Mumbai: The textile industry is in trouble due to the war in West Asia, rising transportation costs, partial lockdown due to LPG crisis and unemployment of workers. In this, the Marketing and Textile Department has made online registration mandatory for power loom electricity subsidy. As a result, there is a fear that this major industry of the state will come to a standstill and the condition of online registration should be withdrawn, demanded Samajwadi Party MLA from Bhiwandi East Raees Sheikh.

MLA Raees Sheikh has written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Textile Minister Sanjay Sawkre in this regard. Speaking about this, MLA Raees Sheikh said that the continuous changes in Trump tariff, closure of the Strait of Hormuz, rising prices of raw materials and yarns, as well as the state government’s policy against the textile industry, especially the uncertainty about electricity prices, are all reasons why the textile industry in the state is in crisis.

There are 9.48 lakh power looms in the state. The ‘micro-scale power loom’ sector, which provides the largest number of jobs after agriculture, is in a serious crisis. There is a threat of huge loss in production and large-scale unemployment. Often, a power loom is operated by one person and owned by another. In some places, power looms are on rent while old power looms are often in use. Therefore, there are practical limitations to online registration. All the information required for online registration of power looms is with ‘Mahavataran and Toronto Company’ with direct verification. It is a contradiction to actually affect the industry sector while the government’s policy is ‘ease of doing business’. April 26 is the last date for online registration. This has resulted in an atmosphere of fear among power loom traders in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Achal Karanji. Therefore, MLA Raees Sheikh has demanded that the proposal for online registration for power loom electricity subsidy be immediately canceled and the current system of meter-based electricity subsidy be maintained.

Mumbai: After the rejection of the Women’s Reservation Bill by the Parliament, the Maharashtra Minister has now targeted the opposition parties including the Congress in a press conference held in Mumbai and has shown mischievousness and called them pro-Pakistan. He said that just as Sharia law is being implemented in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Islamabad, these opposition parties are depriving women of their rights here too, but the NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will again present the Women’s Bill to provide justice to women. He said that in the criticism of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the opposition, he said that after the rejection of the Women’s Reservation Bill, the opposition’s veil was torn and the opposition has been completely exposed. He said that on the same lines as the fatwas were issued from mosques during the parliamentary elections, these MPs have become supporters of Sharia law. To please the father of Pakistan, these women oppose the bill. He said that Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders only speak on the Pakistani script. Rane targeted Supriya Tai Slay and said that Supriya Tai is a supporter of love jihad and the same position is also held by the Congress and its allied parties because their victory came through the mosques and fatwas were issued for them from the mosques. During the press conference, Nitesh Rane, while spewing venom against Muslims, also demanded a ban on Islamic clothing, hijab and prayers under the guise of company and corporate jihad. He said that why hijab or prayers in the company or workplace? Are Hindus allowed to do this? On the issue of Lenskart, Nitesh Rane threatened and said that now Lenskart also needs treatment for his eyes. If he does not do it, we will treat him. Targeting Uddhav Thackeray, Rane has made a serious allegation and said that it is Uddhav Thackeray’s turn that he can also stand in the Sarpanch election. Now, they will all secretly call for membership of the Legislative Council. Uddhav Thackeray has undergone a political conversion, so now he is not Uddhav Thackeray but Uddhav Khan. He said that he has also offered five daily prayers. On the honorable release of the Hindutva accused in the Malegaon bomb blasts, Nitesh Rane said that Bhagwadhari can never be a terrorist. This has now been proven. He said that opposing the Women’s Bill is Pakistan’s stance and what happens in Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi and Congress do the same in India.

Mumbai, April 22: In a significant relief to four accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday quashed and set aside a special court order framing charges against them.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar delivered the verdict while allowing appeals filed by Rajendra Chaudhary, Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh and Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria.

The High Court had earlier observed that a prima facie case existed for interference with the order of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court.

The four had been charged with offences including murder and criminal conspiracy under the IPC, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following a September 30, 2025, order by the special court. Wednesday’s ruling effectively halts proceedings against them at this stage.

The case pertains to the September 8, 2006, blasts in Malegaon, where explosions near the Hamidia Masjid and adjoining areas shortly after Friday prayers left 37 people dead and over 300 injured.

The investigation has witnessed multiple twists over the years. Initially, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested nine Muslim men, who spent several years in jail before being granted bail in 2011. A special court later discharged all nine in 2016, citing insufficient evidence.

Subsequently, the probe was taken over by the NIA, which pursued a different line of investigation. The agency arrested the present four accused after alleged disclosures by Swami Aseemanand, pointing to the involvement of right-wing elements. The four were granted bail by the High Court in 2019.

The Malegaon blast probe has been marked by conflicting findings between agencies, with the NIA diverging from earlier conclusions of the ATS and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

With the High Court now setting aside the framing of charges, the case takes yet another turn in a long and complex legal trajectory.