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Maharashtra

Maharashtra local body polls: Supreme Court orders status quo, will set up special bench

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 The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Maharashtra government and the state election commission (SEC) to maintain the status quo in connection with the poll process to the local bodies in the state.

A bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana said the matter needs a detailed hearing and a separate special bench would be set up for the final disposal. The bench, also comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and J.B. Pardiwala, was hearing a plea of the Maharashtra government seeking a recall of top court’s order, directing the SEC not to re-notify the poll process to 367 local bodies in order to provide reservation to OBCs.

The bench said, “The matter requires an elaborate hearing. In view of that we direct the parties to maintain the status quo. List the matter after five weeks.”

The Maharashtra government had sought recall or modification of July 28 order, and also a direction to the SEC to hold the elections for the 96 local bodies, out of 367 local bodies, namely 92 municipal councils and four nagar panchayats, allowing OBC reservation as per the report prepared by the Dedicated Commission for Reservation for Backward Class of Citizens in local bodies of the state.

On July 28, the top court had cautioned SEC of contempt action if it re-notifies the election process to 367 local bodies, where the process has already commenced, to provide reservation to OBCs.

The state government had contended that under the constitutional scheme, it was deemed fit to give political reservation to OBCs to ensure that they are duly represented inside the government and their voice is heard.

On July 20, the Supreme Court accepted the recommendations of the Banthia commission to apply 27 per cent OBC reservations in the local body elections in Maharashtra, and directed that election for the local bodies in the state be notified in the next two weeks.

On July 28, the apex court had said the poll schedule was already notified when it allowed OBC reservation and the polls for those bodies must be held without the OBC reservation. It said the state election commission cannot interfere with the election, which has already been notified and only the dates can be re-aligned. The top court did not appreciate that despite clarifying the issue several times, the SEC had taken a decision to reschedule the poll. It made it clear SEC and the concerned officials would be liable for contempt of court for breaching its order.

The top court, in December 2021, had ruled that reservation for OBCs in local bodies will not be allowed unless the government fulfils the triple test laid down in the apex court’s 2010 order.

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.

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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.

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Maharashtra

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

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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.

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Maharashtra

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

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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.

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