Mumbai, July 28: In a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government and Uttar Pradesh Police, the Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray(UBT) on Tuesday accused authorities of launching a politically motivated crackdown against activists Muhammad Junaid and Shadab Saifi, who provided daily food and water to the protesters at Jantar Mantar.

In a hard-hitting editorial in its party’s mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the Thackeray camp detailed how UP Police have targeted Junaid and his extended family, including his parents, sister, and in-laws, detaining them for up to 12 hours at a time in police stations. According to the editorial, investigators are attempting to trace the financial sources behind a 35-day relief operation that supplied meals to thousands of demonstrators daily.

The editorial alleged that the state machinery actively attempted to starve out the protest site. Authorities reportedly ordered the closure of nearby hotels, street food stalls, and commercial food delivery services across the adjacent Connaught Place area to cut off supplies. Despite these measures, and while suffering foot injuries himself, Junaid coordinated meal distribution alongside local Sikh langars (community kitchens) operating around the clock, the editorial highlighted.

The Shiv Sena(UBT) alleged that the administration was misusing state apparatus to investigate basic humanitarian acts while failing on pivotal national security issues. “The government failed to locate the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack that killed 27 tourists, nor did it identify the source of the RDX used in the Pulwama attack that claimed 40 jawans,” the editorial noted.

“Yet, the entire machinery is deployed to track who funded Junaid’s meal drives simply because he wears a beard and a cap.” The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena further claimed that the central leadership has “nothing to do with humanity or patriotism”, asserting that Junaid and his family are being harassed simply because the administration is baffled by the scale of the community-led relief effort.

Turning the financial scrutiny back onto the ruling party, the editorial demanded equal accountability and public audits for government and political funds. The editorial called for total transparency regarding the origins, major donors, and ownership of thousands of crores deposited during the Covid-19 pandemic. It demanded an official inquiry into the thousands of crores accumulated in the BJP’s electoral funds and corporate donations.

Refusing to view the recent youth agitation as a setback, the Thackeray camp framed the Jantar Mantar demonstrations as a vibrant movement against authoritarianism. “In reality, the agitation at Jantar Mantar was not a crying movement, but a massive, vibrant festival of youth,” the editorial asserted.

“Even after enduring police lathis, pellet guns, spiked batons, and tear gas canisters, there were no signs of pain on the faces of these young people. Therefore, if ‘cockroaches’ sit together in a meeting to deliberate after the agitation ends, BJP supporters have no reason to feel hurt,” it remarked.

Concluding its critique, the Thackeray camp urged prominent figures, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and human rights advocates, to join forces against the alleged state oppression targeting Junaid, Saifi, and other grassroots organisers.

Mumbai: The Hydraulic Engineering Department of Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is undertaking a major project to replace the existing 6.6 kV High Tension (HT) Control Panels at Mumbai-3A Pumping Station in Panjrapur. As a result, water supply from Panjrapur to Bhandup Water Treatment Plant will remain suspended for a period of 20 hours i.e. from 9:00 AM on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 to 5:00 AM on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. As a result, water supply may be reduced by 15% in some parts and sub-parts of the city. The Eastern Suburbs Municipal Corporation administration humbly requests the citizens to take notice of this and extend their cooperation. The project involves replacing the 6.6 kV HT Control Panels at Mumbai-3A Pumping Station in Panjrapur. Under this initiative, 10 existing old HT Control Panels will be replaced with 10 new, modern, and efficient HT Control Panels. In the first phase, 4 out of a total of 10 HT control panels will be replaced. The work is to be carried out from 9:00 AM on Tuesday, July 28, 2026 to 5:00 AM on Wednesday, July 29, 2026. In order to carry out the work safely and in an orderly manner, it is necessary to shut down the ‘Mumbai 3A Pumping Station’ for about 20 hours. As a result, water supply from Panjrapur to Bhandup Water Treatment Plant will remain suspended for this 20-hour period i.e. from 9:00 AM on July 28, 2026 to 5:00 AM on July 29, 2026. This may result in a 15% reduction in water supply across the city and water supply may be reduced in some areas. The Suburbs Municipal Corporation administration strongly appeals to the citizens to take notice of this and cooperate.

Mumbai: During an operation within the limits of Kala Chowki police station in Mumbai, the police have claimed to have arrested a 32-year-old criminal named Arif Mohammad Aslam Sheikh. The police have also recovered a pistol and 6 live cartridges from his possession. Mohammad Aslam Sheikh has 8 cases of assault registered against him, along with one case registered in Bandra and Sahar police stations. The accused had also been expelled from the city twice. This operation was carried out on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Sharma and DCP Anurag Jain.