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

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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

Police are busy removing loudspeakers from mosques under pressure from Kirit Somaiya, a case will be registered against Kirit Somaiya for spreading religious hatred: Abu Asim Azmi

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Mumbai: Mumbai Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi, while addressing a press conference of the Federation of Mosques at the Marathi Patrikar Singh in Mumbai, said that the country will run on the Constitution and the Bombay High Court’s decision against all religious places and the principles of noise pollution, but under the guise of this, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya is targeting only Muslims and claiming to remove loudspeakers from mosques. He is constantly putting pressure on the police, therefore, a case has been demanded to be registered against him on charges of creating hatred between two communities, spoiling the environment and spreading religious hatred. Otherwise, the court will also be approached to register a case so that a case can be registered against him as soon as possible. Abu Asim Azmi said that the local Hindus have no objection to the call to prayer and the loudspeakers of mosques, but action is being taken on the complaint of some mischievous elements.

The environment is being spoiled only for the sake of vote bank. Removing the loudspeakers of mosques poses a threat to law and order. Therefore, the police should also pay attention to this because in Mumbai too, a conspiracy is being hatched to create division between Hindus and Muslims and spread religious hatred. He said that an example of how religious hatred is being spread in Maharashtra and communalism is on the rise is that a student in Kokan did not raise the slogan of Pakistan Zindabad but his house was razed to the ground. If someone insults Chhatrapati Maharaj, then RR Patil had talked about bringing James Lennon from America. He said that removing loudspeakers from mosques is illegal, a nation is being targeted. Bhajan singing continues throughout the night in UP. Why is no action taken against it? Under pressure from BJP leader Kirit Somaiya, the police is forced to remove the loudspeakers of the mosque. A case should be registered against Kirit Somaiya because he is trying to spoil the atmosphere by promoting communalism. It is demanded from the Police Commissioner that he should not allow the removal of the loudspeakers of the mosques because they use loudspeakers within the legal framework.

Advocate Khalid said that the action is underway on the loudspeakers of mosques. The Bombay High Court had given a decision in which guidelines were issued. A new petition was filed in the High Court in which the Jago Nehru Nagar petition was filed. In this, the court has referred to the decision issued in 2016, in which guidelines were set. It has identified all the things. Whatever decision has been issued regarding noise pollution, the High Court has said in its order that all noise pollution has been banned in religious ceremonies. This decision has not been implemented for any single religion. In this decision, the court reviewed the interim order. The court has observed that permission is required before using loudspeakers. Decibels have also been fixed. When the mosque sought permission for loudspeakers, they were given permission. In both the decisions, the structure of the loudspeakers has not been fixed. Box type is being allowed, which is not included in the High Court decision. If the speakers installed in the mosque protest against noise pollution, then action will be taken against them.

A warning should be given on the first complaint, a notice for the second time, and a fine and action is available for the third time. It is also necessary to run an awareness campaign regarding noise pollution. No single religion has been targeted, it is applicable to all religions. Advocate Yousuf Abrahani said that due to the provocation of Kirit Somaiya, a conspiracy has started to spoil the atmosphere. The police are now going to every mosque and harassing the preachers, imams and trustees of the mosques. The law is the same and equal for all religions, but why is the law being used only on Muslims? This matter will soon be referred to the court. The beer bar’s license is until 12 o’clock, but the bar remains open all night. The police do not take action on this, but they get a salary from here, so the police are silent and take action only on mosques.

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Maharashtra

Police on High Alert for Bakra Eid: Action Against Communal Elements, Says Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre

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Mumbai: As Bakra Eid approaches, the Thane police have heightened vigilance against communal elements and initiated actions to curb any attempts to disturb peace. In a press briefing, Police Commissioner Ashutosh Dumbre emphasized the importance of maintaining law and order during this festive period. He stated that strict enforcement of the prohibition on cow slaughter in Maharashtra is mandatory, and violators will face severe consequences.

To ensure a peaceful environment, the police have increased patrolling in sensitive areas, including Kalyan, Ulhasnagar, Rabodi, Bhiwandi, and Mumbra, which have significant Muslim populations. Dumbre mentioned that additional deployment of forces will be in place during Bakra Eid and other festivities in the region.

The police commissioner emphasized that adherence to the guidelines set forth by the Municipal Corporation during the festival is essential. In collaboration with community leaders and scholars, the police have held meetings to ensure communal harmony. The Qureshi community reassured the police that they will refrain from sacrificing prohibited animals, underscoring a commitment to following the law.

To facilitate the arrival and purchase of goats before Eid, the police have stepped up patrols to prevent any potential difficulties. Precautionary measures have also been established to safeguard livestock traders from harassment. It is mandatory for goats and sacrificial animals to be air-tagged, which will only occur after a veterinary examination.

Commissioner Dumbre reiterated that Islam is a religion of peace and that fostering communal harmony is crucial during this time. In light of the upcoming festivities, the police have issued an alert within the police commissionerate. Special arrangements will be made at Eidgahs and mosques during Bakra Eid. He urged Muslims to conduct their rituals with dignity by avoiding the display of bloodied clothing and weapons and to transport meat discreetly in sealed bags or containers.

The police’s proactive stance aims to ensure that Bakra Eid is celebrated peacefully while upholding the laws of the state. Community cooperation and adherence to regulations will be key in making this festive season a harmonious occasion in Mumbai.
In Maharashtra, there is a complete ban on cow slaughter, and necessary instructions have been given to the police regarding this. Strict action will be taken against anyone who violates this ban. It was stated that cleanliness is half of faith, so during the process of sacrifice, waste and other items should be packed in bags and disposed of in bins, adhering to the guidelines and Islamic methods for sacrifice. The police commissioner advised that photos and videos of the sacrifice process should not be taken, as many people upload these images and videos on social media, which may hurt the religious sentiments of others and pose a risk of spreading religious hatred. The police commissioner urged Muslims to avoid such actions.

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Maharashtra

Special Court Denies Bail To Gangster Chhota Rajan In 2005 Arms Recovery Case

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Mumbai: The special court for the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), hearing the cases against incarcerated gangster Chhota Rajan, has refused to grant him bail in a 2005 case of recovery of a huge quantity of arms and ammunition. The court noted that the trial would be over in a few months, and at this juncture, his request cannot be considered.

As per the prosecution, Rajan and his close aide Bharat Nepali had imported a container consisting of 27 drums of grease from Bangkok, and one of them was found to conceal 34 revolvers, three pistols, a silencer, and 1,283 live cartridges. This came to light with the arrest of Nepali’s henchman Mukund Patel, who on May 21, 2005, was found with a revolver with two live rounds in the vicinity of Lata Bar and restaurant near Kandivali (W) railway station.

During interrogation about the source, he had revealed it was part of the consignment ordered by Rajan and Nepali. Later, Patel guided the investigating team to the Nhava Sheva Port, where the drum with the weapons was. It was revealed that the consign – ment had reached Mumbai on May 18, 2005, and the same was also cleared by Customs officers.

While seeking bail, Rajan’s lawyer contended that he had been falsely implicated and that he had already suffered incarceration of nearly 10 years after his arrest in the case in November 2015. The plea was opposed by the prosecution on the ground that there is enough evidence against Rajan. He contended that the officer who had interrogated Rajan had identified his voice in an intercepted audio recorded in September 2005.

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