Mumbai: Hours before Union Home Minister Amit Shah was set to lay the foundation stone for the new Maharashtra state headquarters of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Mumbai’s Churchgate area, Shiv Sena UBT MP Sanjay Raut launched a scathing attack on the party, alleging large-scale irregularities in the land transfer process for the upcoming BJP office.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Raut directly addressed Shah, writing, “Dear Mr Amit Shahji, Jai Maharashtra. Today, I am presenting information about what secret lies beneath the land of the BJP office, whose groundbreaking ceremony you are about to perform.” The Sena UBT leader also released a detailed letter addressed to Shah, claiming a ‘major scam’ in the allocation of the plot and alleging that administrative procedures were bypassed to facilitate the transfer in favour of the BJP.

According to Raut, the BJP took possession of the plot near Marine Lines Exide, previously owned by Eknath Realtors, within just 11 days of starting the process. He alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), currently under administrative rule, acted with unusual haste on the matter, even though several other civic development files have been pending for months.

Raut stated that the land was originally owned by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Finance Corporation (MSCFC), which had leased 46 percent of it to Eknath Realtors. The realtor later applied for the remaining 54 percent and reportedly received rapid approval. Raut further alleged that Eknath Realtors paid a transfer premium of over Rs 21 crore, while the Mumbai Suburban (Reform) Committee approved the deal on May 22, 2025.

The BJP is said to have completed the property transfer in just 11 days, paying around Rs 3 crore in stamp duty. Raut also claimed that certain administrative officials colluded with Eknath Realtors to expedite the handover ‘under political pressure,’ with some transactions allegedly taking place at midnight.

Urging Amit Shah to take cognisance of the alleged irregularities, Raut said the episode raises serious questions about transparency and fairness. Meanwhile, the foundation stone-laying ceremony is set to proceed as planned, with Shah, CM Devendra Fadnavis and state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan in attendance.

Mumbai: Wonder if massive traffic snarls on the Western Express Highway are here to stay. Many meetings have been held by the traffic police and civic officials but a concrete solution is eluding them. However, the traffic load on the highway can be reduced to certain extent if encroachments on SV Road, which stretches from Bandra to Dahisar, are removed mercilessly. The width of this arterial road is reduced to just one lane at several places because of heavy encroachment by shopkeepers. For example in the Jogeshwari stretch sellers of antiques (many are fake) occupy the road with zero fear of the BMC. The media had highlighted the problem sometime ago after which the BMC officials carried out demolitions at a few places. But it is business as usual now. Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani should set up a task force and have all the illegal shop extensions removed in a time-bound manner.

The Supreme Court recently called for the restoration of all footpaths to pedestrians. This is a most welcome move. Wish the apex court too had prescribed stringent punishment for those who illegally occupy pavements or abet in the encroachment.

In Mumbai the problem is massive corruption in ward offices. For example, in F/north ward the flower sellers occupying an entire footpath near Matunga post office are so powerful that they got the ward officer Nitin Shukla shunted out for daring to demolish their stalls. The new ward officer Arun Kshirsagar is blissfully indifferent to the heavy encroachment because of which pedestrians are forced to walk on roads risking their lives. Sab chalta hai….

Elections were held in several suburban gymkhanas recently. The campaigning was so heavy that one would think the general elections are on. Members were wine and dined liberally. Any number of whatsapp messages were posted soliciting votes for one panel or the other. Also whisper campaigns were launched to demonise members of rival panels. The conduct of some of the members would have put professional politicians to shame. What is the point in blaming our “netas” when educated middle class persons indulge in unethical practices just to be a member of the managing committee?

Chennai, Oct 27: TVK president and actor Vijay will on Monday hold a meeting with families who lost their loved ones in the Karur stampede tragedy.

The meeting, organised at a private resort in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, comes exactly a month after 41 people died during a TVK rally in Karur, marking the first time Vijay will personally interact with the bereaved families.

On Sunday, TVK functionaries arranged for the families to be brought from Karur and the surrounding districts to Mahabalipuram. Around 38 families arrived in eight private buses arranged by the party, while two families are scheduled to reach by air on Monday morning. A family from Tiruppur, however, has chosen to stay back.

About 50 rooms have been booked at the seaside resort along East Coast Road for their accommodation.

According to TVK sources, the families were first picked up from their homes and transported to a common assembly point in Karur before being taken to Mahabalipuram by road. The arrangements were coordinated by three district secretaries representing Karur, Coimbatore, and Erode.

Initially, Vijay had planned to visit Karur to meet the families at their residences. However, the plan was dropped due to security and logistical constraints. The party then decided to bring the families to a common venue to facilitate a quiet and private meeting.

The meeting will begin with a candlelight tribute for the 41 victims at the resort’s convention hall. Vijay will then meet each family individually to offer his condolences and extend assistance. The event is expected to conclude by 3 p.m., followed by lunch, after which the families will begin their return journey.

Party functionaries described the event as “a solemn, humane occasion” meant to express solidarity rather than seek publicity.

“Vijay wanted to stand by the families in their moment of grief and assure them that their pain has not been forgotten,” a senior TVK leader said, adding that the meeting is intended to bring comfort and closure to the affected families.