Mumbai, Sep 28: The Shiv Sena(UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut on Monday launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, retaliating sharply against his recent remark that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had “lost his brain” for alleging large-scale voter list manipulation and electoral fraud.

Raut questioned who had actually lost their mental balance, demanding to know why top BJP leaders were acting as “defence lawyers” for Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar instead of addressing the core issues raised by the Opposition. Raut aggressively countered CM Fadnavis’s attempt to dismiss Rahul Gandhi’s accusations.

He questioned the BJP’s urge to shield the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging that the poll body has lost its constitutional independence and is operating under political influence. “Instead of debating who lost their mind, speak on the actual issue. Why is Devendra Fadnavis defending Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar? Has the Election Commission hired him as its advocate?” he asked, alleging that the ruling party’s desperate defence points towards a systemic cover-up.

Pointing to investigative news reports detailing internal dissent within the Election Commission, Raut noted that Rahul Gandhi was not the sole voice raising concerns. He referred to the media reports regarding procedural irregularities and internal friction among Election Commissioners. “Does Fadnavis lack basic political history, or is he deliberately ignoring facts?” he asked.

Comparing the three-member Election Commission to the ruling alliance in Maharashtra, Raut alleged that the commissioners pose together for photographs like Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, despite severe internal division. “Do they even share a working relationship? No. Just like CM Fadnavis and Dy CM Eknath Shinde stage photo-ops, these three Election Commissioners pose together for optics while the institution crumbles inside,” Raut remarked.

Escalating his rhetoric, the MP accused the ruling dispensation of deploying state power and police forces to protect the poll panel chief from public protests. He alleged that the central leadership views the Chief Election Commissioner as a crucial tool for electoral manipulation, making his protection an absolute priority for the regime.

“Gyanesh Kumar has become a bone stuck in the government’s throat. Protecting him has become their political necessity because he serves as the weapon to win elections through manipulation,” Raut alleged. “They are using state machinery, police forces, and central security forces to suppress peaceful protests. But let me make one thing clear — Gyanesh Kumar will have to go.”

Extending his critique to state governance, Raut criticised CM Fadnavis over the government’s response to the drought situation in Maharashtra. He hit out at the advice, asking citizens to cut down on personal expenses during severe distress.

“Instead of asking common citizens to cut back on expenses during a severe drought, why didn’t Fadnavis direct his own political colleagues to stop their corruption?” he asked. “Had he shown the courage to rein in corruption within his administration, I would have conceded that he possesses a working mind.”

Mumbai, Sep 28: India is exploring the possibility of strengthening its energy partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by sourcing more liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the Gulf nation, while also working on expanding strategic petroleum reserves to bolster the country’s energy security, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday.

Addressing the media after the 14th meeting of the India-UAE High-Level Joint Task Force on Investments here, Goyal said that India is engaging with the UAE to enhance cooperation across the energy sector as part of efforts to diversify supply arrangements and safeguard domestic energy availability amid continuing uncertainties in global energy markets.

“India is exploring the possibility of using the United Arab Emirates as a key source of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), while also working with Abu Dhabi to expand petroleum reserves,” the minister stated.

The discussions build on agreements announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE in May 2026, when both countries unveiled plans for deeper cooperation in crude oil storage, strategic reserves, LNG and LPG infrastructure, and long-term LPG supply arrangements.

As part of the collaboration, Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Ltd (ISPRL) and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) signed a strategic agreement under which the UAE could store up to 30 million barrels of crude oil in India’s strategic petroleum reserve facilities. The proposed arrangement includes potential participation in storage sites located at Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Chandikhol in Odisha.

The two sides are also examining the possibility of storing a portion of India’s strategic crude reserves in Fujairah, a key UAE oil hub located outside the Strait of Hormuz. Such an arrangement is expected to improve supply-chain resilience and provide greater flexibility in managing energy inventories during periods of geopolitical uncertainty.

Mumbai, Sep 26: The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday trained guns on the Election Commission of India, issuing a joint call to the people of Maharashtra and announcing a grand public protest rally in Mumbai on October 4.

Launching a blistering attack, the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS accused the Election Commission of deceiving voters and functioning as an extended wing of the ruling party at the Centre.

While the MNS and Shiv Sena UBT are leading the organisational groundwork for the demonstration, the leaders emphasised that the protest goes beyond partisan politics.

Framing the October 4 rally as a mass public movement, the organisers confirmed plans to engage in dialogue with all political parties across the spectrum to forge a unified opposition front.

“This is a rally of the people. To ensure it does not remain confined to a single party but becomes the collective voice of the entire political system and the citizenry, we will reach out to all political parties to join this front,” the statement read.

The statement framed the upcoming agitation as a decisive battle to safeguard the nation’s democratic framework and institutional integrity.

Calling upon citizens to flood the streets of Mumbai, the movement aims to register a strong protest against what the leaders term institutional bias and voter list manipulation under the SIR process. The venue and exact time for the October 4 Mumbai rally will be officially announced shortly.

The statement concluded with a direct appeal to the public to “participate in this rally in large numbers. Come together to save the democracy of this country and the Constitution of this nation!”

Earlier, launching a scathing attack on the BJP and Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, Raj Thackeray demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

He accused the ruling party of leveraging key institutional figures to maintain an “endless grip on power” and called upon all opposition parties across the country to unite for a massive agitation to bring back paper ballots.