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Maharashtra

Stop vicious politics or you won’t be spared, Uddhav Thackeray warns BJP, MNS

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Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Saturday warned the Bharatiya Janata Party and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to stop their “dirty politics” or they would not be forgiven or spared.

Addressing a huge rally here, Thackeray targeted the BJP and his estranged cousin and MNS chief Raj Thackeray on a wide-range of issues including their brand of Hindutva, love for Marathi, the Centre’s pending GST dues to Maharashtra, BJP’s hurdles in various important development projects of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, and attempts to separate Mumbai as a Union Territory.

Ridiculing BJP Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis’ recent claims that he was present during the razing of the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya (1992), Thackeray asked if he had gone on a school picnic there or some sight-seeing tour. “Look at his age and how much he blabbers,” he said.

Without naming his cousin, Thackeray compared him with the character of Sanjay Dutt who gets visions of Mahatma Gandhi in the blockbuster “Lage Raoho Munnabhai” (2006).

“There’s one case roaming around wearing a shawl like Balasaheb Thackeray and claiming to see his spirit… As in the film, he is suffering from some ‘chemical locha’ and needs treatment,” Thackeray said amidst applause.

Dwelling on issues of the high inflation or unemployment, the CM and Shiv Sena President said “first they should talk about the price hike” before questioning others’ Hindutva and diverting to loudspeakers (in mosques’ or Hanuman Chalisa, both recently raised by Raj Thackeray and the MP-MLA couple of Navneet Kaur-Rana and her husband Ravi Rana.

“You couldn’t protect one Kashmiri Pandit who begged for transfer from Budgam (Kashmir) to Jammu, and terrorists barged into his government office and shot him. Do you have the guts to go and chant Hanuman Chalisa there?” Thackeray challenged the Rana couple.

He thundered at the manner in which the Centre is providing security at public expense to “nincompoops” who target the MVA government but not the Kashmiri Pandits who really need it.

Referring to the break-up between BJP-Sena in October 2019, Thackeray sharply said that “we kicked the donkey before it could kick us” but they couldn’t digest it and continued to behave like “a jilted lover”.

“Now they are accusing us of leaving Hindutva by allying with Congress and Nationalist Congress Party… Whatever we did, we did openly, not like you swearing-in the government in the early morning hours. You made all attempts to bring us down, but when you failed, you deployed central agencies after us, yet nothing happened,” he said.

It seems now they will even go after Dawood (Ibrahim Kaskar) but if he joins them, they will even take him in the cabinet, he said in another swipe at the BJP.

The CM warned the opposition parties to stop the “dirty politics by framing MVa leaders under false cases, or the people of Maharashtra will neither forgive them nor spare” them.

Pooh-poohing Fadnavis, Thackeray said that if he had really gone to Ayodhya then (1992), he could have merely tried to climb atop (the Babri mosque) would have crashed down under his weight.

He blamed Fadnavis for “blocking the Kanjurmarg land” needed for the Mumbai Metro carshed, and attacked the Centre for not handing over the railway plan to facilitate the Dharavi slum redevelopment, and asked him to go and shout in Delhi for clearing Maharashtra’s projects.

“We never asked for the Bullet Train project, but it is being forced on us… Did anybody demand it? Yet our development projects are being stalled, our GST dues are not being cleared,” said Thackeray.

He reiterated that the Sena’s Hindutva was in the heart and not by merely wearing saffron caps or threatening others, for us, Hindutva “is Ram in our mouths and ‘kaam’ (employment) in the hands”.

Failing this, he cited the example of Sri Lanka “which is now in flames for the second timea by the people who are suffering there without food and livelihood”.

Maharashtra

Mumbai’s Bandra Worli Sea Link Toll Rates To Go Up By 18% From April 1

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Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation has announced an 18% increase in toll charges for Mumbai’s Bandra Worli Sea Link from April 1. According to media reports, this hike in toll rates is limited to-one way travel.

After the implementation of the surge rates, cars and jeeps, from Monday, will have to pay Rs 100, up from the current Rs 85.

