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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Priyanka vs Kangana Road Shows In Nagpur Gets Polarisation At Its Peak

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Nagpur: With only 24 hours left for the end of public campaign for the state assembly elections, the super Sunday saw both the BJP-led Mahayuti and the Congress-led Maha Vikas Aghadi making the last hurrah to woo the voters in Vidarbha, especially its gateway Nagpur. Both the rival combinations are focussing on Vidarbha from where they are contesting maximum seats.

The Congress move to hold a Priyanka Gandhi Vadra roadshow around Badkas Chowk in the Mahal where the RSS is headquartered, saw very tense moments as the BJP workers waiving party flags came in direct confrontation with Congress workers waiving tricolour flag.  The Priyanka show in the city was a big draw as compared to the BJP MP Kangana Ranaut’s who drew modest crowds.

Both the roadshows were clearly moves by the two combinations to further consolidate the process of polarisation of voters—on the caste lines by the MVA and on grounds of religion by the BJP. The Congress chose to put on display a waving, smiling Priyanka first in West Nagpur constituency’s Muslim dominated areas. Starting from Awasthi Nagar the Congress juggernaut moved through Zafar Nagar to Ahbab Colony. She then moved on to Badkas Chowk, citadel of the RSS.

Earlier in the day, Priyanka  first reached Wadsa in Gadchiroli district to campaign for the party candidates. The tribal district in last two years has witnessed great strides in mining sector and steel manufacturing for the first time despite stiff opposition from the Naxalite movement active in the district.

Addressing a large poll rally, Priyanka said the Congress and her great grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru brought development setting up large public sector factories across the nation in without bias towards any one state. “ Sadly, the Modi government at the Centre is diverting from Maharashtra big investments like microchip plant . Investment worth Ra 10 lakh crore which could have provided 8 lakh jobs to Maharashtra’s youth has been deprived to the state, “ she claimed.

Priyanka arrived  for Nagpur about an hour behind schedule, yet was greeted by large and enthusiastic crowds  that a Gandhi family member always draws here. Her mother was here back in 2004. Now the daughter has stolen the show in a maiden act here. The Kangna Ranaut show was a much low- key affair.

On the other hand, a decked-up Kangana used her film star glamour quotient to woo the voters in Nagpur Central areas in the morning and then moved on to West Nagpur in the afternoon where she travelled between Law College square and Bajaj Nagar inhabited by a cosmopolitan mix. But it was peaceful.

The polarisation process that started with Narendra Modi’s call for ‘Ek hai to safe hai’ call and UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s slogan of ‘Batenge to katenge’ was also completed with the BJP- RSS coming into action aggressively invoking “dharma yudha’ and ‘dharma-hit’ to neutralise the MVA narratives. The call for ‘vote jihad’ by Islamic scholar Maulana Khalilur Rehman Sajjad Nomani and fatwas to vote for the MVA and boycott those who failed to do so, could prove counter- productive for the MVA as it made no effort to distance from it.

On the other, a clear RSS hand was visible when the small (6 cm by 9 cm) voter slip dropped at voters doorsteps gave a loud and clear message to vote 100 % in “Rashtra-hit and Dharma-hit” (to protect nation and the religion).

Maharashtra

Struggle Against Land Mafia in Waqf Properties: New Amended Bill Adds to the Challenges

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New Delhi : In the ongoing battle to protect Waqf properties and ensure their benefits reach the deserving, land mafias, encroachers, and illegal groups were already a major hurdle. Now, the government’s newly amended bill has emerged as another significant challenge. Advocate Dr. Syed Ejaz Abbas Naqvi has strongly criticized this move and demanded immediate reforms. He stated that the primary objective of Waqf was to benefit the needy, but unfortunately, this objective has completely failed. On the other hand, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the largest Sikh religious organization, has been actively involved in the welfare of its community for decades. As a result, the Sikh community has nearly eradicated beggars and human rickshaw pullers.

Illegal Encroachments and Misuse of Waqf Lands Exposed :
According to Dr. Naqvi, Waqf properties have suffered the most due to unlawful encroachments by vested interest groups. The most unfortunate fact is that many Waqf lands were originally donated for the shrines (Dargahs) of Syed families, but they have been grossly misused. He revealed that a well-known individual shamelessly sold an acre of prime Waqf land on Mumbai’s Altamount Road for just 1.6 million rupees, a blatant violation of Waqf principles and laws.

Demand for a Stricter Amendment in Section 52 :
Dr. Naqvi has called on the government to take strict action against those who illegally sell Waqf properties. He has urged for an immediate amendment to Section 52 of the Waqf Act to introduce

capital punishment or life imprisonment* for unauthorized Waqf land sellers. This issue is a major setback for those fighting to safeguard Waqf properties, who are already battling corrupt elements and illegal land grabbers. It remains to be seen whether the government takes these concerns seriously and enacts effective legislation to protect Waqf lands.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Cleanup Marshal and Swachh Mumbai campaign ended, fine collection from citizens also stopped, BMC helpline number released

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Mumbai: Mumbai BMC has abolished the clean-up marshal policy, after which now the clean-up marshal has disappeared from the streets of the city. The Municipal Corporation has completely banned the clean-up marshal and the Swachh Mumbai Mission has been stopped. This means that now no clean-up marshal will be able to force citizens to pay fines or take any other punitive action. After complaints against clean-up marshals, Mumbai BMC has decided to stop and suspend the service of clean-up marshals from today.

The Solid Waste Management Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation, under the Department of Garbage and Sanitation, oversees public cleanliness in Mumbai and the ‘Swachh Mumbai Mission’ has been closed from April 4, 2025. However, the Municipal Corporation administration has appealed to the citizens that if any fine has been imposed on them despite this, then they can complain about it. Complaints regarding cleanup marshals can be made to the divisional control room of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation at 022-23855128 and 022-23877691 (extension number 549/500).

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Maharashtra

New India Cooperative Bank embezzlement accused’s properties attached

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Mumbai: Mumbai Economic Branch (EOW) has also started property seizure proceedings in the case of embezzlement of crores of rupees from New India Cooperative Bank. EOW said that after identifying the properties obtained from the embezzled amount, it has been attached and seized. 5 accused have been arrested in this case and 21 immovable properties of these accused have been found, which have been allowed to be confiscated.

This is the first action under 107 BNSS in Mumbai city in which the property of the accused has been seized. Mumbai AOW said that the amount recovered from the seized properties will also be estimated. After the bank scam in Mumbai, EOW has taken major action and details of other properties of the accused are also being investigated.

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