Connect with us
Monday,31-March-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Maha Speaker, BJP’s Rahul Narwekar is India’s youngest in the august seat

Published

on

Mumbai lawyer and first-time legislator, Rahul Narwekar, 45, has been elected as the youngest Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly and also becomes the youngest ever in India to hold this august Constitutional post, here on Sunday.

A Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Colaba, Narwekar was elected to the high office at a Special Assembly Session, trouncing his sole Maha Vikas Aghadi-backed Shiv Sena nominee Rajan Salvi.

Interestingly, Narwekar is married to Sarojini, the daughter of Nationalist Congress Party’s Ramraje Naik-Nimbalkar, who is the Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council.

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, pointing out at the happy familial coincidence, said that now the ‘relation between the Upper House and Lower House is akin to a father-in-law and son-in-law’, amid cheers, as the new Speaker smiled.

However, Narwekar had served as a Governor Nominated MLC (Upper House) from 2016 before becoming MLA in 2019.

Hailing from a political family, the soft-spoken but sharp legal eagle Narwekar started his career with the Shiv Sena around late-1990s, but felt stifled due to lack of leadership opportunities.

After he was denied a ticket to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, he quit the Sena in a huff and threw his lot with the NCP, where his father-in-law was already a senior leader.

The NCP rewarded Narwekar with a ticket from Maval Lok Sabha constituency in 2014, but he came a distant third to Shiv Sena’s winner Shrirang Barne and the runner-up PWP’s Laxman Jagtap and was compensated as an MLC.

Ahead of the 2019 Maharashtra Assembly elections, he hopped from the NCP to the BJP, which fielded him from Colaba in South Mumbai and secured his maiden victory to the Lower House.

Barely 31 months later, Narwekar scripted history to become the youngest legislator to be elected as the 16th Speaker (since 1960) and also is now the youngest ever lawmaker to occupy the coveted top legislative post in the country.

His father, Suresh Narwekar was a BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation Municipal Corporator, his brother Makarand Narwekar is a two-term independent Municipal Corporator, and his sister-in-law Harshita Narwekar is also a BJP Municipal Corporator.

Shortly after his election was declared formally by the Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Congress President Nana Patole, NCP leader Ajit Pawar, and other senior Members escorted Narwekar to the Speaker’s ‘hot seat’ from where he would crack his Constitutional whip to run the House in order and legislative decorum.

Hailing Narwekar, top leaders of various parties expressed hopes that he would function in a judicious and impartial manner and carry forward the glorious traditions of the state Speakers, some of whom have gone ahead to many higher offices in public life.

Usually, the post of Speaker is held by senior legislators with years of experience and multiple tenures in the Lower House of Assemblies or Parliament, but a first-time lawmaker Narwekar’s elevation to the plum post has set a new trend in the country.

disaster

Mumbai’s Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Sudhakar Pathare, who was posted in the Port Zone, passed away in a road accident on Saturday.

Published

on

Pathare had visited Hyderabad for training. He was on his way to visit a temple with a relative when the accident occurred. Both Pathare and his relative lost their lives in the crash.

Mumbai Police have been informed about the incident.

More details are awaited.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Order to demolish the tomb of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Baba in Mira Bhayander

Published

on

Mumbai: The state government has issued an order to demolish the four hundred year old dargah of Hazrat Syed Bale Shah Peer Rahmatullah Alaih located in Mira Bhayander. Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation has sent a letter to the collector declaring this dargah illegal and ordered action against it. As the dargah is located on forest land, communalists had started demanding the demolition of the dargah. In the House, Darranjan Daukhre had also demanded action against the dargah, after which now the state government has ordered to run a bulldozer on the dargah. An order has also been issued to remove and demolish the dargah by May.

Dargah trustee Amjad Sheikh said that this dargah is ancient and this order is illegal in itself. In this case, communal forces had launched a campaign against the dargah, after which this order was issued.

There is a dargah on the beach and citing the threat of terrorist and illegal activities and the presence of terrorists here, there was a demand to demolish the dargah. The dargah is close to the sea and in such a situation, the threat of a terrorist attack on Mumbai from the sea has been expressed, while the dargah administration has clearly denied this and said that communal organizations are running their agenda against the dargah and there is no such threat. Muslims have opposed this decision of the government and Muslims have also expressed their displeasure and anger over it.

The trustee says that this dargah is ancient and earlier the collector and the municipal corporation had given a notice, after which the illegal shed and other premises were demolished here and the dargah administration has taken this action at its own level. Now an order has been issued to demolish the dargah itself.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Haji Ali Dargah will be closed for pilgrims for a few hours on Eid due to rising sea level

Published

on

Mumbai: Due to rising sea level at Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai, the dargah will be closed for pilgrims for a few hours on Eid. On March 31, the dargah will be closed for pilgrims from 12 noon to 3 pm. During this time, entry of pilgrims to the dargah will be restricted. The dargah will be closed on Tuesday, April 1 from 12:45 pm to 3:45 pm and on Wednesday, April 2 from 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm.

Therefore, we have appealed to the pilgrims not to gather at the dargah during these hours. This information has been released by Tahir, administrative officer of Haji Ali Dargah. Pilgrims visit Haji Ali Dargah on Eid-Basi and Tiwasi, but due to the rising water level of the sea, water gets accumulated on the way to the Dargah and entry to the Dargah is prohibited and the gate of the Dargah remains closed during these days, due to which there is a lot of crowd there. Therefore, pilgrims have been requested to come to the Dargah only at the scheduled time.

The police also remains vigilant at the Dargah during the rising sea level, as there is a crowd of pilgrims here during Eid and festivals. The Haji Ali Dargah administration has said that on the occasion of Eid, lakhs of pilgrims visit the Dargah of Haji Ali (RahmatullahAlaih). These pilgrims include pilgrims from the country and abroad, so the Dargah administration has also claimed special security arrangements on Eid. Spiritual scenes are also seen at Haji Ali Dargah during Eid prayers.

Continue Reading

Trending