Mumbai, July 1: The Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the BJP, claiming that its patriotism and Hindutva were nothing but a “sham”, resembling the “descendants of Ravana”.

“While Ravana may be considered vicious by the BJP, the text reminds the Hindu community that he was not a hypocritical Hindu and did not rob the donation boxes of Ram temples like the BJP,” the party said.

The Thackeray camp, in an editorial in the party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, said if no one feels regret or grief after seeing Lord Ram looted, “the nation’s land stolen, and democracy and the Constitution plundered — and if people still believe this is true politics — then even a 13th avatar of Vishnu will not be able to save this country. This marks the extreme apex of the Kali Yuga, where selfishness, immorality, and corruption have been normalised.”

To substantiate its argument, the Thackeray camp said that while nationwide and global discussions intensify regarding the alleged looting of ‘Ram Dhana’ (donations) from Ayodhya, worrying news has emerged from Arunachal Pradesh, where China has reportedly taken control of several villages. The sentiments of Hindus are being exploited; even Lord Ram has not been spared by thieves, who reportedly enjoy the full protection of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it said.

Although gold and donations have been stolen from the Ram Mandir, the police are searching everyone except the prime suspects. A similar pattern is visible regarding China. When Sonam Wangchuk exposed that China had intruded and occupied Indian territory in Ladakh, the central ruling dispensation labelled him a traitor and jailed him. Now, China has entered Arunachal Pradesh, stated the editorial.

According to the editorial, the indigenous ‘Nah’ tribal community, living along the border of the Upper Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh, has explicitly stated that China has encroached upon Indian territory. “This land is now under the control of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). China has intruded deep into the Taksing revenue area of Subansiri, violating the international border. Despite local tribal communities repeatedly raising their voices against China’s expansionism on Indian territory, nobody seems concerned about Indian borders or national security,” noted the editorial.

The editorial further observed, “While ‘Bangladeshi infiltrators’ is turned into a major election issue in West Bengal, China’s incursions into Arunachal and Ladakh are tolerated silently. This exposes severe vulnerabilities in India’s defence framework.”

The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have remained tight-lipped about this Chinese land-grabbing.

“While PM Modi is on a foreign tour, China has actively intruded into Arunachal. Even Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has failed to offer an official clarification on the matter. Instead, PM Modi and his associates find satisfaction in stealing the cultivated political ground of opposition parties. Their daily routine involves breaking opposition parties and poaching MLAs and MPs — which they brand as ‘national service’. At the same time, when China steals Indian land, their consciousness of patriotism and Hindutva fails to awaken. Those who speak aggressively against Pakistan and Bangladesh surrender before China’s military might. China previously intruded into the Galwan Valley and killed 20 of our jawans, yet PM Modi did not feel the need to launch any retaliatory operation for this Chinese offence,” noted the Thackeray camp.

The editorial said that now, “even as donation boxes disappear from Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir, the BJP’s ‘fake Hindutvawadis’ shamelessly boast, ‘We are the true custodians of Hindutva’. Even when China occupies Indian land, these same individuals maintain the arrogance to claim, ‘There are no patriots in India besides us’.”

Mumbai, July 1: Monsoon activity has gathered momentum across Maharashtra, with several districts witnessing moderate to heavy rainfall as weather conditions become increasingly active. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast widespread rain across the state over the next few days, particularly in the Konkan region, Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and adjoining districts.

Mumbai received intermittent showers throughout the day, bringing relief from the recent humid conditions. However, the rainfall also led to waterlogging in some low-lying areas, slower traffic movement, and delays in local commuting during peak hours. Civic authorities remain on alert to respond to any weather-related emergencies.

According to the latest weather forecast, heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at isolated places in parts of coastal Maharashtra during the first week of July. An orange alert has been issued for Mumbai and nearby districts, while some coastal regions are under a higher level of rainfall warning due to the possibility of extremely heavy showers.

Officials have advised residents to remain cautious, especially in flood-prone and low-lying areas. People have been urged to avoid unnecessary travel during periods of intense rainfall, follow official weather advisories, and stay away from overflowing drains, rivers, and coastal stretches during high tide.

While rainfall activity is expected to strengthen over western Maharashtra and the Konkan belt, weather conditions may vary across other parts of the state. Agricultural experts believe the renewed spell of rain could benefit ongoing kharif sowing in many regions, although continuous heavy rainfall may also pose challenges in vulnerable areas.

Disaster management teams, municipal corporations, and emergency services across Maharashtra have been instructed to remain prepared as the monsoon enters a more active phase. Citizens are encouraged to monitor official weather updates and cooperate with local authorities whenever advisories are issued.

Mumbai, June 30: A student died and four others were injured in an accident in the Chembur area of ​​Mumbai, Maharashtra. A tree suddenly fell onto a bus belonging to Universal School, located on Road No. 11 in Chembur. This resulted in the death of one student on board and injuries to four others.

According to reports, there were 12 children on the school bus at the time of the accident. The sudden fall of the tree caused significant damage to the bus and sparked panic among the children inside. A total of five students sustained injuries, with one being critically hurt. The critically injured student was declared dead at 4:23 PM. He has been identified as 11-year-old Vihan Srivastava.

Upon receiving news of the incident, locals and rescue teams rushed to the scene. All students trapped inside the bus were safely evacuated, and the injured were immediately taken to the hospital.

The four injured students are currently undergoing treatment at Zen Hospital in Chembur under medical supervision. Following the incident, the police, fire department, and other relief and rescue teams arrived at the site and brought the situation under control. The police have initiated an investigation into the matter.

Officials from various departments, including the BMC, arrived at the scene after the incident and engaged in relief and rescue operations. Work also began to remove the damaged bus, which had been pinned beneath the tree. Describing the incident as heart-wrenching, Mumbai’s Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi stated that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would take strict action against those responsible.

It is worth noting that Mumbai is currently experiencing rainfall. During this period, strong winds pose a risk of trees and dilapidated buildings collapsing. The BMC makes preparations for this every year. However, this incident, occurring right at the onset of the monsoon, has raised several questions.