Maharashtra
Losing cool over criticism, Shinde-Fadnavis govt slaps cases against Sena (UBT) leaders
Under siege from the continuous onslaught of the Opposition Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), several of its leaders have been targeted with police cases by the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.
Among them are a Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, a deputy leader Sushma Andhare and MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, besides other leaders, following complaints by Dattaram Gavas, an activist of Shinde’s Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena.
Sawant has been booked for ridiculing the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane whom he referred to as ‘kombdi chor’ (chicken thief) at a public rally in Thane this week, ruffling feathers.
Jadhav has been slapped with a case for aping Shinde’s style of reading out a prepared speech at his October 5 Dussehra Rally in Bandra Kurla Complex.
Andhare, has also been booked — for mimicking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promises of giving employment to two crore youths — at a Thane meeting.
In a statement on the October 9 meeting, the Naupada Police Station (Thane) has named other local level leaders and activists like Anita Birje, Madhukar Deshmukh, Sachin Chavan, and Dharmarajya Party’s Rajan Raje.
Accordingly, the police have charged them under various sections of Indian Penal Code for inflammatory speech, using objectionable language, attempts to incite passions and sullying the image of CM Shinde, etc.
Sena (UBT) leaders have cried foul over the police action, terming it as a ‘political vendetta’ intended to “silence and destroy the Opposition”.
Senior farmers leader of the Sena (UBT) Kishore Tiwari said that the Shinde-Fadnavis government is “selectively targetting” party’s leaders who raise their voice against the regime to demoralise the party rank-and-file.
“Does the government have the courage to throw them in jail like other Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders? How many Opposition leaders will they imprison… This is blatant misuse of power and harassment of those who oppose them,” said Tiwari grimly.
Condemning the development, Nationalist Congress Party Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that “the validity of this (Shinde-Fadnavis) government is still pending before the Supreme Court”, and the Opposition leaders have a fundamental right to criticise the government’s shortcomings.
“Under such circumstances, such police actions are anti-democracy and the government is trying to brow-beat the Opposition and silence them from speaking out,” Tapase added sharply.
Strongly flaying the police cases, veteran Sena (UBT) union leader Dr. Raghunath Kuchik said that the Shinde-Fadnavis government has “crossed all limits of political decency” by targeting political opponents.
“When the BJP was in the Opposition, they used foul language against the Maha Vikas Aghadi CM (Uddhav Thackeray), other ministers and party leaders, but we did not hound them with flimsy cases… The government should withdraw these police cases,” demanded Dr. Kuchik.
Congress state G.S. Sachin Sawant said this was another example of how the BJP muzzles the Opposition parties all over India.
“Although the language used by the BJP leaders is extremely derogatory and abusive, no action is taken against them. Two sets of laws are vividly seen currently, one for the bjp leaders and the other for the opposition which is extremely unfortunate,” rued Sawant.
An unfazed Andhare said that if speaking the truth is an offence, then she was ready to face all the consequences of the police case lodged against her, but would continue to raise her voice against any injustice to the people.
Though both Andhare and Jadhav said they had received no communication from the police, they said whatever they spoke is in the public domain, even as the Thane Police continues its probe.
Earlier, Thane MP Rajan Vichare had alleged that the police were under pressure from CM Shinde and even people who attended Thackeray’s Dussehra Rally (October 5) at Shivaji Park last week were being served notices or facing cases.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Floral Tribute Paid To Late Meenatai Thackeray At Dadar’s Shivaji Park; Security Measures Reviewed

Mumbai: A floral tribute was offered today at the statue of late Meenatai Thackeray at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park, followed by an inspection of the site.
Speaking on the occasion, leaders said that the affection Shiv Sainiks hold for late Shiv Sena chief Balasaheb Thackeray is equally deep for late Meenatai Thackeray, who had left behind a legacy of warmth and family values.
Strongly condemning the recent act of vandalism against the statue, they emphasized that such incidents, motivated by personal malice, will not be tolerated. The accused has already been arrested, and police interrogation is underway.
Authorities also reviewed the security arrangements around the statue and Shivaji Park. It was announced that immediate measures would be taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future. Necessary funds have been approved for enhanced security, and as per the directives of Shiv Sena chief leader and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, additional resources will be provided.
The statue of Meenatai Thackeray at Shivaji Park, along with another at Khed, were installed under the initiative of senior Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam, creating an emotional bond with Shiv Sainiks since their childhood.
Former corporator Samadhan Sarvankar, DCP Zone-5 Mahendra Pandit, and other police officials were present during the visit.
Maharashtra
Mumbai: Resident Doctors, Interns & Students At JJ Hospital Announce ‘Token Strike’ Over Inclusion Of Homeopaths Into Maharashtra Medical Council

