Mumbai, Oct 5: National Commission for Women Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar on Monday began a visit to Maharashtra, looking forward to interacting with working women and discussing issues related to empowerment and security.

Her single-day visit kicked off with an awareness programme with employees of a private bank on the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act), according to a statement.

She later visited the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and led consultations on state-specific laws with Maharashtra State Women Commission officials.

Discussions with the Mumbai Police Commissioner on women’s safety were also scheduled at the Commissionerate Office, the statement said.

On Sunday, Rahatkar attended and gave away prizes at the state-level inter-collegiate debate competition organised by Manikchand Pahade Law College of the Marathwada Legal and General Education Society in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, said a statement.

The topic of the competition was: “Gen Z’s Path is Conducive to Transformation.” On this occasion, she interacted with the students, participants, and faculty members of the college.

While sharing her thoughts on the competition’s topic, the NCW Chairperson said, “India is passing through a phase of transformation today, and in this journey, the youth class is not merely a spectator. The youth are India’s largest stakeholders, India’s greatest strength, and the most important force that will bring the dream of a developed India into reality.”

“Therefore, let there be confidence in your minds, but along with that, let there also be humility. Acquire knowledge, but along with that, nurture curiosity as well. Have the courage to firmly express your opinions; but also maintain the patience to listen to others’ opinions,” she said.

“And most importantly, know your rights, be aware of your duties, and have faith in our Constitution. Because India’s future is not shaped only in Parliament; India’s future is also shaped in the classrooms of universities and colleges. These students of today will be the lawyers, judges, researchers, administrators, policymakers, and citizens who will lead society tomorrow,” said Rahatkar.

In a message on X, she said, “The students’ ideas, values and faith in the Constitution will therefore play a crucial role in shaping the journey towards a Viksit Bharat.”

Mumbai: The Mumbai Police have registered a case against the organizers of the ‘Garjana Morcha’ (Roaring Rally), which was held without permission at Azad Maidan near the BMC headquarters. The protest, organized by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray, saw the participation of party workers from across Mumbai and the state. During the event, demands were raised to cancel the FIR, and Raj Thackeray—in his address—termed the FIR itself illegal; he also proposed a boycott of the elections. The Mumbai Police have registered the case under Sections 223, 189, and 190 of the BNS. Authorities stated that the case was filed due to the unlawful assembly of a crowd. The Azad Maidan Police have initiated an investigation into the matter, and the case has been registered against the organizers as well as other leaders. A case must be registered for an illegal protest: Nitesh Rane
Following the police case registered after the Azad Maidan protest, BJP leader and minister Nitesh Rane stated that filing a case for an unauthorized, illegal protest is mandatory because the Constitution of Babasaheb Ambedkar prevails here. He alleged that the protest was held for “Vote Jihad.” Furthermore, in a vitriolic outburst, Rane noted that Aaditya Thackeray was absent from the protest organized by Uddhav and Raj Thackeray; claiming Aaditya knew action would be taken against him and might flee, Rane demanded that his passport be confiscated.

Mumbai, Oct 5: Shiv Sena(UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after the CM labelled the Thackeray brothers “Ghajini” while downplaying their protest against CEC Gyanesh Kumar over the alleged discrepancies and lack of transparency in the ongoing SIR process.

Expressing fury over the Chief Minister’s remarks, Raut claimed the ruling party has completely “lost its mental balance”, comparing the BJP’s current state to the panicked desperation of the British Empire prior to its downfall in 1942. Dismissing the ruling coalition’s attempts to downplay the massive turnout at the Garjana Morcha, Raut turned the “Ghajini” moniker back on the BJP leadership.

“Supreme Court Justice Ujwal Bhuyan voiced strong concerns about election integrity, noting how wrong it is when millions of citizens lose their right to vote. Will Devendra Fadnavis have the audacity to call a sitting Supreme Court judge ‘Ghajini’ too? Will Ashish Shelar claim the apex court is merely ‘jackal-howling’? The BJP’s mental equilibrium has collapsed under public fury,” he stated.

Suggesting that CM Fadnavis’s political career is on a downward trajectory, Raut quipped, “We try to give him energy by saying he has a future in Delhi, but he keeps damaging himself. He is stuck in the pipeline for a top national role. Once he understands that millions taking to the streets is a revolution rather than whining, only then will he reach the top.”

Commenting on BJP Minister Ashish Shelar’s remark dismissing the rally as kolhekui (jackal-howling), Raut retorted, “They are jackals themselves, which is why all they see is howling. It wasn’t a howl; it was a ‘Garjana’ (Roar) — the largest anti-election manipulation protest the country has seen.”

Highlighting the national momentum behind the opposition’s mobilisation, Raut claimed that central authorities are deeply rattled by the mounting public indignation over Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar.

Raut pointed out that Delhi resembles a military camp, with heavy security forces, the BSF, and armed personnel deployed around the residences of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to block impending demonstrations.

Noting that legal stalwarts like Kapil Sibal have hit the streets, he asserted that opposition forces across the nation are uniting against failures of institutional integrity.

Raut announced that opposition parties from across India will assemble at Parliament’s Makar Dwar and march directly to the Election Commission office to submit hard evidence. He demanded that CEC Gyanesh Kumar step forward to answer the public rather than “remaining in hiding”.

The SS(UBT) leader did not spare Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde either. Calling out Deputy CM Shinde for travelling to Delhi amid internal state challenges, Raut said, “Maharashtra is reeling under drought and rising corruption, yet the Deputy Chief Minister sits on the lawn of the Home Minister’s house in Delhi like a paying guest. Announcing a list of drought-hit talukas and running off to Delhi is the height of shamelessness.”

Addressing turncoat MLAs, Raut emphasised that money cannot buy respect. “You may get Rs 50 crore or two police escort vehicles ahead and behind, but public sentiment cannot be bought. When students call out ‘gaddar’ (traitor), it is the genuine voice of the people.”