Politics
Is OBC leader Alpesh Thakor feeling uncomfortable in BJP?

OBC leader and former MLA Alpesh Thakor’s recent statements can’t be ignored. If read between the lines, it seems that Thakor is unhappy in the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Recently while attending a mass-marriage function organised by the Gujarat Thakor Sena, Alpesh Thakor said, “I am going to contest the Radhanpur Assembly seat (Patan district). If any one tries to oust me, I will ensure that those leaders too don’t get chance to contest the elections.”
His remarks were directed at former MLA and BJP leader Lavingji Thakor, who is a contender for the seat in the run-up to the Assembly elections scheduled at the end of this year.
Alpesh Thakor also said, “The state government has failed to strictly implement prohibition.”
Playing down the controversy, Alpesh Thakor told IANS that some party leaders are playing dirty politics and instead of uniting the Koli Thakor community, they are dividing it.
His statements were message to such leaders, and he has no intention of quitting the party, Alpesh Thakor said.
Alpesh Thakor had won from Radhanpur in 2017 on Congress ticket. In 2019, he quit the Congress and joined the BJP. He had contested bypolls from Radhanpur in October 2019, but lost to Congress’ Raghubhai Desai.
Refuting Alpesh Thakor, Lavingji Thakor claimed that if there was any substance in what the former said, people would not have elected him as an Independent MLA from Radhanpur in 1995. He also claimed that he is a local leader, whereas Alpesh Takor is a native of Ahmedabad district.
After 1995, Lavingji Thakor contested from Radhanpur thrice, once each on the ticket of All India Rashtriya Janata Party, Congress and BJP, but lost on all three occasions.
In fact, Radhanpur is a curious constituency. Barring Congress’ Khodidan Zula (1975, 1980 and 1985) and Shankar Chaudhary of the BJP (1998, 2002, 2007), no other leader has ever got re-elected from this seat.
Even veteran leader and former Chief Minister Shankarsinh Vaghela, who won the bypolls here in 1997, never contested from Radhanpur again.
For the last few months, there were rumours that the Gujarat Kshatriya Thakor Sena is searching for a safe seat for Alpesh Thakor, who though claims that the outfit launched by him has presence in 176 talukas.
“Gujarat Thakor Sena has around 9,200 committees, and at least 50 families in each village with whom I have direct contact. So the question does not arise of looking for a safe seat,” he said.
The OBC leader has also claimed that he is not just leader of Thakors or the OBC community, but members of other communities as well.
“Under my leadership, Patidars have formed the Patidar Sena in 76 villages of Karamsad Taluka, while Patels from Saurashtra also attend my public meetings in large numbers,” he claimed.
There is no doubt that Alpesh Thakor can influence voters from his community and change the results where Thakors are in dominance, feels Suresh Vanol, senior journalist from Mehsana district.
Vanol said the party did not call Alpesh Thakor to campaign for one seat in Satlasana Taluka panchayat elections which it lost. Even in Gandhinagar municipal elections, the BJP had asked Alpesh Thakor to campaign at last moment.
According to Vanol’s assessment, Alpesh Thakor may change constituency and contest either from Becharaji or Kheralu in Mehsana district.
disaster
Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sudhakar Pathare, who was posted in the Port Zone, passed away in a road accident on Saturday.

Pathare had visited Hyderabad for training. He was on his way to visit a temple with a relative when the accident occurred. Both Pathare and his relative lost their lives in the crash.
Mumbai Police have been informed about the incident.
More details are awaited.
Maharashtra
Order to demolish the tomb of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Baba in Mira Bhayander

Mumbai: The state government has issued an order to demolish the four hundred year old dargah of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Peer Rahmatullah Alaih located in Mira Bhayander. Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation has sent a letter to the collector declaring this dargah illegal and ordered action against it. As the dargah is located on forest land, communalists had started demanding the demolition of the dargah. In the House, Darranjan Daukhre had also demanded action against the dargah, after which now the state government has ordered to run a bulldozer on the dargah. An order has also been issued to remove and demolish the dargah by May.
Dargah trustee Amjad Sheikh said that this dargah is ancient and this order is illegal in itself. In this case, communal forces had launched a campaign against the dargah, after which this order was issued.
There is a dargah on the beach and citing the threat of terrorist and illegal activities and the presence of terrorists here, there was a demand to demolish the dargah. The dargah is close to the sea and in such a situation, the threat of a terrorist attack on Mumbai from the sea has been expressed, while the dargah administration has clearly denied this and said that communal organizations are running their agenda against the dargah and there is no such threat. Muslims have opposed this decision of the government and Muslims have also expressed their displeasure and anger over it.
The trustee says that this dargah is ancient and earlier the collector and the municipal corporation had given a notice, after which the illegal shed and other premises were demolished here and the dargah administration has taken this action at its own level. Now an order has been issued to demolish the dargah itself.
National News
Congress MP Imran Masood calls for banning liquor during Navratri

Saharanpur, March 29: Congress lawmaker Imran Masood said on Saturday that not just meat shops, liquor establishments should be shut during the nine-day festival of Navratri and called for embracing and promoting the spirit of brotherhood and communal harmony.
“Everybody is demanding a ban on meat shops during Navratri. Why is no one asking for a ban on liquor shops? Why is there no outpouring on the free flow of liquor during Navratri? Will this not spoil the purity and sanctity of the festival?” Saharanpur MP said in a special interaction with media.
The Congress Parliamentarian said that peaceful celebration supersedes everything, and it is incumbent upon all communities to maintain decorum during festivities and also make certain sacrifices, be it Eid or Navratri.
Notably, Eid-ul-Fitr and Navratri are coinciding on the same day this year. Both festivals are set to fall on Monday, with little possibility of change in the Eid schedule on account of moon sighting.
Days ago, the Congress MP also extended support to the demands of a meat ban during Navratri celebrations. In an apparent message to the Muslim community, he said that nothing would change if one did not eat meat for ten days.
“What matters above everything is the peaceful co-existence of communities. At no point in time, the differences over food preferences lead to communal strife,” Masood told newspersons.
Congress MP, when asked questions on the party’s strategy for the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, said that the Opposition is fully prepared to take on the Centre on “partisan legislation”.
“We opposed the amendments in the JPC meeting, tooth and nail. We will strongly voice our dissent in Parliament too,” he said.
Notably, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the Waqf Bill will not be delayed any further and will be reintroduced in the ongoing session of Parliament.
Only four working days of the Budget Session are left, as it concludes on April 4.
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