistan and Afghanistan through hotlines operated by Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar and Parameshwara.

He questioned whether intelligence agencies have been dormant for the past two years and accused Congress of turning police stations into party offices.

Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, criticised the Congress government for deciding to provide all essential facilities to terrorists within the jail.

BJP MLC C. T. Ravi stated that criminals need not go to resorts — they can go to jails instead. “They can even watch porn movies inside the prison. The criminals are being given royal treatment inside the prisons,” he said.

He further slammed the state government, saying, “Despite the National Investigation Agency (NIA) issuing a warning, the state government has shown utter negligence. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Parameshwara should resign. They cannot wash their hands of the matter by merely suspending junior-level officers.”