Connect with us
Wednesday,15-October-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Maharashtra Politics: First, Two Senas; Now, Two NCPs

Published

on

Finally, Ajit Pawar, who was sulking over his neglect, especially after the elevation of his cousin Supriya Sule as the NCP working president, rocked the party’s boat by staging a coup four years after his 80-hour failed coup of becoming the deputy chief minister. He chose to challenge his uncle and party supreme Sharad Pawar’s leadership and staked claim to the NCP, which has entered its 25th year of existence, even as he had emerged as a major leader involved in the exercise to unite opposition against the BJP in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election.

Ajit Pawar was facing ED probe

Ajit Pawar, who as the leader of the opposition, often criticised for going soft on the Shinde-Fadnavis government, was scared of the ongoing probe by the Enforcement Directorate against him and his wife in connection with the Jarandeshwar sugar factory and therefore, preferred to join the ruling Shinde-Fadnavis alliance. Unlike the last time, Ajit Pawar took no risk but brought along with him veterans and young legislators, including close confidants of his uncle.

Bhujbal and Hasan Mushrif also facing cases

Incidentally, Bhujbal, who, along with Pawar, was one of the signatories in the establishment of the NCP on June 10, 1999, and is currently out on bail in the Maharashtra Sadan scam case, preferred safe passage by accepting Ajit Pawar’s leadership and dumping of the older Pawar. Similarly, former minister Hasan Mushrif, whose fate also hangs in the balance as he faces arrest from the ED in connection with the Kolhapur sugar factory, chose to join Ajit Pawar and thereby become a ruling partner of the BJP, which he until recently criticised as being communal and fundamentalist Walse-Patil’s decision to associate with Ajit Pawar has stunned the older Pawar, merely to avoid ED action linked to a private milk dairy unit in his Ambegaon assembly segment.

Dilip Walse-Patil’s rise under Sharad Pawar; leaves senior Pawar for Ajit

Walse-Patil, who had worked as the personal assistant to the older Pawar when the latter was the leader of the opposition, later rose to become an MLA for the first time in 1990 and since then, has been elected from the same constituency. Thanks to his old boss, he held several departments as minister between 1999 and 2009, later becoming assembly speaker and the home minister in the MVA government. More importantly, Praful Patel, also scared about ED action, ditched Sharad Pawar and joined Ajit.

Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy

Praful Patel, Sharad Pawar’s blue-eyed boy and associate for more than four decades, has joined the Ajit bandwagon because he believes the Modi-led government will be back after the general elections and there was no point taking on the BJP as the MVA experiment has failed miserably.

Ajit Pawar’s recent utterances

Ajit Pawar, speaking at the recent function to celebrate the NCP’s anniversary, had targeted his uncle for the party’s failure to become the single largest party and form the government, unlike other regional parties including Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party and K Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi. He has claimed that almost all of the 53 legislators and MPs have been on board. Further, he has also declared that the decision to join the Shinde-Fadnavis government was taken with the blessings and support of the older Pawar, in the larger interest of expediting Maharashtra’s progress and the development of farmers, workers, tribals, OBCs. Interestingly, it was a well-thoughtout decision by Ajit Pawar, who was unsure about the NCP’s future at a time when his uncle is getting older and the party was unable to consolidate its position in Maharashtra, forget about other states. He openly ridiculed the opposition unity exercise as a farce and heaped praise on Modi for his ‘strong and able leadership which has helped India achieve spectacular growth in the last nine years’.

NCP would fight all elections with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP, says Ajit Pawar

He also went a step further and announced that the NCP would fight all elections with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP to stay relevant in Maharashtra. Even though Ajit Pawar has severed links with his uncle to pursue his ambition, the road ahead for him as well as the other legislators will be quite bumpy, as they will have to take on Pawar senior and convince voters about their decision. In addition, Ajit Pawar will have to be a tough negotiator to get seats for his faction during seat-sharing arrangements with the Shinde-led Shiv Sena and BJP, especially when the latter wants the lion’s share to achieve its ‘Mission 45-plus’ in the Lok Sabha and 200-plus seats in the assembly elections slated for 2024.

BJP kept the cards close to its chest

The BJP played its cards well by tapping into the rising discontent and fear of punitive action in NCP legislators, including Ajit Pawar, as it had done with Eknath Shinde last year. The saffron party could execute ‘Operation Lotus’ because of the operative skills of Fadnavis and with the tacit support of Modi. Incidentally, both Modi and Fadnavis had termed the NCP as the most corrupt party and last week; in fact, the PM had singled out the Rs 70,000 crore irrigation scam and Maharashtra State Cooperative bank irregularities, of which the uncle and nephew were alleged beneficiaries. As far as Shinde is concerned, he will have to convince his 39 MLAs and 10 Independents about their fate and relevance in the new arrangement. There are a large number of them who are expecting ministerial berths and Shinde will continue to pacify them to avoid any trouble. The fate of Shinde and 15 legislators hangs in the balance due to disqualification proceedings. BJP insiders point out that Ajit Pawar’s decision has come as a buffer, to minimise the dependence on the Shinde faction for government’s survival.

