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Maharashtra

MVA attacks Raj Thackeray for ‘failed agitations’, wants BJP’s clarification

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Maharashtra’s ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi on Friday again targeted Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray over his “failed” agitations and demanded the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party should clarify its stand over its Uttar Pradesh MP’s threats to him.

Congress’s state chief spokesperson Atul Londhe said the BJP must define its stance on its Kaiserganj MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh’s warning that Raj Thackeray would not be allowed to set foot in Ayodhya next month (June 5) until he apologises with folded hands for “humiliating” north Indians in the past.

“On the other hand hand, the state BJP endorsed Raj Thackeray on the loudspeakers issue and the UP BJP government is ready to welcome him with a red carpet in Ayodhya. Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil should clarify their stand on these issues,” Londhe demanded.

He also accused BJP of using the MNS chief, independent MP Navneet Kaur-Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana as “puppets” and supporting the MNS for removing loudspeakers from mosques.

In a sharp attack, Deputy Chief Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar said in Pune that none of Raj Thackeray’s agitations in the past have been successful but adversely hit the state and the social fabric.

Without naming Raj Thackeray, he cited the examples of the MNS’ past agitation against the north Indian communities and the toll-tax protests on highway, and the latest against mosque loudspeakers and ‘azaan’ which it is countering with Hanuman Chalisa.

Pawar pointed out that those agitations continued for some days and then nothing materialised out of them, but it ended up affecting the state and the society, and north Indians fled the city, hitting various economic sectors badly till they returned.

In 2008, the MNS had gone after the north Indian candidates for various government and railway exams and also hammered street vendors in the name of priority of jobs for locals.

However, 10 years later in 2018 – ahead of the 2019 Parliament and Assembly elections – Raj Thackeray attempted to soothe the ruffled feathers of the north Indians, but the strategy barely impressed them.

In the latest anti-loudspeakers campaign, though a majority of the mosques in Mumbai and others parts of the state have silenced or removed their public address systems, murmurs of protests have started from the other religions as they are unable to use loudspeakers in temples, gurudwaras, Buddh Viharas, Jain Derasars, churches and others even for their routing pooja-aartis and other religious functions.

Maharashtra

‘Our Dreams Are Not A Joke’: Students Flood Social Media As SSC Exam Glitches Trigger Nationwide Outrage

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A storm of protests has erupted online as thousands of SSC aspirants take to social media platforms to voice their frustration under hashtags like #SSCVendorFailure, #SSCMisManagement, and #SSCReform. The uproar follows a series of technical glitches, infrastructure issues, and exam cancellations linked to the new vendor responsible for conducting SSC recruitment exams.

What began as scattered complaints has snowballed into a coordinated digital movement, with aspirants flooding X (formerly Twitter) with testimonies of botched exam experiences, inaccessible centers, and last-minute cancellations. Several students are demanding accountability from the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) and the removal of the current vendor.

Students are alleging that the system crashes during exams, experiences technical glitches, centres 500-1000 km away and has last-minute cancellations. Students are now demanding a thorough investigation, transparent communication, and urgent reforms to restore faith in the SSC recruitment system. The controversy follows widespread technical issues during the SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exams, leaving thousands in distress.

SSC Selection Post Phase 13 Exams Cancelled at Select Centres Due to Technical Issues

The SSC has cancelled the Selection Post Phase 13 exams at specific centres due to technical and administrative problems. The exams, which began on July 24 and are scheduled to continue until August 1, faced disruptions on the first day.

As per the official notice, exams held at Pawan Ganga Educational Centre 2 between July 24 and July 26 have been cancelled for administrative reasons. Affected candidates will now appear for the rescheduled exams starting July 28, with revised details to be shared shortly. Additionally, the first shift at Educasa International, Hubbali, scheduled on July 24 (9:30 AM to 10:30 AM), was cancelled due to a technical glitch.

Netizens’ Reactions

Amid widespread disruptions in the SSC Selection Post Phase 13 exams, students across India have taken to social media to express their frustration, calling out technical failures, poor management, and lack of transparency.

“Dear SSC, our dreams are not a joke!” wrote one aspirant. “Technical failures, paper leaks, and vendor mismanagement are destroying years of our hard work. We deserve justice and transparency.”

Another user questioned the outsourcing of such a critical process to private firms: “We’ve repeatedly said that instead of outsourcing the exams to private vendors, SSC should develop its own software and take full responsibility. The future of millions of youth should not be handed over to profit-driven companies.”

Many candidates shared emotional accounts of traveling long distances, only to face last-minute cancellations: “Is there no value for students’ efforts in this country? First, they gave us centers 500 km away, and then cancelled the exam. Is this some kind of joke?”

Another user said, “An exam isn’t just for one day — it’s years of preparation. Students traveled 500 km, and then were told the exam was cancelled. Why? Does anyone have an answer?”

Poor exam centre conditions were another major concern raised by aspirants: “We faced extreme discomfort — no fans, broken chairs, suffocating rooms, and image-based questions not loading. Is this what India’s competitive exams have come to? We demand accountability.”

