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Maharashtra

Jantar Mantar agitation was youth festival against authoritarianism: Shiv Sena(UBT) in ‘Saamana’

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Mumbai, July 28: In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and Uttar Pradesh Police, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray(UBT) on Tuesday accused authorities of launching a politically motivated crackdown against activists Muhammad Junaid and Shadab Saifi, who provided daily food and water to the protesters at Jantar Mantar.

In a hard-hitting editorial in its party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Thackeray camp detailed how UP Police have targeted Junaid and his extended family, including his parents, sister, and in-laws, detaining them for up to 12 hours at a time in police stations. According to the editorial, investigators are attempting to trace the financial sources behind a 35-day relief operation that supplied meals to thousands of demonstrators daily.

The editorial alleged that the state machinery actively attempted to starve out the protest site. Authorities reportedly ordered the closure of nearby hotels, street food stalls, and commercial food delivery services across the adjacent Connaught Place area to cut off supplies. Despite these measures, and while suffering foot injuries himself, Junaid coordinated meal distribution alongside local Sikh langars (community kitchens) operating around the clock, the editorial highlighted.

The Shiv Sena(UBT) alleged that the administration was misusing state apparatus to investigate basic humanitarian acts while failing on pivotal national security issues. “The government failed to locate the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack that killed 27 tourists, nor did it identify the source of the RDX used in the Pulwama attack that claimed 40 jawans,” the editorial noted.

“Yet, the entire machinery is deployed to track who funded Junaid’s meal drives simply because he wears a beard and a cap.” The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena further claimed that the central leadership has “nothing to do with humanity or patriotism”, asserting that Junaid and his family are being harassed simply because the administration is baffled by the scale of the community-led relief effort.

Turning the financial scrutiny back onto the ruling party, the editorial demanded equal accountability and public audits for government and political funds. The editorial called for total transparency regarding the origins, major donors, and ownership of thousands of crores deposited during the Covid-19 pandemic. It demanded an official inquiry into the thousands of crores accumulated in the BJP’s electoral funds and corporate donations.

Refusing to view the recent youth agitation as a setback, the Thackeray camp framed the Jantar Mantar demonstrations as a vibrant movement against authoritarianism. “In reality, the agitation at Jantar Mantar was not a crying movement, but a massive, vibrant festival of youth,” the editorial asserted.

“Even after enduring police lathis, pellet guns, spiked batons, and tear gas canisters, there were no signs of pain on the faces of these young people. Therefore, if ‘cockroaches’ sit together in a meeting to deliberate after the agitation ends, BJP supporters have no reason to feel hurt,” it remarked.

Concluding its critique, the Thackeray camp urged prominent figures, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and human rights advocates, to join forces against the alleged state oppression targeting Junaid, Saifi, and other grassroots organisers.

Maharashtra

Construction work on the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road targeted for completion by December 2028; Additional Municipal Commissioner inspects the site.

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To alleviate traffic congestion and ensure smooth, convenient travel within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a major infrastructure project known as the ‘Mumbai Coastal Road (North).’ Spanning approximately 60 kilometers—including interchanges and link roads—this mega-project aims to connect the Versova and Bhayandar areas via a coastal route. The construction work has been divided into seven packages: Packages A, B, C, D, E, F, and the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road (DBLR). Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar visited and inspected the Bhayandar interchange site (part of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road/Package 7), located within the limits of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, and issued necessary instructions during the visit.

The Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road is a crucial project for the Mumbai and Mira-Bhayandar regions, and construction is currently underway. It will establish a direct and rapid road connection between Dahisar West and Bhayandar West. The total length of this road project is approximately 5.135 kilometers. The project encompasses various engineering structures, including elevated roads, roads on stilts through mangrove areas, high-level structures over creeks, elevated corridors over salt pan lands, connecting roads and interchanges for traffic distribution, and flyovers. The main elevated road of the Dahisar-Bhayandar Link Road project—spanning approximately 3.83 km in length and 45 meters in width—will serve as the final leg of the Mumbai Coastal Road (North). Mr. Bangar visited the site and reviewed the preliminary works. Currently, the installation of gabion walls is underway; additionally, piling (deep foundation) and the construction of pile caps are progressing. Several components of the project have already been completed, including 60 piles, 5 pile caps, 4 bridge piers, pier caps, and the ninth section of the bridge. State-of-the-art machinery is deployed at the site, and a temporary bridge system is operational for access. Work related to the ‘launching girder’ is scheduled to commence in the second week of October; Additional Municipal Commissioner (Projects) Abhijit Bangar reviewed detailed information regarding this. Bangar issued instructions to expedite the land acquisition process required for the project and to prepare a priority list in this regard. He emphasized the need to secure cooperation from the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation and other relevant authorities. He also directed that safety-related Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be strictly adhered to, adequate barricading be installed at the site during construction, and the work be completed to high standards within the stipulated timeframe. He instructed that planning and execution be carried out with the aim of completing the project by December 2028. Deputy Commissioner (Infrastructure) Shri Girish Nikam and Deputy Chief Engineer (Mumbai Coastal Road – North) Vaibhav Gandhi were present on the occasion, accompanied by the concerned engineers and consultants.