Neither down nor out, says Sharad Pawar

However, Sharad Pawar, who faced the media after his nephew’s coup in broad daylight, hinted that he is neither down nor out but ready to revive the NCP with the promotion of new young leadership. He also disapproved of the ministerial berths to Ajit Pawar and eight others, saying that it was their personal decision and not that of the party. He also made it clear that it was against the party’s secular and progressive line, reiterating that he would step up the fight against the communal and divisive politics of the BJP and Modi.

Senior Pawar narrates ’80’s tale

Narrating his experience when 50 legislators had deserted him in the 1980s but he went on to fight the elections and won 69 seats in 1980, Sharad Pawar announced that he would start anew. The 83-year-old has announced he will travel extensively across Maharashtra and parts of India, starting with the launch of his outreach from Karad on Monday. Incidentally, Karad is the birthplace of former chief minister and Sharad Pawar’s mentor, Y B Chavan. With uncle and nephew essaying different roles now, it will be the BJP which will use every opportunity to exploit the rift and achieve electoral gains.

Maharashtra

Hafiz Tauseef Ansari arrested for links to Pakistani terrorist organization, other terrorist organizations mislead and trap youth: Investigative agencies claim

Published

on

After a raid by the Andhra Police ATS and the local police station in Malegaon, Mumbai, the police have claimed to have arrested a suspected youth from the Nomani Nagar area. The above-mentioned youth was active on social media and along with his activities on social media, he was in contact with the enemy country Pakistani terrorist organization. The accused has been arrested on this allegation. Along with this, a case has also been registered against the accused in the Dharmapur Town Police Station in Andhra. Maharashtra ATS and intelligence agencies have also interrogated him. The accused has been identified as Hafiz Tauseef Aslam Ansari. He is a tailor by profession and was also active on social media. Whether he came in contact with the Pakistani terrorist organization knowingly or intentionally, or he knew about it, the police are investigating him. The arrest of Hafiz Tauseef has created a sensation in Malegaon. After the arrest of Tauseef in Malegaon, the police have also seized his mobile phone and other documents and have also expanded the scope of the investigation. An investigation is underway to determine whether he has any criminal case registered against him, along with his suspicious activities and the number of times he has provided information related to India to terrorist organizations. His social media accounts are also being examined and monitored. Earlier, the Maharashtra ATS had arrested several youths, including a young PIO on charges of having links with Pakistani intelligence operatives. Many youths have also been trapped in the PIO’s honey trap. The PIO’s method is such that first the PIO regularly talks to an Indian citizen and the girl then makes her pictures and pornographic videos public. After threatening to make the pornographic chat public, they lure him with money and transfer money to the account. In such a situation, the intelligence agencies are obliged to take action against such youths. There are many youths who unknowingly fall for this misleading propaganda and get badly trapped. Therefore, one should remain alert and avoid the misuse of social media.

Continue Reading

Crime

Mumbai: Malad Police Arrest Trio For ATM Card Theft, Fraudulent Withdrawals Across City

Published

on

Three people were arrested by Malad Police for allegedly stealing ATM cards from unsuspecting bank customers. The accused discreetly noted down PINs and later withdrew money from victims’ accounts, targeting ATMs in Andheri, Bandra, Kandivali, Borivali, Chembur, and Malad this month alone.

The latest case was reported on October 8 in Malad. A 55-year-old man’s ATM card got stuck while withdrawing cash. The accused helped retrieve the card while secretly noting his PIN, later stealing the card and fraudulently withdrawing Rs 40,000 from his account.

After the complaint, a team led by Senior Inspector Dushyant Chavan analyzed CCTV footage and traced the suspects. Monitoring their movements, police followed a vehicle to Chembur and identified its owner, who admitted hiring the car to the three accused.

The arrested individuals are Mohammad Aarif Khan, 47, a chauffeur; Abdul Haqiq Khan, 34, a truck driver; and Danish Khan, 23, a labourer. Abdul Haqiq and Danish have prior criminal records in Uttar Pradesh.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Mumbai’s Rising Skyline, Falling Safety: Repeated Tragedies Expose Grim Reality At Construction Sites

Published

on

Mumbai: On October 8, two separate incidents reminded the city once again of this grim reality. In Jogeshwari East, 22-year-old Sanskruti Amin lost her life when a cement block fell from an under-construction building, fatally striking her on the head. On the same day, in Chembur, a 46-year-old labourer plunged to his death from the 13th floor while plastering a wall.