Mumbai: Medical students, resident doctors, and interns at Grant Government Medical College (GGMC) and Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai, will stage a token strike on Thursday in solidarity with several national medical bodies opposing the inclusion of homeopaths into the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC).
The strike has been called in opposition to the state government’s decision to allow homeopathic practitioners to be included in the Maharashtra Medical Council (MMC) after completion of the bridge course, Certificate Course in Modern Pharmacology (CCMP).
The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD), Association of State Medical Interns (ASMI), and Government Medical College Students’ Association (GMCSA) confirmed that they will join the Central MARD, Maharashtra State Resident Doctors’ Association (MSRDA), Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA), and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) in their protest.
According to the organisers, the strike began with a gathering at the JJ Hospital Amphitheatre at 9:30 am, followed by a media interaction. The strike has been termed token in nature and the associations clarified that all emergency and critical medical services will remain fully operational to ensure patients are not adversely affected.
The associations argue that merging homeopathic practitioners into the allopathic medical council blurs the boundaries between two fundamentally different systems of medicine. They stress that such a move not only compromises the integrity of allopathic practice but could also lead to confusion in regulation and accountability.
Resident doctors and medical interns at JJ Hospital said they had coordinated the strike in a way that ensures minimal disruption to patient care. Outpatient services and routine check-ups may see delays, but senior doctors and staff are expected to step in to manage patient load.
Meanwhile, medical services at Rajiv Gandhi Government Medical College (RGMC) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital (CSMH), Thane, are likely to be affected on Thursday as resident doctors joined a statewide strike called by the Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD). The protest began at 10:30 am with a demonstration staged outside the Outpatient Department (OPD) building’s main gate.
Maharashtra
Mumbai Rains: Water Stock Level From City’s Seven Lakes Reaches 99.02%; Konkan Region On Yellow Alert

Mumbai: The city wakes up to gloomy skies and water stocls reaching at 224,636 million litres (ML), reaching 99.02% of the total capacity. According to the 6:00 AM report on September 18, 2025, the seven lakes supplying water to Mumbai are holding near-maximum levels, ensuring a secure water supply for the coming months.
Upper Vaitarna recorded a water level of 603.81 meters, showing a slight rise of 0.02 meters, with live storage at 224,636 million litres (ML). Modak Sagar remained steady at 163.15 meters with 128,910 ML storage, while Tansa lake showed no change at 128.54 meters, storing 143,416 ML. Middle Vaitarna stood at 284.44 meters with 191,059 ML, reflecting a minor drop of 0.12 meters.
Together, the Upper Vaitarna group accounts for 688,022 ML. Bhatsa, the largest contributor, recorded 141.79 meters with 709,355 ML, while Vehar and Tulsi stood at 80.28 meters and 139.20 meters respectively, holding 27,698 ML and 8,046 ML. In total, Mumbai’s reservoirs currently hold 1,433,121 ML of water.
Officials highlighted that water release from Upper Vaitarna began on August 21, and several dams have overflowed in recent weeks. At the Bhandup Complex, no fresh rainfall was recorded today, but seasonal totals stand at 2,698 millimeters.
A look back over the past five years shows that 2025 is among the healthiest seasons for reservoir storage. Current levels are at 99.02 percent, surpassing 2020’s 92.38 percent, 2021’s 86.86 percent, 2022’s exceptional 96.91 per cent, 2023’s 83.01 per cent, and 2024’s late August surge to 94.87 per cent. The most recent time Mumbai’s seven major lakes supplying drinking water reached 99% full before today was around 1 October 2024, when the water stock was reported at 99.37% capacity.
Mumbai woke up to calmer weather on Thursday after days of intense downpours that caused traffic snarls and waterlogging across the city. Weather conditions across Mumbai and its surrounding areas are forecast to remain manageable today. The India Meteorological Department predicts mostly cloudy skies with light to moderate rain in Mumbai, with daytime temperatures around 28 degrees Celsius and minimums near 25 degrees. Thane and Navi Mumbai will see similar patterns, while Palghar expects light to moderate showers.
The Konkan belt, including Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg, remains under a yellow alert for isolated heavy showers and gusty winds. With reservoirs nearly full and subdued rainfall expected, Mumbaikars can look forward to stable water supply and fewer disruptions compared to the chaotic scenes earlier this week.
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