Maharashtra
Opposition Demands Action Against Senior RSS Leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi For His ‘Learning Marathi Not Necessary In Mumbai’ Statement

Mumbai: Senior RSS leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi ignited a political controversy with his statement, “If you are residing in Mumbai, it is not necessary that you have to learn Marathi.” In a state where Marathi is regarded both as symbol of cultural and political identity, his statement raised political tempers leading to chaotic scenes in the state legislature on Thursday as the opposition parties tried to put the state government on the mat, demanding action against Joshi.
Such were the barbs by the Shiv Sena UBT, MNS, Congress and the NCP that the BJP-led Mahayuti government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule vouched allegiance to Marathi, the state language. It also forced Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi to backtrack somewhat saying Marathi is Mumbai’s language and those coming from outside and speaking other languages should also understand it.
“Marathi is my native language and I take pride in it,” Joshi clarified, adding his remarks at the Ghatkopar event made on Wednesday which led to the controversy had been misconstrued. At an event in Ghatkopar on Wednesday, Joshi said, “Mumbai doesn’t have a single language. Each part of Mumbai has a different language. Ghatkopar area’s language is Gujarati. So if you are residing in Mumbai, it is not necessary that you have to learn Marathi.”
The Opposition pounced on the remark and raised a ruckus in both the houses of the state legislature pointing out that the state government has recently mandated the use of Marathi in various sectors and celebrated Marathi Bhasha Gaurav Din with great enthusiasm on February 27.
Responding to the demands by the Opposition leaders for clarity on the issue, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis reaffirmed that Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra. He insisted that everyone residing in the state should learn Marathi while also respecting other languages spoken by different communities. Fadnavis clarified that the government had no objection if individuals from other states conversed in their native languages but maintained that Marathi held a special status in Maharashtra.
Top leaders from the opposition parties, including Uddhav Thackeray lashed out over the statement. Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray demanded Joshi should be booked for treason. He accused the BJP following a “divide and rule” policy. He alleged that the party had previously divided people along caste lines and was now attempting to do the same through language.
Thackeray even likened Joshi to Anaji Pant, a historical figure who betrayed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to the Mughals. Thackeray challenged Joshi to make similar statements in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, or West Bengal and see if he could return safely thereafter. He also demanded that Fadnavis take a firm stand against Joshi, just as he had labelled Prashant Koratkar a “chillar” (insignificant) person.
Thackeray urged the government to either take action against Joshi or admit that undermining Marathi in Mumbai was part of the BJP-RSS agenda. As protests intensified, BJP leaders attempted to control the narrative. State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule clarified in the Legislative Council that the government remained committed to Marathi as the official language of Maharashtra.
In the Council, MLC Anil Parab slammed the government for not condemning Joshi’s statement. He wanted to know whether Ghatkopar, a predominantly Gujarati-speaking area, had no Marathi speaker and demanded that Joshi apologize to the Marathi-speaking population of Mumbai.
Maharashtra
Congress locks Mumbai ED office, Case registered against Congress workers

Mumbai: Mumbai Enforcement Directorate Police have registered a case against 15 to 20 Congress workers for protesting by locking the ED office. The protest was held at the ED office when it was on holiday and the Congress workers locked the already locked office. According to the police, the office was closed during the protest, but a case has been registered against Congress workers and protesters in this case. The protesters also raised anti-government slogans during the protest at the ED office and the protesters said that Modi sends the ED forward whenever he is afraid. Congressmen have continued to protest against the investigation and inclusion of their names in the charge sheet against Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the National Herald case. Congressmen have protested in the same manner, after which a case has been registered. This case was registered by MRA Marg Police and the investigation is ongoing. No one has been arrested in this case, this has been confirmed by local DCP Praveen Kumar. Police have tightened security around the office following the protest.
Maharashtra
Waqf Act is a discriminatory law, an attack on democracy… Along with the fight in court, democratic protests will also continue until the law is withdrawn: All India Muslim Personal Labor Board