Relatives of both victims have accused the builders of negligence, alleging that basic safety norms were ignored. “If helmets or safety nets had been in place, these deaths could have been prevented,” said one relative, visibly angry at the developers’ indifference.

Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents. Just fifteen days later, yet another construction worker died under similar circumstances — this time, the developer had reportedly failed to provide safety harnesses.

Despite the frequency of such tragedies, accountability remains rare. Police cases, if filed at all, usually target the on-site supervisor or contractor. Developers — who are ultimately responsible for ensuring compliance with safety norms — often escape scrutiny.

According to labour activists, Mumbai witnesses several such deaths every year, many of which go unreported or are quietly settled. “Workers’ lives are treated as cheap. There is no system to monitor safety compliance effectively,” said an activist who has been tracking such incidents.

Many small and mid-level builders cut corners to save costs, skipping helmets, harnesses, barricades, and safety training altogether. In the meantime, the families of victims are left to fight lengthy legal battles or simply move on, with little hope of justice or compensation.

Adv. Bhimesh Mutula, Secretary of the Maharashtra State Nurses and Labour Workers’ Association, stated, “Safety norms in new constructions and redevelopment projects remain only on paper. The safety of workers, structural inspections at construction sites, and physical inspections by the concerned authorities are being seriously neglected. It is very painful that even after the death or accident of workers, their families do not receive justice or compensation.”

Meanwhile, Mumbai BJP President and MLA Ameet Satam has written to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, demanding a thorough probe into the Sanskruti Amin incident. Satam also urged the BMC to conduct a citywide audit of all under-construction sites to ensure compliance with safety norms.
The demand follows the tragic death of 22-year-old Amin, who was killed by a falling brick from a redevelopment site in Jogeshwari East on October 8. Around 1,000 residents joined a protest march on Sunday, demanding action against the builder.

“It has been brought to my notice that there were prior complaints regarding safety norms not being followed at the said site, and no action was taken. If these allegations are true, the BMC administration should take immediate action against the concerned officials,” Satam said.

He further called for stringent safety checks across the city. “The BMC must audit all under-construction sites to check whether safety norms are being followed. Any violations must be rectified at the earliest. In the interest of public safety, a stop-work notice should be issued until compliance is ensured,” he added.

Meanwhile, the BMC’s Building Proposal Department, which grants permissions for new constructions and redevelopment, stated that it is the responsibility of the owner, builder, developer, architect, and other professionals to take all precautionary measures on-site to avoid any mishap.

‘Special Safety Control Guidelines’ were issued by the State Urban Development Department in August 2025 for construction activities in high-rises. Some of the key recommendations include the appointment of safety officers, safety measures for façade and height work, and the safeguarding of adjacent areas as part of the Building Proposal’s Intimation of Disapproval (IOD) conditions.

“As per the provision of DCPR 2034 Clause 12(5), it is the responsibility of the builder on record to ensure necessary safety precautions are taken on-site and in its immediate surroundings. The grant of IOD does not render BMC liable for any injury or damages whatsoever. In simple words, when the builder is permitted to start work, he accepts full responsibility for compliance with safety norms,” said a senior BMC officer.

The officer added that while the BMC does inspect construction sites, the visits are not frequent.

A police officer said, “When a complaint is received regarding unauthorised construction, the police stop the construction and inform the municipal authorities. The police cannot take direct action. Based on the municipal corporation’s directions and the complaint, a case is then registered against those responsible. If the municipal body requests police protection for the demolition of such illegal structures, the police provide security. However, if the police register a case against unauthorised construction, they must obtain approval from the municipal corporation for further action.”

A retired police officer added that this process often leads to significant delays.

The complete responsibility for the safety of workers at a building construction site lies with the concerned builder, contractor, or supervisor. It is the duty of the relevant administrative authorities to ensure that proper facilities and safety measures are provided at the construction site.

If safety measures are not in place and a worker dies as a result, a preliminary investigation is conducted, and a case is registered against those responsible, followed by further legal action, according to a police official.

As the skyline of Mumbai continues to rise, it does so on a shaky foundation not of cement and steel, but of ignored safety measures and forgotten lives. Until strict accountability is enforced, more such headlines will continue to remind the city of the price paid for negligence.

Key Facts

Fifteen days later, another worker died due to lack of safety harnesses.

Developers reportedly failed to provide proper safety measures.

Police cases usually target supervisors or contractors; developers often escape scrutiny.

Victims’ families often face long legal battles or give up hope for justice.

Many such deaths go unreported or are quietly settled.

Many small and mid-level builders skip safety gear and training to cut costs.

Builders, developers, and architects are fully responsible for on-site safety.

Safety Guidelines

Special Safety Control Guidelines (August 2025) for High-Rise Construction Include:

Appointment of safety officers.

Safety for façade and height work.

Protection of adjacent areas.
A senior BMC officer admitted that inspections are carried out but not frequently.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending