Nanded (Maharashtra), Aug 14: A day after Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal was attacked by a man dressed as a Nihang in Maharashtra’s Nanded, he alleged that the “mission” of the attack was to “disturb peace in Punjab”, which he would “never allow”.

“Their mission is to take control of the situation in Punjab and disturb peace, which, as President of Akali Dal, I will never allow,” the SAD chief told reporters after his discharge from a hospital following a surgery on his right hand, which was injured in the attack.

The former Punjab President added: “Neither my father allowed it. Both times, they attacked me in the holiest places — first in the Golden Temple, and second at Takht Hazur Sahib.”

In 2024, an attempt to assassinate Badal was made while he was serving his penance at the entrance of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.

Badal further said: “I have always said that no one can harm those who are protected by the almighty…I thank Guru Gobind Singh ji on whose land I had arrived. The enemies of the country and of Punjab tried (to attack me), but I have been saved by Guru Gobind Singh ji.”

“I am not afraid, neither have I ever been so. I only want to state that Shiromani Akali Dal can make all kinds of sacrifice, but we are committed to communal harmony and brotherhood in Punjab,” he asserted.

The person who attacked the Akali Dal chief with a Kirpan at Mata Sahib Gurdwara premises in the Hazur Sahib area of Nanded was taken into custody soon after the incident.

Visuals showed Sukhbir Singh Badal walking inside a hospital building with a cloth wrapped around his right hand.

Several political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, had called the SAD chief’s wife Harsimrat Kaur Badal to enquire about his health, following the attack on him.

Meanwhile, SAD Vice President and Member of Punjab Core Committee Sanjeev Talwar on Thursday referred to the attack on Badal as “direct attack on Sikhism”.

“Sukhbir Singh Badal wants to again raise the slogan of Hindu-Sikh unity in Punjab. I feel this could be a conspiracy by those who want to take Punjab back to 1984,” Talwar told media.

SAD’s chief spokesperson Arshdeep Singh Kler had also blamed “anti-Sikh forces” for repeated attempts to attack the party chief.

Mumbai, Aug 14: In a major push towards leveraging information technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver fast, seamless, and transparent public services, the Maharashtra state government will issue an integrated digital identification number called the ‘Maha-ID’ to every citizen. This will not be an entirely separate identity document, but an integrated identifier linked directly to the individual’s Aadhaar card.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed all government departments to harness AI and IT solutions to ensure citizens can access public services directly from their homes. The Maha-ID serves as a central component of this digital governance initiative.

By providing just their Maha-ID, residents will be able to access schemes, information, subsidies, and services across various state departments. Since government databases already hold key records — such as domicile certificates, income certificates, and ration card details — citizens will no longer need to resubmit physical documents for every application. The initiative is expected to be outlined by the Chief Minister around Independence Day, with an official project launch following shortly after.

The unified system is set to directly benefit students, farmers, senior citizens, women entrepreneurs, and economically weaker sections. Currently, students applying for state scholarships must register separately on education portals. Farmers applying for subsidies are repeatedly required to submit identity, land, and bank details. Similarly, beneficiaries of social welfare schemes often have to resubmit certificates that are already present in other department records.

By eliminating the hassle of creating multiple accounts, remembering various usernames and passwords, and undergoing repeated identity verification, the initiative aims to drastically simplify citizen interactions with the state administration. Through the combined integration of the Maha-ID and the ‘Maha-Sarathi’ portal, various government departments and digital platforms will be interlinked, creating a highly interoperable digital governance network. As state departments synchronise their data, information required by one department can automatically be fetched from another, eliminating operational silos.

The government sources said, “The platform will be executed through the ‘Maha-Sarathi’ platform under the Electronics, Information Technology, and Artificial Intelligence Department. Citizens will register and submit the necessary details on the designated portal. A digital Maha-ID incorporating the citizen’s Aadhaar framework will be generated. Citizens can use this single ID to apply for various government services.”

Sources added that previously verified data will be reused automatically across eligible services, doing away with redundant document submissions.

Mumbai: The Education Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started an English medium school named ‘Mumbai Public School, Shivaji Nagar English School No. 01’ in a newly constructed building at Mumbai Public School, Shivaji Nagar School Complex No. 4, Baji Prabhu Deshpande Marg, Near Shivaji Nagar Market, Mumbai (04W), Govind 04, Mumbai Public School, Shivaji Nagar School Complex No. 4, Mumbai (04W).

The school follows the Maharashtra State Board curriculum and will conduct classes from Junior KG to Grade 4. It is worth noting that priority admission will be given to students currently studying in unauthorized schools in Govind and surrounding areas. Due to the limited number of seats, the BMC Education Department appeals to as many parents as possible to avail this facility.

Interested parents should contact the following address for admission: Address: 1st Floor, Mumbai Public School, Shivaji Nagar School Complex No. 4, Baji Prabhu Deshpande Marg, Near Shivaji Nagar Market, Govind (West), Mumbai – 400 043.