Maharashtra
Maharashtra: Governor sparks an inferno with ‘anti-Marathi’ remarks, douses it after uproar

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari again landed in a hot soup – this time after his perceived ‘anti-Marathi’ remarks, but after a major political row, he made a tactical retreat, here on Saturday.
The stinging salvos were fired in Mumbai on Friday when he lauded the contributions of the Gujarati and Rajasthani communities to the progress and development of Maharashtra, at a ceremony.
“If you remove Gujaratis and Rajasthanis from the state, especially Mumbai and Thane, then nothing will be left. Mumbai will lose its tag of the country’s commercial capital without them,” Koshyari declared.
The utterances sparked into a political inferno with all major political parties – the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party, Congress, the ruling Chief Minister Eknath Shinde faction and his ally Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena flaying Koshyari, though Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi’s Dr Prakash Ambedkar patted the Governor.
Chief Minister Shinde termed it as the Governor’s ‘personal views’ which he did not support and said that the contributions of the Marathis to the state and Mumbai can never be denigrated.
“Mumbai has progressed and got fame as the financial capital because of the hard work of Marathis. The Governor must ensure that the Maharashtrian’s pride and image are not hurt by his utterances,” said Shinde in Nashik.
BJP’s Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis categorically said: “We don’t support the Governor’s views” and was supported by ex-minister Ashish Shelar, though MLA Nitesh Rane took an opposing viewpoint.
“The Marathis are famed the world over for their achievements in all sectors and fields. Their contributions to the progress of Mumbai and Maharashtra is significant, and even the Governor is aware of this in his hearta We are not with him,” said Fadnavis.
Ex-CM and Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray said Koshyari has “insulted” the people of the state and now deserves to be shown ‘Kolhapuri chappals (footwear)’.
“He regularly keeps making such controversial statements and does not maintain the dignity of the august office he occupies. He is trying to divide communities and even the Hindus by naming Mumbai and Thane where civic polls will be held shortly. Now it’s time to consider whether this parcel named Koshyari should be packed off from here or put behind bars,” said an agitated Thackeray.
In a sharp attack, Congress General Secretary Sachin Sawant said the Governor habitually demeans and defames Maharashtra and its people, and “those who have sent him here should take him back”.
Slamming the Governor, NCP’s Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said Koshyari has forgotten that “it were the Marathis who gave their lands and labour” to make the industries and businesses of the migrant communities profitable.
Castigating the Governor, Sena’s Raut said that Koshyari has apparently not read the contributions of stalwarts like Jagannath Shankarsheth who had worked to make Bombay a financial powerhouse from the mid-1850s.
Terming it “Koshyari’s hoshyari” (Koshyari’s oversmartness) MNS President Raj Thackeray asked the Governor not to keep blabbering if he doesn’t know the state’s history as his comments have pained the people here.
“The Marathi people and others have given their lands and labour, and ensured a conducive environment that attracts people from all over to do business here. Do they get these anywhere else? Ahead of the elections, don’t try to spoil the atmosphere or corner the Marathis, that’s my request,” said Raj Thackeray.
Other leaders like NCP MP Supriya Sule, Clyde Crasto, Congress’ Balasaheb Thorat, Atul Londhe, Sena’s Kishori Pednekar and many more snubbed the Governor for his remarks, terming them as in bad taste, not behoving the high office he holds, and recalled how Mumbai was saved by the martyrdom of 105 people during the Samyukta Maharashtra Movement.
However, VBA’s Dr Ambedkar hailed the Governor and said that he has actually taken a swipe at the character of the Congress, NCP, Shiv Sena and BJP for ruling for many years without doing anything to give Marathis any business, which is still controlled by the Gujaratis-Rajasthanis.
“The people of Maharashtra must open their eyes and think whether to continue supporting these parties. The Governor has spoken out his mind and it’s not an insult to the state,” affirmed Dr Ambedkar.
Taken aback by the furious backlash, Governor Koshyari hurriedly clarified that his words were misconstrued as usual and reaffirmed the contributions of Marathis to Mumbai which is the pride of Maharashtra and also the country’s commercial capital.
“I had no intentions to underestimate the Marathis… they have built Maharashtra by sheer hard work and there are many leading Marathi industrialists here, and are famous not only in the state but all over India and the world. Praising one community does not amount to insulting others,” said the Governor in a statement on Saturday.
He reiterated that he was proud of the opportunity to serve the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Maharashtrians as the Governor and he had even learnt Marathi in a very short time.
Crime
Thane Crime Branch Arrests 25-Year-Old Serial Housebreaker, Cracks 9 Theft Cases In Bhiwandi; Seizes Gold Worth ₹5.98 Lakh

