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Maharashtra

Maharashtra: Shinde In (M)Ad Rush To Control Damage; DCM Sulks, Avoids CM

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Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his party slipped in damage-control mode on Wednesday by releasing yet another full-page advertisement to “correct” the previous omissions and announced a ‘coordination committee’ to look after the alliance affairs even as the miffed Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis skipped public appearance with Shinde for the second consecutive day.

Based on the same survey quoted in previous advertisement, the advertisement appeared in select newspapers on Wednesday said 49.3 per cent of people wanted the united leadership of Shinde and Fadnavis along with a prominent photograph of the duo. The advertisement also sought to correct past mistakes by incorporating pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the de facto in-charge of the BJP’s affairs in Maharashtra and those of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray and Anand Dighe, the mentor of CM Shinde. The advertisement also proclaimed that 46.4 per cent of people wanted the BJP-Sena alliance government again in the state.

However, in an attempt to correct the previous mistakes, the advertisement committed new mistakes by adding photographs of Shiv Sena ministers at the bottom. Those included the ministers with shoddy performance whom the BJP wanted to be dropped from the cabinet. Questions were also being raised about who gave the advertisements.

One of the ministers Shambhuraj Desai’s statement, “Some ‘unknown well wisher’ of the party must have placed the advertisement” provided fodder for the opposition criticism. National Congress Party’s national working president and MP Supriya Sule wondered, “I am in search of that well-wisher who gave advertisements worth crores of rupees in newspapers. I think today’s design came from Delhi and that possibility cannot be ruled out.”

Unknown ‘well-wisher’

Asked what could have prompted the new advertisement on Wednesday, Sule quipped, “An invisible hand from Delhi.”
Leader of Opposition Ajit Pawar said the BJP and Shinde-led Sena should call for the elections immediately if they are so confident of enjoying public support.
“The ruling side claimed that the ad was placed by a well-wisher. We would like to know who is that well-wisher with so much money,” he said, referring to Sena minister Shambhuraj Desai’s claim that the advertisement on Tuesday was probably given by a well-wisher of their party.

Pawar also pointed out that most of the Sena ministers featuring in Wednesday’s ad are controversial figures.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that the fresh advertisement was the result of an earful from Fadnavis. “It has become clear what is in their mind. But everything is not good. The government will collapse like a house of cards. There is a proxy war between Shinde and BJP,” he added.

Meanwhile, DCM Fadnavis, who had skipped his scheduled programs at Kolhapur on Tuesday, also did so on Wednesday and avoided a program where he was supposed to share stage with CM Shinde.  In fact, Fadnavis cancelled all appointments for next few days out of Mumbai owing to inflammation of the tissues in sinuses due to which he has been advised to avoid air-travel. However, on Wednesday evening he was scheduled to share dais with CM at the platinum jubilee function of the MSRTC, which he skipped leading to raised eyebrows and speculations that something has gone very wrong within the alliance.

BJP-Shiv Sena Crossfire

The cross-fire between the other BJP and Shiv Sena leaders too continued on Wednesday. BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP and former agriculture minister Anil Bonde said, “A frog can not become an Oxen, how much it may swell,” in a cryptic reference to CM Shinde. “Shinde is a good Chief Minister, the people have accepted him. But, his coterie misguides him. They feel Thane means whole Maharashtra,” he added.

Senior Shiv Sena leader and minister for state excise, Shambhuraj Desai, however, tried to shield the alliance and said, “A coordination committee of senior leaders will be formed very soon to bury the differences and focus on the 2024 elections.”

Maharashtra

Mumbai: Strict action directed against prominent Marathi placards in shops and institutions, warning of action in Shiv Sena style: Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi

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Mumbai: The Marathi issue is likely to heat up again in Mumbai. Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi has become active in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. He held a meeting with the officials of the Municipal Corporation’s Shops and Establishment Department on Wednesday.