A comprehensive list of recurring issues was also highlighted by students:

“SSC cannot ignore these issues any longer:

– Mouse not working

– Invigilators chatting

– Server crash & last-minute cancellations

– Centres 500-1000 km away

– No security checks

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Entertainment

Actress Ruchi Gujjar Hits Actor-Director With Chappal, Protests Against Him At Mumbai Theatre After Filing FIR Over ₹25 Lakh Fraud

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A dramatic scene unfolded at a Mumbai theatre during the screening of So Long Valley when actress Ruchi Gujjar hit the film’s producer and actor Man Singh with a chappal, leading to chaos at Cinepolis. The incident, captured in a now-viral video, came amid an ongoing financial dispute between Ruchi and another producer, Karan Singh Chauhan.

In the video, she is heard screaming while arguing with the producers. She then lost her cool and hit one of the producers with her chappal.

It appears that she arrived at the theatre with the intention of staging a protest. During the special screening, where the producers were present, Ruchi showed up along with a group of protestors. People around her were seen raising slogans against the producers.

They held placards with the producers’ photos, marked with red cross signs across their faces. In some of the posters, which can be seen in the video, the producers were depicted sitting on donkeys.

What is the case?

According to Ruchi, Chauhan had approached her last year claiming he was producing a Hindi television serial that would soon air on Sony TV. “He offered to add me as a co-producer and also sent documents related to the project,” she said, according to media reports.

Believing the offer, Ruchi stated that between July 2023 and January 2024, she transferred several payments from her company, SR Event and Entertainment, into accounts linked to Chauhan’s K Studios. However, the promised project never took off.

“Despite repeated contacts, he kept postponing them and lied,” she added in her complaint.

She claims to have discovered that the funds were allegedly used not for the serial, but for the production of So Long Valley. “When I got the information that the film is releasing on July 27, I told him to return my money now, on which he started threatening me,” she alleged.

Mumbai Police has registered an FIR under sections 318(4), 352, and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Chauhan, 36, for allegedly cheating actress Ruchiof Rs 25 lakh.

Ruchi has submitted banking records and documents to support her claims. An investigation into the financial transactions and communications is currently underway.

Notably, Ruchi had earlier drawn attention for her Cannes appearance, where she wore a necklace featuring an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai 26 July 2005 Floods: When City Was Submerged With 944 mm Of Rain In 24 Hours Leaving 914 Dead, Thousands Displaced

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Every year, the monsoon season disrupts life across Indian cities with heavy rainfall, waterlogging and traffic chaos. But July 26, 2005, stands out as a day that etched itself into Mumbai’s history as one of its darkest and most devastating.

On that day, Mumbai received an unprecedented 944 mm of rain in just 24 hours, nearly half of its annual average. Between 8 am and 8 pm alone, 644 mm poured down. It remains the eighth-highest 24-hour rainfall ever recorded anywhere in the world. The city, unprepared for such intensity, was brought to a grinding halt.

Internet Flooded With Old Visuals, Still Haunting Mumbaikars

Several netizens took to social media to share haunting visuals from the 2005 Mumbai floods, recalling the day when the city came to a complete standstill. Many described it as an unforgettable chapter in Mumbai’s history, marked by chaos, resilience and unity.

While some reflected on the overwhelming scale of the disaster, others remembered how the crisis revealed the undying spirit of Mumbai, with strangers helping each other and communities coming together in the face of adversity.

Mumbai’s Lifeline Took Serious Hit, 52 Local Trains Damaged

As floodwaters rose, roads vanished beneath torrents of water. Local trains, the city’s lifeline, stopped completely, with tracks submerged and 52 trains damaged. Thousands were stranded in stations, schools and offices overnight. Low-lying areas like Dharavi and the Bandra-Kurla Complex were heavily inundated, while vehicles were swept away or immobilised.

The scale of disruption was staggering. Over 37,000 auto-rickshaws, 4,000 taxis, 900 BEST buses and 10,000 trucks and tempos were either damaged or rendered unusable. Even the skies were no refuge. For the first time ever, Mumbai’s airports shut down, with Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport and the Juhu airstrip closed for more than 30 hours. More than 700 flights were cancelled or delayed, creating nationwide ripples in air traffic.

Over 900 Killed, Property Worth ₹5.5 Billion Destroyed

The economic loss was estimated at Rs 5.5 billion (around 100 million USD). But the cost in human lives and suffering was far greater. According to official reports, 914 people lost their lives, many due to drowning, electrocution and landslides. More than 14,000 homes were destroyed, leaving thousands without shelter, food or drinking water.

Communication networks also failed. Around 5 million mobile users and 2.3 million landline connections went dead for several hours, hampering emergency rescue operations. Emergency services were overwhelmed, as the city grappled with a disaster it had never imagined.

The 2005 floods served as a harsh wake-up call, exposing Mumbai’s vulnerability to extreme weather. In the years since, the government has worked on improving disaster preparedness, such as creating specialised disaster management units, upgrading early warning systems and installing floodgates and dewatering pumps at critical points.

Yet, even two decades later, as visuals from 2005 resurface each year, a haunting question persists: Is Mumbai truly prepared to face another flood of that magnitude?

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