New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said that the future of the country is in doubt as the BJP’s dream is to break up and finish off every regional party in the country.

Addressing a press conference here today, Thackeray questioned the election process in the country citing the voter and EVM fraud.

“I met Rahul Gandhi last night. Today, I will be meeting Arvind Kejriwal. Today, the future of your country is in doubt. Today, we don’t know where our vote is going amid voter fraud and EVM fraud in the country. Are elections being held in a free and fair manner in our country today? We think we are living in a democracy, but it is no longer a democracy. What happened with us and Kejriwal ji and Congress, could happen with Nitish ji, RJD and Chandrababu ji Naidu in in future,”Thackeray told reporters.

“BJP’s dream is to break up and finish off every regional party just as they want to do for the democracy of the country,” he said.

Further, speaking on his meeting with INDIA Bloc leaders, Aditya Thackeray said efforts are being made to prepare the roadmap for the future.

“There are many senior leaders for INDIA Bloc who will prepare its roadmap. INDIA Bloc has joint leadership. There is no one leader. This is not a fight of egos or for one’s benefit but a fight for the future of the country,” Thackeray added.

With its poor performance in Haryana, Maharashtra and Delhi Assembly polls, the INDIA Bloc is facing challenging issues in its fight against the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

Earlier, Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised concerns over the surge in new voters, particularly between the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in Maharashtra, highlighting that 39 lakh new voters were added in just five months after the Lok Sabha polls.

He also questioned discrepancies in voter registration figures, claiming that the number of registered voters exceeded Maharashtra’s total adult population.

Mumbai: Following the BMC’s announcement of levying property tax on commercial units in slums, Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator Rais Shaikh has written to the BMC demanding that the civic body conduct the socio-economic impact assessment study by renowned institutions such as Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) to understand the far-reaching ramifications on the poorest of the poor in the city. The move will have a catastrophic impact on the informal sector, with over 3 lakh people losing their livelihoods and becoming unemployed, said Shaikh.

In his letter to BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani, Shaikh stated that the BMC Budget for 2025-26 proposes to levy property tax on commercial units in slums. “This move indicates the BMC’s impending financial crisis due to the mismanagement of its finances. It will have the potential significant impact of rendering over 3 lakh people unemployed, losing their livelihoods, with the poorest of the poor being hit hardest by this decision,” said Rais Shaikh, MLA.

Shaikh has demanded that the move will have an adverse impact on the sustainability of the MSMEs which provide employment to lakhs of people. “Levying property tax on commercial units in slums will render MSMEs unsustainable, as it imposes an additional financial burden. This move will have a significant impact on the informal sector, and lakhs of people will lose their livelihoods, leading to unemployment. It is completely unjustifiable to consider commercial units in slums on par with those in malls and commercial complexes for the purpose of levying property tax,” said Shaikh.

Shaikh further stated that the rise in unemployment may lead to social disharmony and a potential increase in crime in the city. “Therefore, I demand that an socio-economic impact assessment study of the BMC’s decision to levy property tax on commercial units in slums be conducted by renowned institutions such as TISS,” Shaikh demanded.

According to the BMC, there are around 2.5 lakh slums in Mumbai. A significant number of these slum areas (at least 20%, i.e., 50,000 slums) are being used for commercial purposes such as small and large industries, shops, godowns, hotels, etc. The BMC expects to generate revenue of Rs 350 crore by levying property tax on the commercial units in slums.

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on a plea filed by Rita Devi, mother of Anuj Thapan—the accused in the firing outside actor Salman Khan’s residence who died by suicide in custody—seeking a CBI probe into his death, alleging foul play.

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Neela Gokhale also directed the State to show the relevant portion of the CCTV footage to Devi’s advocate after he raised doubts over the magisterial inquiry report, which ruled Thapan’s death a suicide.

In December last year, the HC had observed that the 18-year-old’s demise did not appear to be a custodial death. It also noted that the police had no apparent reason to harm him, as he could have been helpful in their investigation.

Thapan was found hanging in the toilet of the crime branch lock-up at Crawford Market on May 1, 2024. Police claimed he used a bedsheet to take the extreme step. A mandatory magisterial inquiry was conducted, and a report was submitted to the HC. The CID, which also investigated the case, submitted a separate report.

During the hearing on Wednesday, advocate Nishant Rana pointed out discrepancies between the magistrate’s and the CID’s reports. “Some facts are totally opposite in the reports,” he said.

However, State advocate Prajakta Shinde clarified that the CID report submitted on May 15, 2024, was only an interim report based on an Accidental Death Report and that the probe has since been concluded.

Rana, however, insisted there was a conspiracy to kill Thapan. He claimed Thapan had told his mother that police beat him with a belt and that he was seen with a knife borrowed from an inmate. However, the magisterial report stated he was seen entering the washroom with a rope.

“As per the magistrate’s report, he (Thapan) was seen carrying a rope when he went to the washroom. It is also said that he borrowed a knife from an inmate. Why would he go through the trouble of hanging himself? He could have simply cut his veins,” Rana argued.

The judges, however, reiterated that they had reviewed the CCTV footage and “found nothing.”

When Rana pointed out that the magistrate’s report did not mention Call Data Records (CDR), the bench questioned, “He died in custody. Where is the question of CDR?”

The court then closed the plea for orders.

On April 14, 2024, two motorcycle-borne men opened fire outside Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, where Khan resides with his family. The alleged shooters, Vicky Gupta and Sagar Pal, were later arrested in Gujarat. Thapan and an associate were apprehended in Punjab on April 26 for allegedly supplying firearms and ammunition for the shooting. Police claimed he had links to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi.

So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the case under the stringent MCOCA.