Thane: The Thane Crime Branch Unit 2 has arrested a 25-year-old habitual thief and cracked nine house break-in cases reported across Bhiwandi.
Gold Worth ₹5.98 Lakh Recovered from Accused Akash Jadhav
According to police sources, 58 grams of gold ornaments worth ₹5.98 lakh were recovered from the accused’s possession. The suspect has been identified as Akash alias Chinya Jadhav, a resident of the Manpada area in Thane.
The investigation began after an FIR was filed at Narpoli police station for a housebreaking incident involving an unidentified suspect. Crime Branch officials, along with local police, launched a joint investigation. CCTV footage and technical intelligence led to the identification of Jadhav.
A trap was laid, and the accused was apprehended. He was produced in court and remanded to police custody for further investigation.
History of Theft: 9 Cases Registered Across Four Police Stations
During questioning, police discovered that Jadhav has a history of theft, with nine cases registered against him. These include five at Narpoli, two at Bhiwandi City, one at Nizampura, and one at Shantinagar police station.
Police confirmed the recovery of stolen gold ornaments during the arrest. Further investigation is underway.
Maharashtra
Shiv Sena Protests Outside Congress Office Over Ex-Maha CM Prithviraj Chavan’s Controversial Remarks On Malegaon Blast Verdict

Mumbai: Shiv Sena workers staged a protest outside the Congress office on Saturday, slamming senior party leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan over his recent remarks concerning the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case.
The protest came in response to Chavan’s comments following the acquittal of all seven accused in the Malegaon blast case by a special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court. The court ruled that there was “no reliable and cogent evidence” to support the charges against the accused, which included BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Colonel Prasad Purohit. The blast, which occurred on September 29, 2008, near a mosque in Malegaon, killed six people and injured 101 others. It took nearly 17 years for the final verdict.
While speaking to media after the court’s decision, Chavan distanced himself from the controversial term “saffron terror.” He stated, “Don’t use the term ‘Saffron terrorism’. If you want to describe such acts, use ‘Hindu fundamentalist’ or ‘Hindu terrorism’ instead.” He also highlighted that saffron is a colour of cultural and religious significance, representing the flag of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Warkari sect, and revered saints like Sant Tukaram and Sant Dnyaneshwar.
However, his choice of alternative phrases sparked outrage among right-wing groups and BJP allies. Shiv Sena, a coalition partner in the Maharashtra government, led the protest, condemning Chavan’s statements. Protesters demanded an apology, accusing the Congress of repeatedly targeting Hindu beliefs under the guise of secularism.
Chavan also responded to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that “no Hindu can ever be a terrorist. “I want to remind Amit Shah that the first terrorist act in independent India was carried out by Nathuram Godse. What was his religion? Terrorism has no religion. This is BJP’s mindset, linking or delinking terrorism based on religious identity.”
Maharashtra
Mithi River Desilting Scam: ED Raids BMC Engineer, Contractors; Freezes ₹47 Crore, Uncovers Civic Nexus

Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has frozen assets worth over Rs 47 crore after conducting search operations at eight locations across Mumbai in connection with the ongoing probe into the Rs 65-crore Mithi River desilting scam ,the central agency said on Saturday.
BMC Contractors and Senior Engineer Under Lens
The searches, carried out on July 31 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), were conducted at premises linked to BMC contractors M/s Acute Designs, M/s Kailash Construction Company, M/s Nikhil Construction Co, M/s N A Construction Pvt Ltd, and M/s J.R.S Infrastructure and and BMC’s Deputy Chief Engineer Prashant Krishna Tayshete.
With the latest action, the total value of proceeds of crime seized and frozen in the case now stands at approximately Rs 49.8 crore.
According to officials, the federal agency’s action led to the seizure of several incriminating documents, digital devices, and records of suspicious immovable property transactions, which are now under scrutiny.
The ED initiated its investigation following a case registered at Azad Maidan Police Station, Mumbai, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against 13 individuals and entities, including those mentioned above, for allegedly causing a wrongful loss of over Rs 65 crore to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Scam Involved Forged MoUs and Fake NOCs
Evidence gathered during the course of the investigation and search operations has revealed irregularities in the Mithi River desilting contracts. According to the Enforcement Directorate, contractors allegedly colluded with officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Storm Water Drainage (SWD) department to submit forged documents, including fake Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) from landowners and No Objection Certificates (NoCs) from gram panchayats, for lands purportedly used for silt dumping.
Machinery Procurement Manipulated for Kickbacks
The probe has further revealed that certain BMC officials misused their official positions for personal financial gain by manipulating the procurement process. Specifically, expensive machinery such as silt pushers and multipurpose amphibious pontoon machines were allegedly included in the 2021–2022 tenders to benefit select contractors.
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