Mumbai: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on a one-day private visit to India’s financial capital, Mumbai, reached Asia’s largest slum, Dharavi on Thursday afternoon. He was accompanied by local leaders and MP Varsha Gaikwad.

Here, Gandhi spoke to the labourers and small and medium entrepreneurs from the leather industry in an attempt to understand the challenges faced by leather workers. He also visited the famous Brand Chamar studio in Dharavi.

The Congress leader has constantly opposed the Adani group of bagging key projects and alleged the ruling BJP of favoring the conglomerate. Earlier in the day Gandhi was welcomed by Congress leaders of the state including Varsha Gaikwad, Satej Pail, Bhai Jagtap and Vijay Wadettiwar. 

Dharavi Redevelopment Project 

In November 2022, the Adani group emerged as the highest bidder (INR 5,069) to win the auction for the Dharavi redevelopment project.

The Dharavi redevelopment project is a joint venture between the Adani group and the state government. There are around 850,000 residents in the Dharavi area. The redevelopment area is around 600 acres.

Opposition Alleges Scam 

Congress MP and former MLA from Dharavi Varsha Gaikwad has been vocal against her views against the Adani group bagging the project. 

The lawmaker has accused the state government of orchestrating a major scam with the Dharavi Development Project and has alleged that the contract was designed to benefit industrialist Gautam Adani. 

Dividing Views In Opposition 

On one hand, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) opposed the Dharavi redevelopment project on the other NCP (SCP), Patraich Sharad Pawar had said speaking to a digital news channel that “The Dharavi issue is not at all there.”

Dharavi- A Congress Bastion

Dharavi has been a Congres bastion since 1999. In the 2024 election Jyoti Gaykwad won from the seat after her sister Varsha Gaikwad who vacated the seat after wining Lok Sabha Elections from the Mumbai North Central seat. Earlier the seat was held by her father Eknath Gaikwad.

Rahul Gandhi will be leaving from Mumbai for Ahmedabad on Friday morning. 

Mumbai: The controversy over Marathi language in Mumbai has intensified with Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray demanding a sedition case against RSS leader Bhaiyaji Joshi for his “Marathi not necessary to live in Mumbai” remark.

Speaking to media outside Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha in Mumbai, Uddhav Thackeray said, Joshi’s statement reveals BJP and RSS’ hidden agenda. He demanded a sedition case be filed against the RSS leader.

“Just as the Chief Minister said in the Legislative Council that Kortkar is a petty man, he should also say that Bhaiyyaji Joshi is a petty man. A case of sedition should be filed against Bhaiyyaji Joshi,” he said.

Earlier today, responding to the RSS leader’s statement, MLA Aaditya Thackeray stated, “Whether it’s Maharashtra’s language or Mumbai’s language, it is Marathi. Many people come to our state from different regions, settle here, and bring their dreams with them. They contribute, they grow, and everyone is welcome. But the language of this land, of Mumbai, of Maharashtra, is Marathi. Just as Tamil is the language of Tamil Nadu and Kannada is the language of Karnataka, I want to emphasize that Marathi is the language of Maharashtra…”

Meanwhile, after facing flak from INDIA bloc leaders, Bhaiyaji Joshi took a u-turn from his previous statement and said, “Marathi is Mumbai’s language, those coming from outside and speaking other languages should understand it.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has responded to the RSS leader’s remark in the state Assembly and made it clear that “Marathi is the language of Mumbai, Maharashtra and the state government.”

“The Marathi language is a part of the culture and identity of the state, and it should be the duty of every citizen to learn it. The Marathi language will be respected and preserved in Maharashtra, and it is an integral part of our cultural heritage,” Maharashtra CM said.

The controversy over Marathi language ignited from RSS leader Bhaiyaji Joshi’s remark made in Mumbai’s Ghatkopar.

Addressing an event, RSS leader said,, “Mumbai doesn’t have a single language. Each part of Mumbai has a different language. The Ghatkopar area’s language is Gujarati. So if you are residing in Mumbai, it is not necessary that you have to learn Marathi.”

Mumbai, March 6: Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar on Thursday accepted three separate privilege motions filed by Minister of Rural Development and BJP leader Jaykumar Gore against Saamna executive editor and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut, NCP(SP) Legislator Rohit Pawar and YouTube channel Laibhari and the journalist Tushar Kharat for defaming and maligning his image by making allegations in connection with a 2017 case.

The Speaker, in his ruling, said that considering the seriousness of the matter, he was referring all three privilege motions to the House Privileges Committee.

Earlier, the Minister said he resorted to this move after he was accused of sending obscene photos to a woman in 2017 and allegedly harassing her. He said the court had already acquitted him in 2019, and it was quite serious that the matter had been raked up after eight years to target him by making false allegations. Gore said that Raut had maligned his image and insulted the state Assembly. Therefore, he added that he is moving a privilege motion against him.”

Similarly, the Minister said that Rohit Pawar has also damaged his image by making baseless allegations.

The Minister, in his privilege motion against YouTube channel Laibhari and journalist Tushar Kharat, said the press and media are the fourth pillar of democracy, and while writing or showing some stories, they should maintain some standards.

Gore urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who was sitting in the state legislature, to hold a detailed inquiry into the matter. “If I am found guilty, I am prepared to face any action,” he told the House.

He referred to a representation made by someone to the Governor in this regard, saying that the government conducted the investigation, and it later came to light that the signatory of the representation has denied its signature in its confession to the Satara Superintendent of Police. He appealed to take the issue of submission of a fake letter as it was done with an intention to damage him and his family and demolish the leadership forever, which is quite dangerous.

“Some of the elected representatives, who are currently in the state Assembly and some outside the House, hatched a conspiracy against me after their loss in the state council elections. They lodged an offence against me. The issue was raked up again even as the ashes of father have yet to be immersed. They did not maintain any morality to wait for even 10 days after my father’s death but raised the eight-year-old issue now. This was to damage my leadership, and I rose to this position without any political background. I come from an ordinary family,” he said.