Mumbai : Amid ongoing intense speculation in Maharashtra’s political circles regarding the potential merger of the two Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) factions—Sharad Pawar’s NCP (SP) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP—the NCP (SP) Working President and MP Supriya Sule on Saturday categorically rejected any talk of a merger or joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Sule told reporters, “There is no discussion about joining the NDA. When there is no discussion, questions of commas or full stops do not arise. If the essay itself hasn’t been written, why talk about it?” With these words, she put a firm full stop to all merger speculations. Expressing her fatigue over the persistent rumours, Sule emphasised that the possibility of a merger died alongside her brother, Ajit Pawar.

“I am now fed up with these merger discussions,” Sule said. “The discussions about a merger, and even fixing a date, existed only as long as my brother was here. The day my brother passed away, a full stop was put on the merger in my mind and in my party—a discussion that had taken place with party office-bearers and my Dada (Ajit Pawar), videos of which you all have broadcast,” she noted. She added, “As long as my brother was there, the merger was discussed. The day my brother left, the merger came to a permanent end. We haven’t made a single statement since then. We didn’t even counter the statements coming from the Ajit Pawar faction. Whatever future path was charted, it was charted with Ajit Dada. Some things come straight from the heart. Ask all your questions about the merger today and let’s settle it once and for all. I will not speak on the merger hereafter; I am exhausted by these discussions.”

“In a vibrant democracy, everyone has the right to express their opinion. However, I am folding my hands and requesting that we stop asking questions about a merger over and over again. I am tired of this subject, and I will not answer questions about it anymore.” Acknowledging past discussions, Sule stated, “Did my brother and senior leaders from our party discuss a merger? Yes, they did. Videos of that have also come to light. The discussions regarding a merger were ongoing as long as my brother was here, and a date for it had even been fixed. Leaders from both parties have acknowledged this.” Sule also firmly reiterated that the question of the NCP (SP) joining the ruling coalition does not arise, confirming that no proposal, phone call, or message has been received from the Ajit Pawar faction.

“The moment my brother passed away, the entire chapter was closed,” she asserted. When asked if any official proposal or communication regarding a merger had been received from the rival NCP camp, Sule firmly denied it, stating, “I haven’t received any phone call, WhatsApp message, or letter from anyone in the Ajit Pawar faction. I can tell you clearly that nobody has met me regarding this. No discussions are happening, which is why I find all these ongoing speculations quite amusing.” Sule made it clear that her party pays no heed to statements or internal discussions happening within the rival NCP camp. “After my brother passed away, we put a complete full stop to these discussions from our side. We have nothing to do with whatever discussions take place within the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. We do not comment on their reactions. The close bond between my brother and me remains, and that warmth will always stay,” she concluded.

On November 14, Mumbai Police received confidential information that an individual was planning to arrive at a lc and ammunition without a valid license. Acting on this intelligence, a team from Crime Branch Unit 2 set a trap. Upon observing suspicious activity at a spot on K.K. Marg, Agripada, they took an individual into custody. Two locally-made pistols and 19 live cartridges were recovered from his possession. A case has been registered against him at the Agripada Police Station, and further investigation is being conducted by Mumbai Crime Branch Unit 2. This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Anil Kumbhare, and DCP Raj Tilak Roshan.

Mumbai : Shiv Sena leader Shaina NC on Saturday questioned the allegations of phone tapping made by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, asking why Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be interested in tapping his phone. Congress leaders hit back at the BJP and defended LoP Gandhi’s allegations. Speaking to Media, Shaina NC said, “Why would PM Modi tap Rahul Gandhi’s phone? Tell me, is he a secret agent? Does he have any secret information? If you want to make allegations, you must come out of Modi phobia. Only then will you understand.” She further criticised LoP Rahul Gandhi, alleging that he lacked a vision and a concrete plan and repeatedly invoked the Prime Minister’s name to portray him negatively. “You have repeated Modi ji’s name so much, morning and evening, that you have portrayed him as a villain. In fact, he is a hero. You should look for someone else to portray as a villain,” she said.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders defended LoP Rahul Gandhi’s allegations and accused the BJP-led government of using agencies to target political opponents and undermine the federal structure. Congress MP Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said LoP Rahul Gandhi’s allegations reflected the way the Central government was functioning and alleged that the BJP wanted to weaken regional parties and consolidate political power. “Rahul ji’s allegation on phone tapping is clearly showing us how the Modi government is acting. They want to destabilise the federal structure and regional parties. They want a ‘One Nation, One Party, Double Engine Sarkar’. All these things are in their interest to remain in power for a long time, and they are using all the agencies, which we can clearly see,” he said.

Referring to Telangana’s political history, Reddy alleged that former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao had also resorted to phone tapping during his tenure to prevent the Congress from coming to power. “As LoP Rahul Gandhi rightly said, they are using everything for the sake of staying in power,” he added. Congress leader and AICC in-charge for Telangana, Sachin Sawant, also criticised the BJP, alleging that phone tapping, gathering Intelligence on individuals and blackmailing them had become part of its political modus operandi. “This has been the attitude and policy of the Bharatiya Janata Party. This is how the Constitution and democracy of this country have been put in danger,” he said. Referring to Maharashtra, Sawant alleged that the phones of several political leaders had been tapped in the state, describing it as a major scandal. “So, what is new about this? This is Modi ji’s gift to this country,” he added.