Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray said on Thursday that his party has approached the authorities, seeking permission to hold a rally at the Shivaji Park in Dadar on November 17.

Shivaji Park falls in Mahim assembly segment. Uddhav, therefore, said that there was no need to campaign for his party’s candidate in Mahim, a seat where his estranged cousin Raj Thackeray’s son, Amit, and the ruling Shiv Sena’s Sadanand Sarvankar are also contesting. “I don’t need to campaign in Mahim. It is my constituency,” Thackeray told reporters here.

“There was one rally in Mumbai (the MVA rally at BKC on November 6) and another on November 17.1am (campaigning) outside Mumbai because I have faith in Mumbaikars (that they will back his party),” Thackeray said.

“It is not the case that if I don’t go to any constituency I am ignoring it. Even if I address four-five rallies every day, I cannot complete all the constituencies. Looking at the travel time and the factors like the scorching sun, I don’t think holding more than four rallies in a day is possible,” Thackeray said.

A dispute over a seemingly trivial matter escalated into a chaotic clash between two groups of women in Uttar Pradesh’s Doghat on Thursday. 

As per reports, the altercation began over playing music but tensions in the area quickly intensified when two groups of women started thrashing each other with sticks and other objects. 

A video of the incident, which has gone viral on social media, shows around eight to ten women involved in a fierce brawl on a busy street. Bystanders can be seen watching in shock, with some attempting to intervene but retreating due to the intensity of the fight.

Several women were injured in the confrontation, and the footage has sparked outrage on social media. 

Reports suggest that local residents eventually managed to de-escalate the situation, but not before multiple women sustained injuries. 

Doghat police have initiated an investigation based on the video. As per reports, they are currently examining the video footage, and appropriate action will be taken following the investigation.

UP: Two burnt alive in truck collision in Fatehpur

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, a truck driver and his helper were burnt alive when two trucks collided and caught fire in the Hussainganj area of Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, police said on Thursday.

The incident occurred around midnight on Wednesday on the Fatehpur-Lucknow road, Additional SP Vijay Shankar Mishra said.

Vinay Shukla (35), the driver of one of the trucks, and his helper, Ramraj Yadav (23), were burnt alive in the blaze. The occupants of the other truck managed to jump out before the fire spread, Mishra added.

Both victims were residents of Kherwa village in the Shivratanganj police station area of Amethi district. Their bodies have been sent for postmortem, Mishra said.

Mumbai: The number of illegal immigrants, mostly Muslims, from Bangladesh and Myanmar are on the rise in Mumbai and certain political parties are using them for vote-bank politics, a TISS interim report has alleged. The study by TISS’ pro-vice-chancellor Shankar Das and assistant professor Souvik Mondal also alleged that the illegal immigrants are influencing the socio-economy of the city by taking low-skilled jobs, which leads to wage suppression and resentment among locals. 

“Some political entities are alleged to use illegal immigrants for vote-bank politics, which can disrupt the democratic process. Claims of voter registration manipulation, where undocumented immigrants allegedly obtain fake voter IDs, raise concerns about electoral fairness and the integrity of India’s democratic system,” the study alleged. 

“Some politicians may support granting IDs or ration cards to migrants for votes,” it further alleged, adding, “Politics-driven migration increases polarisation and can impact electoral outcomes, diverting focus from essential development.” 

The study further alleged that “a high influx of Muslim immigrants has altered religious demographics, creating insecurity and communal tensions, especially among local Hindu communities” of Mumbai. It also accused the illegal immigrants of rising crime in the city. “Illegal immigrants are often associated with rising crime and security risks, intensifying public fears and leading to increased exclusion and targeting of migrant communities,” the study said. 

The study blamed informal NGOs and religious groups for assisting illegal migrants. “Informal NGOs and religious community groups, often operating in legal gray areas, provide critical services like healthcare, education, and banking to illegal migrants”, the study quoted “one of key informants” as saying. 

“Due to strict regulations, registered NGOs often avoid assisting illegal immigrants, leaving undocumented NGOs to fill the support gap without legal authority to challenge exploitation or advocate for migrant rights,” the study further said. 

It advocated for “effective policies” to address both humanitarian needs and security concerns to promote an inclusive and cohesive urban environment in Mumbai. 

The team of researchers studied around 3,000 immigrants, but the interim report was presented only with a sample size of 300. Some experts and faculty members of TISS questioned the timing of the report just before the Assembly elections in the state. 

“The timing of the report and the fact that a small sample size of 300 was chosen out of 3,000 respondents raises eyebrows. This indicates that the TISS is aligning with a particular political party to aid them during the elections,” a TISS professor told the Free Press Journal on condition of anonymity.