Mumbai, Sep 29: Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe on Tuesday hit back at Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut’s allegations of systemic extortion within the regulatory body, stating that the claims are generic, lack concrete details, and that no formal letter has been received by his office to date regarding this.

The exchange follows a letter written by Raut, in which he alleged that FDA field officers were exploiting Commissioner Mundhe’s aggressive enforcement drive to blackmail local businesses, hoteliers, and quick-commerce operators.

Responding to the publicised charges, Mundhe clarified that his office has not received any official copy of Raut’s letter and that he only became aware of the matter through media reports.

Expressing openness to scrutiny, Mundhe urged the lawmaker or any affected business owners to provide verifiable facts rather than general statements. “I am really thankful to him (Sanjay Raut). My only request to him is that if he has specific details, he should share them with me or with the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) — whichever agency he trusts. If any of my officers are engaging in corruption, please bring it to my notice with complete details,” he said.

Addressing concerns that small and medium-scale hoteliers fear retaliation or further harassment if they report corrupt officials, Mundhe assured stakeholders that anonymity is protected. He noted that the official FDA complaint portal automatically masks the complainant’s identities, and promised that any direct disclosures made to him would remain strictly confidential.

Earlier, in his communication addressed to Mundhe, Raut commended the commissioner for initiating widespread crackdowns against food adulteration and unhygienic restaurant conditions since taking charge on May 25. However, he alleged that a dark side to these enforcement actions has emerged.

According to Raut, Designated Officers (DOs), Assistant Commissioners, and Food Safety Officers (FSOs) are threatening hotels, restaurants, and warehouse operators with immediate license suspensions to extort large sums. The rate to settle or close an inspection notice allegedly rose from Rs 10,000-Rs 12,000 prior to Mundhe’s tenure to Rs 75,000-Rs 2,00,000 following the widespread panic created by recent enforcement raids.

Raut designated the FDA headquarters in Bandra (Mumbai) and the regional FDA office in Thane as major nerve centres for an unlawful collection drive.

He alleged that two Designated Officers in Thane demanded Rs 17-18 lakh from a quick-commerce enterprise to restore a suspended license. Raut argued that officers are skipping mandatory statutory steps — such as issuing improvement notices, granting compliance windows, and conducting formal hearings — in favour of summary suspensions based on unverified complaints.

Since Mundhe assumed charge of the department in late May, the Maharashtra FDA has undertaken an unprecedented enforcement wave across the state. During May-August, the FDA inspected 12,083 establishments, issued 5,269 improvement notices and suspended 603 licences.

While Mundhe maintains that strict regulatory oversight is essential for public safety and food quality, the political friction highlights mounting pressure from business groups, claiming that routine inspections are turning into avenues for bureaucratic exploitation. However, the FDA Commissioner has reiterated a zero-tolerance policy towards administrative corruption, provided actionable proof is submitted.

Mumbai, Sep 28: The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Monday launched massive demonstrations across all district collectorates, demanding the dismissal and arrest of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

The party accused him of undermining democratic institutions and manipulating voter rolls to benefit the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Congress leaders described Gyanesh Kumar as a “stain on democracy” and submitted memorandums outlining grievances to district collectors. The protests featured creative forms of dissent: in Amravati, protesters paraded an effigy of the CEC on a donkey before destroying it; in Thane, demonstrators forced an effigy to do sit-ups (uthak-baithak) as punishment.

Large rallies were also held in Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, Nashik, Nagpur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chandrapur, Nanded, Latur, Beed, and across the Konkan and North Maharashtra regions.

Senior Congress leaders led protests in several districts: Satej Patil in Kolhapur, Praniti Shinde in Solapur, Yashomati Thakur and Balwant Wankhede in Amravati, Kalyan Kale in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Pratibha Dhanorkar in Chandrapur, Ravindra Chavan in Nanded, Shivaji Kalge in Latur, and Kumar Ketkar in Thane.

Addressing gatherings, the Congress reiterated allegations earlier raised by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, about “vote theft.” The party claimed that over 13 crore voters nationwide, including more than 3 crore in Maharashtra, were arbitrarily removed from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

It further alleged that 47 lakh untraceable voters were added to Maharashtra’s rolls ahead of the 2024 assembly polls.

Congress spokespersons highlighted reported written dissent from two Election Commissioners over procedural deviations by the CEC, saying it validated their charges of bias. Leaders warned that the agitation would escalate into a national movement unless action were taken against Gyanesh Kumar.

Mumbai, Sep 28: The Shiv Sena(UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, retaliating sharply against his recent remark that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had “lost his brain” for alleging large-scale voter list manipulation and electoral fraud.

Raut questioned who had actually lost their mental balance, demanding to know why top BJP leaders were acting as “defence lawyers” for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar instead of addressing the core issues raised by the Opposition. Raut aggressively countered CM Fadnavis’s attempt to dismiss Rahul Gandhi’s accusations.

He questioned the BJP’s urge to shield the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the poll body has lost its constitutional independence and is operating under political influence. “Instead of debating who lost their mind, speak on the actual issue. Why is Devendra Fadnavis defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar? Has the Election Commission hired him as its advocate?” he asked, alleging that the ruling party’s desperate defence points towards a systemic cover-up.

Pointing to investigative news reports detailing internal dissent within the Election Commission, Raut noted that Rahul Gandhi was not the sole voice raising concerns. He referred to the media reports regarding procedural irregularities and internal friction among Election Commissioners. “Does Fadnavis lack basic political history, or is he deliberately ignoring facts?” he asked.

Comparing the three-member Election Commission to the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, Raut alleged that the commissioners pose together for photographs like Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, despite severe internal division. “Do they even share a working relationship? No. Just like CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Eknath Shinde stage photo-ops, these three Election Commissioners pose together for optics while the institution crumbles inside,” Raut remarked.

Escalating his rhetoric, the MP accused the ruling dispensation of deploying state power and police forces to protect the poll panel chief from public protests. He alleged that the central leadership views the Chief Election Commissioner as a crucial tool for electoral manipulation, making his protection an absolute priority for the regime.

“Gyanesh Kumar has become a bone stuck in the government’s throat. Protecting him has become their political necessity because he serves as the weapon to win elections through manipulation,” Raut alleged. “They are using state machinery, police forces, and central security forces to suppress peaceful protests. But let me make one thing clear — Gyanesh Kumar will have to go.”

Extending his critique to state governance, Raut criticised CM Fadnavis over the government’s response to the drought situation in Maharashtra. He hit out at the advice, asking citizens to cut down on personal expenses during severe distress.

“Instead of asking common citizens to cut back on expenses during a severe drought, why didn’t Fadnavis direct his own political colleagues to stop their corruption?” he asked. “Had he shown the courage to rein in corruption within his administration, I would have conceded that he possesses a working mind.”