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Maharashtra

Shiv Sena MLAs’ Disqualification Pleas: All Eyes On Speaker Rahul Narwekar’s Big Verdict At 4 pm

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There is high tension in corridors of power in Maharashtra as Speaker of the legislative assembly Rahul Narvekar is all set to announce his verdict on Wednesday at 4 p.m.  on the disqualification of chief minister Eknath Shinde and his 36 MLAs who ditched the erstwhile Uddhav Thackeray government in June 2022 and joined hands with the BJP to form a coalition government.

A new twist was added to the high-voltage drama with Mr Thackeray filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court on Wednesday accusing Mr Narvekar of political partiality. 

Even if  the verdict goes against Shinde & Co, there will be no immediate danger to the government since the BJP with its 105 MLAs will continue to have the support of 38 MLAs of the NCP (Ajit Pawar) and some independents  in a 288 member House. In fact, sources said after splitting the Shiv Sena, deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP split the NCP led by Sharad Pawar also precisely to have a cushion in the event of Shinde and his team getting disqualified. 

Uddhav camp not very hopeful

However, the opposition led by the Shiv Sena (UBT) is not very hopeful of a verdict in its favour. The party has already questioned the impartiality of Mr Narvekar, who is an advocate belonging to the BJP before he was elected Speaker. Both Mr Uddhav Thackeray and his party spokesperson Sanjay Raut slammed Mr Narvekar for allegedly cosying up to Mr Shinde on the eve of the verdict. Mr Thackeray sarcastically described the two recent meetings between Mr Shinde and Mr Narvekar as meetings between “an accused and a judge.” Political observers say that Mr Narvekar should not only be neutral, but also appear to be so. But, by meeting the CM he has himself provoked the opposition to question his impartiality and thus has lowered the stature of his office.

Mr Narvekar’s verdict will be in response to 34 petitions moved by both the factions of the Shiv Sena. Sources said the Speaker may read out only the operative part of his judgment on Wednesday, which is the last date given by the Supreme Court to pronounce his verdict. 

The Thackeray faction initiated disqualification proceedings against Mr Shinde and his group on June 25, 2022 when it issued notices to all the defecting MLAs. The rebels were given 48 hours to respond. However, this was challenged by Shinde in the Supreme Court. The apex court in a verdict, which raised eyebrows in legal circles, gave Shinde 12 days to respond while the normal time is only seven days. 

Narvekar in the midst of a controversy

This is not the first time Mr Narvekar, who has himself changed his political loyalties more than once, has found himself in the midst of a controversy.

In October 2023, the Supreme Court came down heavily on him for the delay in deciding the pleas filed by the Thackeray faction seeking the disqualification of Shinde and the “rebel” MLAs.

Mr Narvekar’s order is expected to deal with the tenth schedule of the Constitution which makes it clear that legislators who have defected from their party invite disqualification. The Thackeray group has contended that the Shinde group’s disregard of the party whip, appointment of a new deputy Speaker, the call for a floor test and claim of majority all clearly prove defection. Mr Thackeray further contended that by calling for a floor test the then governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari had effectively recognised a split in his party which was an illegal act.

Maharashtra

Rakhi Sawant Social Media Post Triggers Public Debate

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Mumbai: Actress and television personality Rakhi Sawant has sparked widespread discussion after sharing a social media post related to the ongoing student protests in the country.

The post featured a symbolic red sanitary pad, which many users interpreted as a gesture of support for the protesting students. The image quickly went viral, drawing mixed reactions across social media platforms.

While several users appreciated the symbolic message and described it as an expression of solidarity, others criticised the post, calling the imagery controversial and inappropriate. The incident has reignited debate over the role of celebrities in expressing views on social and political issues.

The controversy has generated significant public attention, with supporters defending freedom of expression and critics questioning the use of symbolic imagery in sensitive matters.

As of now, Rakhi Sawant has not issued an official statement responding to the controversy surrounding her post. There has also been no official confirmation of any legal action specifically related to her social media activity.

The issue continues to attract attention online, with discussions focusing on freedom of expression, public responsibility, and the influence of celebrities on national conversations.

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Maharashtra

Peaceful tricolor rally from Amjadiya Road to Shanti Nagar led by Bhiwandi Samajwadi Party MLA Raees Sheikh concludes

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Mumbai: Citizens of Bhiwandi on Friday spontaneously organised a ‘Tiranga Pail Yatra’ (Tricolor March) to demand the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the ‘NEET’ paper leak scandal and to express solidarity with the nationwide student protests. Led by Samajwadi Party MLA (Bhiwandi East) Rais Sheikh, the foot march was attended by a large number of local citizens as well as opposition party workers and leaders. The march covered the route from Amjadiya Road in Bhiwandi to Shanti Nagar and was concluded in the evening. No flags of any political party were hoisted during the rally, but citizens held the tricolor in their hands and expressed the spirit of unity. The peaceful procession demonstrated the spirit of unity ‘One Nation, One Passion’. Many participants raised slogans demanding Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, including “Inqilab Zindabad” (Long Live the Revolution) while others held placards protesting against the Modi government. The march ended with the presentation of a memorandum to the Bhiwandi Sub-Divisional Officer.

Speaking to the media during the event, MLA Raees Sheikh said that the ‘Tiranga March’ was not affiliated with any specific political party but was a spontaneous initiative by the citizens of Bhiwandi. He noted the growing nationwide anger against the central government over the ‘NEET’ paper leak and the brutal lathicharge on protesting students. The aim of the march was to support the student movement and demand an end to corruption in the examination system. The participants demanded that Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resign, holding him responsible for the ‘NEET’ paper leak incident. The memorandum issued by the ‘Tiranga Rally’ has put forward four demands: a judicial inquiry into the brutal lathicharge on student protesters at Delhi’s ‘Jantar Mantar’; a financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to the families of students who committed suicide following the NEET paper leak; and withdrawal of police cases registered against student protesters in Delhi as well as all states and union territories.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Shivaji Park student protest: Public anger after video of misbehaving with woman goes viral on social media, demands for four-pronged action

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Mumbai: After the shameful act of a police officer during a protest in Shivaji Park Dadar in Mumbai came to light, the Mumbai Police has defended the constable Deepak and said that the video that has gone viral on social media is irresponsible. The officer did not intend to misbehave or flirt with the woman. When the officer went to arrest a man during the protest, the woman protester came in the middle and this is the video. After the investigation in this case, the senior officers of the police department have given a clean chit to the above-mentioned police officer after carefully examining the video footage. This is causing resentment among the citizens. The police have said in their denial statement that there is no mistake on the part of the constable who controlled the protesters. He did not touch the woman intentionally. It is certain that he was controlling the protesters.

In this case, advocate Nitin Satpute has expressed surprise at the clean chit given to the police constable and has appealed to the victim to register a case against the official himself. If a case is not registered in this case, he will approach the court to register a case. He said that the videos of violence against students in Mumbai and other places that are going viral are worrying. In this, many videos have also come to light that are based on extreme brutality. In one video, a constable is threatening to implicate two students in a false drug case, while in the other video, this shameful act of a police constable has come to light. After this video, many political leaders have also tweeted it and demanded action. While the police have given a clean chit to the constable in this case, this has also affected the image of the police department. This video has tarnished the Mumbai Police. The public is angry with the police’s behavior and is also surprised by the police’s latest stance that the constable is innocent and has done nothing wrong.

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