On the other hand, minibus, tempos, and similar vehicles will have to pay Rs 160. Earlier, these vehicles paid Rs 130.

While two-axle trucks currently pay Rs 175, they will have to spend Rs 210 for a one-way trip from tomorrow.

The old rates were put in place in April 2021. The new rates will be in effect for three years – from April 1 to March 31, 2027.

The report added that the MSRDC officials announced a rebate of 10% for motorists and 20% on the purchase of booklets carrying 50 and 100 toll coupons in advance, respectively.

The Bandra-Worli Sea Link was opened to the public in 2009. The cable-stayed bridge was named after former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi. It connects Mumbai’s Worli and Bandra, making it easy for commuters to avoid congestion in Dadar, Mahim, Prabhadevi, and Worli neighbourhoods.

In a big relief to commuters, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde inaugurated the Mumbai coastal road. The 9.6-km high-speed corridor also connects Worli with Marine Drive.

The coastal road has been constructed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

It proposes to connect the Marine Drive area in south Mumbai to Kandivali, a western suburb, via the existing Bandra Worli Sea Link and is expected to ease Mumbai’s northbound traffic.

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Maharashtra

Three lakh pilgrims visit Haji Ali in Mumbai on Eid

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Mumbai: Eid-ul-Fitr passed off peacefully in Mumbai. Muslims celebrated Eid with simplicity and protested against the Waqf Bill by offering namaz with black bands on their arms. After Eid-ul-Fitr, a huge crowd of pilgrims thronged Haji Ali and Mahim dargahs. Three lakh pilgrims visited Haji Ali, for which the police had made tight security arrangements.

More than 300,000 pilgrims visited Haji Ali Dargah on the occasion of Basi Eid 2025. As per the preparations made with the Haji Ali Dargah Trust

200 volunteers

25 swimmers

78 CCTV cameras, CCTV camera operators, public announcement were arranged on the main road as well as in the dargah premises. First aid facilities were available on the main road as well as in the dargah premises. Heavy police force was deployed for search, barricades and ropes were also arranged. Eid and Basi Eid passed off peacefully in Mumbai and no untoward incident took place. On the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Panchalkar, the police had made additional security arrangements at dargahs and mosques.

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Crime

Mumbai Malad Gudi Padwa violence: Three arrested, situation peaceful, police alert, DCP Asmita Hotel

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Mumbai: After the violence on Gudi Padwa in Malad, Mumbai, the situation is now peaceful here, but despite this, politics has also started on this issue and an attempt has been made to spread communal tension by giving it a Hindu-Muslim color. On the occasion of Gudi Padwa, a local youth attacked five minors passing in front of Noorani Mosque. In this case, the police has controlled the situation and so far three people have been arrested. A case of rioting has also been registered against them. The crowd is also being identified. The accused have been identified on the basis of CCTV and three people have been arrested. Along with this, after getting control of the situation, the police has put Malad on high alert and is also keeping an eye on communal elements.

Now communal elements have started trying to spoil the atmosphere in Mumbai, so the police is also keeping an eye on social media. Local DCP Smita Patil said that the situation in Malad Maloni is peaceful and action is being taken against the miscreants. Arrests are also continuing after examining CCTV footage and other footage.

So far three people have been arrested in this case, one of whom is Sharan, who attacked the minor. In this case, Vishwa Hindu Parishad Bajrang Dal has given an ultimatum to the police that if they do not arrest the accused as soon as possible, they will protest. In this case, the DCP has made tight security arrangements at all places and has also appealed not to pay attention to rumors and not to share unverified videos or controversial posts on social media. The police is on alert to maintain law and order in Mumbai and Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Panchalkar has issued strict instructions.

Sanjay Nirupam’s venomous attack on the violence on Gaddi Padwa

After the violence on Gudi Padwa, Sanjay Nirupam has made many serious allegations against the police, he has accused the police of delaying action and protecting the accused. He has questioned the action of Mumbai Police and said that the main accused Sharan and his mother do not allow Hindus to celebrate their festivals and their hooliganism continues here. Sanjay Nirupam has called Muslims Jihadis. Sanjay Nirupam said that the police took action when pressure was put on them.

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