Mumbai, July 10: A delegation of Urdu writers, led by MLA Raees Qasim Sheikh, met Maharashtra Minister for Cultural Affairs Advocate Ashish Shelar at Vidhan Bhawan on Friday and demanded the inclusion of Urdu poets in the recently announced “Kalawant” scheme of the state government.

The meeting came after a request was submitted to MLA Raees Qasim Sheikh by Urdu Karwan. The delegation included renowned poets Irfan Jafri, Obaid Azam Azmi, Dr. Qamar Siddiqui and Urdu Karwan President Farid Ahmed Khan.

The delegation told the minister that Urdu poets and writers are also an important part of the cultural and artistic tradition of Maharashtra, hence they should be included in the ambit of the “Kalawant” scheme so that they too can benefit from the financial assistance and patronage of the government. The delegation also emphasized that Urdu language has not only academic and literary but also deep cultural impact in the state of Maharashtra, and Urdu poets and writers have played a significant role in promoting the common civilization, culture and literary heritage of the state. Therefore, their services should be recognized at the official level and they should also be given the opportunity to benefit from this scheme.

Reacting positively to the delegation’s reports, Advocate Ashish Shelar assured that necessary action will be taken to include Urdu poets in the “Kalavant” scheme, so that they can also get the benefits of this scheme.

On this occasion, MLA Raees Qasim Sheikh thanked the Minister for Cultural Affairs and expressed the hope that the government will soon take a practical decision in this regard, due to which poets and writers associated with Urdu language and literature will also get government patronage and encouragement like other artists.

Mumbai: Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has succeeded in foiling the conspiracy of Pakistani don and Pakistani intelligence agency ISI agent Shahzad Bhatti to create unrest in the country and has started interrogating the online contacts of this gang, with which the ATS has neutralized and exposed the conspiracy of Shahzad Bhatti in the country.

Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has interrogated 112 youths associated with Pakistani don Shahzad Bhatti. ATS had earlier carried out a crackdown in different districts of Maharashtra and interrogated 57 youths. Today at 7 am, 14 units of ATS interrogated the online contactors of Shahzad Bhatti gang. ATS took 112 youths into custody and interrogated them when ATS came to know about them that they were in contact with Shahzad Bhatti gang online and these youths were being lured online. These youths were being lured online for anti-national activities and rebellion. Along with this, the youths were being lured for unrest and violence in the country. This conspiracy has been foiled by ATS. Along with this, ATS has claimed that by keeping these youths in online contact, foreign handlers lure them, along with this, they also come in contact with the handlers. In such a situation, ATS in Maharashtra Operation Shahzad Bhatti has intensified. Maharashtra ATS has confirmed this.

Mumbai, July 10: The Maharashtra government on Friday passed a Bill to reconstitute the trust governing the historic Ram temple at Ramtek, drawing sharp rebukes from Opposition leaders who question the legality and logic of legislating religious devotion.

The legislative move comes on the heels of a separate controversy surrounding the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Trust in Ayodhya. Rocked by an alleged Rs 1,400-crore donation theft row, the Ayodhya trust recently began searching for its first CEO, stipulating that “Ram ke prati shraddha ka bhav” (devotion to Lord Ram) is the foremost prerequisite for the role.

However, while Ayodhya’s search committee treats this as an internal hiring preference, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Maharashtra government has taken it a step further by making a declaration of faith a statutory legal requirement.

Located roughly 50 km from Nagpur, Ramtek holds immense religious significance. Local tradition holds that Lord Ram stayed there during his 14-year exile, and the site attracts hundreds of thousands of pilgrims annually for festivals such as Ram Navami and Kartik Purnima.

The new Bill seeks to revamp the administration of the Bhosala Devasthan at Ramtek, an ancient temple complex currently overseen by a court-appointed Sub-Divisional Officer. Under the new law, any prospective member of the trust’s management committee must submit a formal declaration affirming they are a “devotee of Shri Ram of Ramtek.”

The newly constituted board will feature government-appointed office-bearers alongside ex officio members, including the local Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) and the president of the Ramtek Municipal Council. Trustees will be entitled to an honorarium, travel allowances, and daily allowances funded directly by the temple’s management reserves.

The mandate sparked intense debate on the assembly floor, with Opposition MLAs cutting straight to the clause’s theological and practical absurdities. NCP SP MLA Jayant Patil asked how anyone could be a devotee of Lord Ram from a particular area and whether the government was dividing devotees of Lord Ram.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Varun Sardesai questioned the enforceability of the mandate, asking what the affidavit meant and whether the government had a mechanism to cross-check its authenticity.

Beyond the spiritual metrics, Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar took aim at the Bill’s financial provisions, invoking the recent financial shadow over Ayodhya. Wadettiwar noted that a total theft of Rs 1,400 crore was reported in Ayodhya.

He questioned why political leaders were being placed on the trust and why trustees should be paid allowances for serving Lord Ram.

The Bill was introduced by Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal, who represents the Ramtek Assembly constituency.

Jaiswal defended the legislation as a necessary step toward transparency, arguing that the temple’s expanding activities, growing financial footprint, and substantial properties require modernised, efficient administration.

However, Minister Jaiswal’s dual role sparked immediate pushback. NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad publicly questioned whether a clear conflict of interest existed, given that Jaiswal introduced a piece of legislation under which he would automatically secure a seat as an ex officio trustee.

Minister Jaiswal did not respond to the conflict-of-interest allegations or to the Opposition’s questions regarding the verification of the devotion affidavit.