Mumbai: The Mumbai Waqf Act is unfair to minorities and has many flaws. The Waqf Act has been introduced on the basis of bias to deprive Muslims of their rights and it is a law that destroys democracy. Protests against this law will continue until it is withdrawn. The problem of law and order has also arisen due to this law. Under this law, the powers of the state governments have also been taken away. These are the views expressed here today by Jamaat-e-Islami chief Saadatullah Hussaini. He said that the Waqf Act is unfair to Muslims and it is unacceptable.
All India Muslim Personal Law Board spokesperson Qasim Rasool Ilyas said that the law implemented in the Waqf Act was objected to in the JPC. Now this matter is under hearing in the Supreme Court. The court has definitely given temporary relief, but until it is returned, we will continue our legal and democratic fight on it. This is a biased law. There is a separate law for other religions and the Constitution allows us to have religious institutions and worship according to our customs and traditions. An attempt has been made in this act to deprive us of this right. The application of the Waqf Act under the guise of the poor and other backward classes is a fraud and deception. The suspicions that the government has created regarding Waqf are based on complete lies. If the government wants to work to provide rights to the poor and other classes through the Waqf Act, why was the Waqf Development Corporation taken away? Under the guise of the Waqf Act, the government has attacked Indian democracy and the constitution of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and hooliganism is being done. It is being said that this law will have to be accepted. This law will not only affect Muslims but is an attack on the spirit of the constitution. If the Prime Minister is so sympathetic to the poor widows, why did he not give justice to Bilqis Bano? In the Gujarat riots, Ehsan Jafri’s widow Zakia Jafri, a victim seeking justice, reached the grave. What atrocities were committed on Muslims in Gujarat in 11 years, everyone knows that this government does not want to nurture Muslims, but wants to destroy them. The opposition has strongly opposed this bill, but despite this, it was passed. The Waqf Act was passed unanimously in 2013. What was the need to bring this law at that time? When this law was passed, the BJP was also in favor of it. There was no opposition to it. They said that this law is a clear violation of Articles 24, 25, 11, which protect our rights.
Muslim Personal Law Board General Secretary Fazlur Rehman Mujaddidi said that now under the Waqf Act, the waqf will have to prove that he is a Muslim. In this, the JPC has made it a condition to be a practicing Muslim. This is against the law. Earlier it was said that being a Muslim for five years is a condition, but now it will have to be proven that you are a Muslim and practice Islam. Along with this, in case of a dispute, this land will be declared as government land. Misconceptions have been created regarding the Waqf Act and Waqf and these misconceptions have been fueled in social media. It was also spread in the media that the ownership of the waqf is so high and in the Allahabad High Court case, it was said that now the High Court has to go to the Supreme Court for justice in the matter of waqf. This is completely wrong. This was a dispute over a mosque on the road outside the High Court, which Kazmi Sahib had built for worshippers, thus spreading suspicions.
Munsa Bushra Abidi said that Muslim women will be at the forefront of any protest announced by the Muslim Personal Law Board. The government cannot give lollipops to Muslim women because they know the government’s intentions and the drugs. She said that women are involved in all kinds of protests, from bati gul to salaam, and we will continue to protest against this law. Maulana Mahmood Daryabadi, Peace Committee Head Farid Sheikh, and representatives of other religions also participated in this press conference:
Maharashtra
Mumbai human trafficking racket busted, West Bengal and Hyderabad arrested

Mumbai: Mumbai Wadala TT Police has claimed to have arrested child human traffickers from Hyderabad, West Bengal in a human trafficking case. According to the details, the complainant Amar Dhirne, 65, a sweeper from Wadala TT Police Station, had filed a missing complaint of his grandson on August 5, 2024. After that, it was found that Anil Purnia, Asma Sheikh, Sharif Sheikh, Asha Pawar had sold the child for Rs 1.60 lakh. After that, a case of human trafficking was registered against the accused Anil Purnia, Asma Sheikh, Sharif Sheikh. The accused Anil Purnia, Asma Sheikh were deported from Mumbai. The accused Asha Pawar was also involved in this. After that, the police started searching for Asha Pawar and arrested her from Hyderabad.
During the police investigation, the accused said that the victim was taken to Bhubaneswar station, Odisha. A woman named Reshma sold it. After technical investigation, it was found that the accused is employed in a dental hospital in Bhubaneswar and works in a high-tech hospital here. But when the police team reached Bhubaneswar, she had quit her job and then it was found that the wanted accused is in West Bengal. After that, the police started searching for her and the police recovered the kidnapped child and three other children. At the same time, Reshma Santosh Kumar Banerjee, 43, was arrested and presented in court. Along with this, the three-year-old child was presented in court and the child was handed over to the police. After completing all the steps, the police got the child medically examined and found signs of injuries on his body. The accused had tortured the child, so a case of cruelty was also registered against the child. This action was taken on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Pansalkar and Special Commissioner Devin Bharti, Additional Commissioner Anil Paraskar and DCP Ragasudha.
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