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Maharashtra

Never imagined Ajit Pawar and we would come together: Uddhav Thackeray

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Mumbai, Feb 23: Former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena-UBT president Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said he had never imagined that he and the late former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar would come together, as both parties were politically opposed to each other.

Showering praise on Ajit Pawar’s command over administration, Thackeray noted that he had been his pillar of support during the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

Speaking during the condolence motion in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Thackeray said: “I never imagined that Ajit Pawar and we would ever join forces, as both our parties were politically opposed to each other. We witnessed two significant mornings: one where the news of Ajit Pawar’s decision shocked everyone, and another morning that left all of Maharashtra grieving.”

“We came together unexpectedly. There was a reservation in my mind initially. I had no administrative experience when I became Chief Minister. I was taken aback when it was decided that Ajit Pawar would serve as the Deputy Chief Minister. However, once the work began, I realised that I had gained an excellent, generous colleague and friend in Ajit Dada. He was my pillar of support in government and administrative affairs. If I did not understand something, I would speak to him. He had a habit of studying every subject deeply,” said Thackeray.

He further remarked, “Ajit Dada served as the state’s Deputy Chief Minister six times. But what stands out to me is that he stepped out from the shadow of a massive tree to create his own identity. While some spend their entire lives under the shadow of a tree, Ajit Dada was someone who forged his own path.”

“I visited Baramati two or three times. During those visits, I was dealing with health issues, and Ajit Dada made it a point to accompany me. He showed me the transformation of Baramati, and seeing it was truly astonishing — the roads, the large institutions, the schools, and the overall development. When the tragedy occurred and Ajit Pawar passed away, I felt that Baramati had become orphaned. The Baramati that was once full of joy suddenly felt desolate,” said Thackeray.

During the lockdown, when the state Secretariat (Mantralaya) was closed and it seemed like the economic cycle might come to a halt, “Ajit Dada kept Maharashtra’s economy moving and ensured that no scheme was shut down. He demonstrated the skill required to run an administration”, Thackeray said.

“Ajit Dada will be remembered forever. In recent times, Ajit Pawar had remarked that he was in power with the very people who had accused him of a Rs 70,000 crore scam. Why am I mentioning this? Because we must reflect on how much we defame a person while they are alive. How many allegations should be levelled against someone? Should we try to ruin their life? There must be a limit. He faced so many allegations but confronted them all; he never broke down,” commented Thackeray.

Thackeray said that everyone had experienced Ajit Pawar’s style of functioning, and even officials were wary of him.

“He had a commanding voice and spoke fearlessly. We also saw how his straightforwardness sometimes landed him in trouble, but that was because there was no malice in his heart,” he added.

“Ajit Dada managed Maharashtra’s Finance Department. Despite my lack of experience, he supported me. He had an unbreakable bond with the clock and time — perhaps that is why the ‘Clock’ was his symbol. If Ajit Pawar was scheduled to arrive at a certain time, he was there without fail. Even his desk was always neat and perfectly aligned. When a person is disciplined, the entire administration runs with discipline,” said Thackeray.

“Maharashtra has lost a charismatic leader, and this is a massive loss for the state. The mountain of grief from Ajit Pawar’s passing has fallen not just on the Pawar family, but on all of Maharashtra,” Thackeray concluded.

Maharashtra

Hateful statements, obscenity in the name of entertainment will not be tolerated, strict action will be taken: Mayor Ritu Tawde

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Mumbai: The hospital administration has formed an inquiry committee in the case of hate speech made by Sejal Pawar, a medical student of KEM Hospital, in the live show of stand-up comedian Preneet More. Hate speech in the name of entertainment will not be tolerated. The hospital administration has been directed to take strict action in this matter, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has clarified.

Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde has reacted strongly to the entire incident and has appealed to artists and content creators to be aware of social responsibility. Two clips of stand-up comedian Preneet More’s show that are going viral on social media are causing great anger among the citizens. In the first clip, a man named Himanshu Jagda narrated an incident of degrading treatment of a woman, while in the second clip, Sejal Pawar, a medical student of KEM Hospital, made extremely hateful, obscene and offensive comments about the bodies of men who had donated their bodies for medical education. In both these cases, comedian Praneet laughed and clapped instead of objecting. Taking notice of the insensitivity in both these clips, the Maharashtra Cyber ​​Police took immediate action and registered a case. Clarifying the municipal corporation’s stand on the matter and fully supporting the legal action, Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde explained that the Maharashtra Cyber ​​Department has taken action. Apart from this, the KEM Hospital administration has also appointed a committee to investigate Sejal Pawar. The Mayor clarified that the hospital administration has been directed to take strict action in this matter. Mayor Tawde further said that freedom of expression is a very important part of democracy, but in the name of this freedom, content that insults women, obscenity, hate speech, hateful content or content that sends the wrong message to the society cannot be accepted under any circumstances. Everyone should respect boundaries while discussing sensitive issues related to women, consent and the medical sector in a public forum. Mumbai is a city of culture, art and freedom of thought. However, it is the collective responsibility of all to ensure that no one’s dignity is violated in the name of entertainment. Since social media has a great influence on the youth, the impact of such content on society should be seriously considered. Everyone should be sensitive to this. All artists, digital content creators and social media influencers should preserve their creative talents while maintaining a sense of social interest, sensitivity and morality. Citizens should also behave responsibly on social media and strongly oppose things that promote hatred, obscenity and anti-women mentality, Ritu Tawde has also appealed on this occasion.

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Maharashtra

MLA Abu Asim Azmi demands Interior Minister to allow Muharram sermons and gatherings until 9pm

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Mumbai: In view of the importance of the holy days of Muharram, the time of public religious speeches, sermons and gatherings held during this period should be extended from 10 am to 12 pm, MLA Abu Asim Azmi has sent a memorandum to the state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, making this strong demand.

MLA Azmi has said in his letter that public speeches, sermons and gatherings are organized in different areas at night during Muharram, in which a large number of devotees participate. Currently, Maghrib prayers are offered at around 7 pm, after which a lot of time is spent until the Isha prayers are completed. The police administration is currently allowing only up to 10 pm, due to which very little time is required for the actual program after the prayers. Due to this shortage of time, there is anxiety among Muslims and they are not able to fully benefit from these religious speeches.

In view of this situation, with full respect for law and order, this time should be extended till 12 midnight for the scheduled dates of Muharram. MLA Abu Asim Azmi has demanded that the Home Minister himself intervene in the matter and immediately issue positive orders to the police administration. Copies of this memorandum have also been sent to the Chief Minister and Mumbai Police Joint Commissioner (Law and Order) Devin Bharti for necessary action.

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Maharashtra

Mira Road C-Queen Palace Orchestra Bar raided, 12 women recovered, 9 arrested

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A team led by DCP Rahul Chavan of Mira Road Police Commissionerate, Circle 1, raided the Sea Queen Palace Orchestra Bar in front of Daraz Dhaba on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway under the limits of Kashigaon Police Station on Mira Road. During the raid, the police rescued 12 women. A cashier and 8 waiters were arrested, including the driver, owner and manager of the bar who are absconding. During the raid, Rs 50,000 in cash was seized. Along with this, illegal stocks of whiskey and beer were seized. Further investigation is underway in the case. It is said that an illegal dance and entertainment party was going on in the bar. During this, the police raided and arrested the accused and also released 12 dancers.

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