The issue of Marathi signboards in Mumbai is likely to heat up once again. Mumbai Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi has given clear instructions to shops, hotels and other institutions to make nameplates in Marathi within a month. This includes shops of various brands from five-star hotels to famous personalities. He also warned of Shiv Sena-style action against those who do not take these instructions seriously. Deputy Mayor Sanjay Gadi held a meeting with the officials of the Municipal Corporation’s Shops and Establishment Department in this regard on Wednesday. “As per the Supreme Court’s directions, it is mandatory to put up nameplates in Marathi in Devanagari script. Whether it is a five-star hotel or any other establishment, it is mandatory to put up Marathi nameplates on it. It should be checked whether the rules are being followed or not,” the vehicle told reporters. Sanjay Gadi has warned that strict action will be taken against those officials who delay in implementing the rules.” BMC Legal Committee Chairman Daksha Karkar has also reacted to this. Instructions have been given to the administration, to send notices to those who have not received them, and to instruct them to implement the rules within a month. Municipal officials have been instructed to collect information about those institutions that are not following the rules. Report within 15 days what action has been taken in such places. Further action will be taken after the completion of a month. Daksha Karkar has said that strict action will be taken against the violators. He said that no institution has put up a prominent Marathi board, our workers will take notice in the style of Shiv Sena.

The court dismissed the petition
The Maharashtra government, in one of its orders in 2022, had made it mandatory for all shops and institutions in the state to put up nameplates in Marathi language in Devanagari script. Federation of Retail Traders (FRT) had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against this order in February 2022. The court dismissed the petition. A bench of Justice Gautam S. Patel and Justice Madhav J. Jamda had imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner organization.

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Maharashtra

Pune Hospital Bomb Scare: ‘Suspect’s Face Identified Through CCTV,’ Says CM Devendra Fadnavis; Calls Incident ‘Act Of Sabotage’

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the face of the suspect linked to the bomb scare at a hospital in Pune’s Hadapsar area has been identified through CCTV footage, confirming that the suspicious object found at the facility was indeed a bomb and an act of sabotage.

“The object found at the Pune hospital was a bomb. It was an act of sabotage,” Fadnavis said. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Fadnavis stated that cops have identified the suspect’s face from CCTV footage captured at the hospital premises and efforts are underway to trace the individual. He added that multiple agencies are jointly probing the incident, including the terror angle.

The incident created panic on Wednesday evening after a bomb-like object was discovered inside a hospital in Hadapsar. Preliminary investigations revealed that the object was a low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) fitted with a timer mechanism.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Arrives At Vidhan Bhavan On Bike; Rides Along With Minister Ashish Shelar

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis arrived at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai on a motorcycle on Thursday morning, drawing attention from commuters and onlookers in south Mumbai. Videos of his bike ride with Minister Ashish Shelar have gone viral.

The Chief Minister was seen riding a black Royal Enfield Classic motorcycle, with Maharashtra minister Ashish Shelar seated as the pillion rider. According to reports, Fadnavis rode the bike from his official residence, Varsha Bungalow in Malabar Hill, to Vidhan Bhavan in Nariman Point. The move reportedly came in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal for fuel conservation and sustainable transportation practices.

Videos of the Chief Minister’s ride quickly surfaced on social media and went viral online. In the visuals, both Fadnavis and Shelar are seen wearing green helmets as they entered the Vidhan Bhavan premises. Other clips showed the Chief Minister comfortably navigating through Mumbai traffic while riding the motorcycle.

The unusual mode of transport by the Chief Minister sparked curiosity among motorists and pedestrians along the route, with several people stopping to capture the moment on their mobile phones.

The symbolic bike ride is being viewed as a gesture in support of the Prime Minister’s recent appeal urging people to conserve fuel, avoid unnecessary gold purchases and reduce overseas travel in view of ongoing global economic challenges and instability in international energy markets.

Backing the Prime Minister’s call, Fadnavis had earlier said several countries around the world are currently struggling with fuel shortages, inflation and supply-chain disruptions. He said citizens should cooperate during difficult times rather than mock such appeals.

The Chief Minister further stated that every citizen has a responsibility to contribute in their own way during periods of global crisis. He added that the Maharashtra government is also trying to implement the Prime Minister’s message responsibly.

“I believe it is the responsibility of every person to try and implement these measures in their own way. The Maharashtra government will also implement these measures in its own way. We are trying to do this,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s appeal comes amid rising global fuel prices and geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which have impacted energy markets and triggered concerns over inflation and economic stability in several countries.

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