Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday took a strong stand, calling the opposition ‘serial liars’ over the women’s reservation bill that was rejected in the Lok Sabha. His statement came as he was addressing the ‘Youth Power Awakening March’ inauguration in Mumbai.

While addressing the reporters, he took a strong stand and said, “And as long as we do not get 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and Legislative assembly of India, we will not let you (Opposition) sleep peacefully. We will continue our fight against you.”

He further explained that in 2023, when the NDA had a two-thirds majority, the bill was supported as the opposition could not do anything. He added that now, since the opposition has realised that the NDA does not have a two-thirds majority, they have shown their true colours.

Moreover, the Chief Minister also said that by opposing the bill, the opposition insulted women’s power and the democracy of India, adding that, “it is necessary to bring their real face in public.” He further alleged, “They lie daily, they lie about delimitation, they lie about the census.”

Earlier on Monday, CM Fadnavis addressed a press conference and slammed the Opposition for blocking the women’s quota Bill, alleging that their ‘regressive mindset’ had dashed hopes of a historic moment for women’s representation in India. Fadnavis had also announced that the ruling Mahayuti alliance will launch an outreach campaign to collect one crore signatures from women across the state, aiming to build a “people’s mandate” and expose the Opposition’s anti-women stance.

On the other hand, the opposition maintained that it supports women’s reservation but demanded to separate the issue from delimitation. After CM Fadnavis’ press conference on Monday, NCP MP Supriya Sule also openly challenged him to a public debate. Sule asserted that the opposition has consistently supported women’s reservation and accused the ruling party of creating unnecessary controversy.

Sule clarified that the Nari Shakti Vandana Bill had already been passed in Parliament in 2023 and questioned why the matter is being revisited instead of focusing on its implementation. She pointed out that the expectation was for the reservation to come into effect during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Raising concerns over the delay, Sule asked why the government has not moved forward despite the bill receiving parliamentary approval.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, described the bill as an attempt to alter India’s electoral structure, while several Congress leaders termed the vote a defence of democratic values.

Mumbai: J Kumar Company is under scrutiny again after the Dindoshi police registered an FIR against its supervisor for allegedly erecting iron barricades in a hazardous manner, leading to injuries to a 12-year-old girl in Malad East. The incident occurred on April 16, and the case was filed on April 20.

Mahendra Shinde, Senior Police Inspector, said the Goregaon-Mulund Link Road work is underway and machinery had been covered with circular barricades. One of these fell on the girl, and the case was registered after the family received the medical report.

The police have booked the supervisor, holding him responsible, and said action will follow as per law. The company did not respond to queries.

According to the FIR, complainant Rutika Mahadik, 26, lives in Pimpripada, Malad East, with her parents and five younger sisters. During the holidays, the children would take nightly walks on a road near Tarmat Company, closed to traffic and used by locals, where 15–20 iron barricades had been erected haphazardly.

On April 16, around 10 pm, four of Rutika’s sisters went for a walk while her 12-year-old sister Trisha played nearby. Around 10.45 pm, a barricade collapsed, injuring her face and causing fractures in both thighs.

She was first taken to Radhakrishna Hospital, then shifted the next day to Kanchi Hospital in Goregaon East for specialised care. On April 19, scan and MRA reports confirmed fractures in both thigh joints, after which the complaint was filed.

The police have registered the case under Sections 125(a) and 125(b) (acts endangering life or personal safety) and Section 289 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

The incident follows a series of safety lapses linked to the company. On April 15, around 4.30 am, a crane deployed for Metro Line 2B work tilted near Asian Heart Hospital in Bandra-Kurla Complex after a mechanical snag while lifting a 140-metric-tonne beam. Traffic was disrupted for hours, and the clearance operation lasted over 14 hours. The MMRDA imposed a Rs 1 crore penalty, citing negligence.

Earlier, on April 8, a hydraulic crane overturned on the Kopri flyover along the Eastern Express Highway in Thane during construction of the Saket elevated corridor, disrupting traffic towards Mumbai.

In August 2025, an iron rod fell from a Metro Line 5 bridge onto a moving autorickshaw, critically injuring a passenger. In another 2025 incident at a Metro Line 9 site in Bhayandar, an iron jack toppled during a U-girder operation; no injuries were reported, but MMRDA imposed a Rs 10 lakh penalty.

In 2021, a slab collapse at the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road extension project in BKC left fourteen labourers narrowly escaping injury. In 2017, during Metro Line 7 construction, an iron rod fell onto the Western Express Highway, raising further safety concerns.

Mumbai: To create a mass movement against drug addiction, a special campaign titled “Mumbai Against Drugs” will be launched from May 1 for a period of one year in Mumbai.

“The recent deaths caused by drug overdose are a serious warning that this issue cannot be resolved through police action alone. In this context, under the guidance of Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis ji, a comprehensive anti-drug mass movement is being launched by bringing together all sections of society. Through this initiative, we can build an effective fight against drug abuse,” said Mumbai BJP chief MLA Satam.

The decision was taken during a meeting held on Monday under the chairmanship of Mumbai Suburban Joint Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha and MLA Satam. The meeting was convened to outline and plan this campaign. Mumbai Suburban District Collector, police officials, sports officers, municipal officials, and representatives from various NGOs were also present in the meeting to plan the execution of the “Mumbai Against Drugs” campaign. 

MLA Satam further stated that this campaign will be implemented with the participation of schools, colleges, universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), religious institutions and major places of worship, resident welfare associations (RWAs), as well as prominent personalities from various fields (celebrities), parent-teacher associations (PTAs), various corporate establishments, and all government offices.

“The objective of this campaign is to create awareness against drug abuse, especially among the youth. Activities will be conducted in colleges, schools, educational institutions, and various establishments where young people are present. The initiative will focus on awareness generation, community engagement, and active public participation to combat drug abuse,” Satam added.