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Maharashtra

Gutkha and scented betel nut worth approximately ₹1.18 crore seized in Mumbai; 9 arrested.

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Mumbai: Authorities have claimed the seizure of banned gutkha worth ₹1.18 crore within the jurisdiction of the Bhandup Police Station. Acting on a tip-off regarding the transportation and sale of banned gutkha and scented betel nut, the Senior Police Inspector of Bhandup Police Station dispatched Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad and his team to verify the information and take action. Based on the intelligence received, the team laid a trap and conducted a raid on September 12 at approximately 4:25 AM at the Municipal Corporation parking area on Village Road, Nahur. During the operation, they seized five vehicles—comprising one container truck, two tempos, one Bolero, and one pickup truck—and arrested a total of nine individuals. The seized contraband included banned scented betel nut products (such as ‘Varanasi Aashiq’ scented betel nut and scented tobacco) valued at ₹20,21,100, along with five motor vehicles from various companies valued at ₹98 lakh; the total value of the seized property amounts to ₹1,18,21,100. The five vehicles, the nine accused, and the contraband have been taken into custody, and proceedings to register a formal case at the Bhandup Police Station are currently underway. This successful and noteworthy operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Sharma (Law and Order), Additional Commissioner of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni (East Region), Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhay Singh Deshmukh (Zone 3), and Assistant Commissioner of Police Ajay Joshi (Bhandup Division), by a team comprising Senior Police Inspector Sapna Khirsagar, Assistant Police Inspector Vinod Lad, Police Havaldars Hiralal Charande, Akesh Tirmare, and Ganesh Sonone, and Police Constables Vikas Shinde and Vijaykumar Pawar.

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Maharashtra

Accused involved in smuggling “MD” and “MDMA Plus” drugs arrested in Mumbai.

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The Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has claimed the arrest of a drug dealer involved in MD smuggling, charging him under Sections 8(c) and 22(c) of the NDPS Act. The accused was apprehended in Jogeshwari after being spotted under suspicious circumstances. The following items were seized from his possession:
1) Three MDMA pills weighing a total of 2.04 grams (estimated value: ₹88,000)
2) MD (Mephedrone) weighing a total of 417 grams (estimated value: ₹1,25,10,000)
3) Fifty Indian currency notes of ₹500 denomination (total cash: ₹25,000)
4) One used Apple iPhone 15 (estimated value: ₹20,000)
*The total estimated value of the seized items is ₹1,26,43,000. On September 11, the Azad Maidan Unit of the ANC (Crime Branch) was patrolling the Jogeshwari area when they received credible information that an individual was selling drugs from his residence. Acting on this tip-off, the ANC team raided the suspect’s home and recovered the aforementioned contraband. Case property recovered during the personal search of the said individual: 1) Three “MDMA tablets” weighing a total of 2.04 grams (estimated value: Rs. 88,000); 2) “MD” drug weighing 210 grams (estimated value: Rs. 6,300,000); 3) One used Apple iPhone 15 (estimated value: Rs. 20,000). Case property recovered during the search of the said individual’s residence: 4) “MD” drug weighing 207 grams (estimated value: Rs. 6,210,000); 5) Fifty Indian currency notes of Rs. 500 denomination (total cash: Rs. 25,000). The total estimated value of the recovered case property is Rs. 12,643,000. The ANC squad (Azad Maidan Unit) has arrested the said individual and registered a case (Case No. 85/2026) under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the NDPS Act, 1985. This successful operation was carried out by Deven Bharti (Police Commissioner, Mumbai), Anil Kumbhare (Joint Commissioner of Police – Crime), Krishnakant Upadhyay (Additional Commissioner of Police – Crime), and Poornima Chougule-Shringi (Deputy Commissioner of Police, ANC Squad, Crime Branch).

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