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Maharashtra

Vedanta-Foxconn bombshell: Shinde blames Uddhav, MVA says ‘treachery, bulldozer on Maharashtra’

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Rattled by the political fallout of the Vedanta Group-Foxconn Rs 2.06 lakh-crore mega project choosing Gujarat, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde blamed former CM Uddhav Thackeray’s government for the loss. At the same time the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi allies slammed Shinde for “treachery, and bulldozing the state economy”, here on Wednesday.

Clearly taken aback by the political-economic bombshell with long-term ramifications, Shinde spoke with Prime Minister Narendra Modi late on Tuesday where the latter reportedly assured him of “giving even bigger projects to Maharashtra” in the future.

“We are finding out the details. We have come (to power) only two months ago but Vedanta-Foxconn did not get the desired response from the earlier (MVA) government,” said Shinde.

Both Shinde and Industry Minister Uday Samant confirmed the discussion with the Prime Minister and the reported promises, but there were no takers in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of the Nationalist Congress Party-Congress-Shiv Sena.

Virtually all parties have demanded a thorough probe into the sequence of events leading to Vedanta-Foxconn opting for Gujarat when more than 90 percent of its deal was finalised with Maharashtra, including allotment of 1,100 acres of land near Pune.

Leader of Opposition, NCP’s Ajit Pawar shot off a letter in which he has alleged that the project has gone to Gujarat due to high-level political pressure, and said Shinde must take steps to ensure it returns to Maharashtra.

Attacking the government, NCP MP Supriya Sule said Shinde must immediately catch a plane to New Delhi and ensure that the Vedanta-Foxconn project — “which had come to Maharashtra on merits” — is immediately restored.

She rejected the claim that “bigger projects” would be given to Maharashtra and demanded that first the Vedanta-Foxconn project must be brought back in the interests of the state’s youth and economy.

Shiv Sena’s ex-Minister Aditya Thackeray said that Shinde has again resorted to ‘treachery’ – first by toppling the MVA government in June with the help of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and now failing the people of this state by allowing the mega project to go to the BJP-ruled Gujarat.

Congress state president Nana Patole accused Shinde of being “a dummy CM” with Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah running the show, “which is a very serious matter and detrimental to this state”.

“Maharashtra had given a very attractive package to the Vedanta-Foxconn project, but it has chosen Gujarat due to the BJP’s ‘conspiracy’ to weaken Maharashtra economically,” said Patole.

In a virulent statement, Shiv Sena national spokesperson Kishore Tiwari said that the Shinde-Fadnavis government is running “a bulldozer in Maharashtra to crush the economy and aspirations of jobless youths in the state only to help Gujarat”.

“If Shinde’s allegations are true, then Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal must clarify how the MVA did not cooperate with him and also reveal if he was under any political pressure to shift the project to Gujarat,” Tiwari demanded.

Dismissing Shinde and Samant’s contentions, Congress state general secretary Sachin Sawant said that “Maharashtra is always No. 1 in industrialisation and doesn’t need any favours from the PM”, but called upon Shinde-Fadnavis to advise Modi to show less love for Gujarat.

Deputy Leader of the Shiv Sena Dr Raghunath Kuchik accused the Shinde-Fadnavis government of “a systematic conspiracy with all projects being diverted to destroy Maharashtra’s economy and boost Gujarat’s development agenda” with an eye on the upcoming elections there.

NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said “this is the price that Gujarat has extracted for making Shinde the CM” and he remained helpless as Vedanta-Foxconn slipped out of the state.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray said when the project was virtually wrapped-up by Maharashtra, “how could it go to Gujarat” and demanded an investigation into the matter.

Senior leaders from the MVA like Subhash Desai, Balasaheb Thorat, Atul Londhe, Jayant Patil and Ramdas Kadam (Shinde group) have issued tough statements in the matter.

Since the past two days, the Opposition has gone hammer and tongs at the Shinde-Fadnavis regime after it notched up what is considered its ‘biggest political-economic disaster’ as Vedanta-Foxconn ditched Maharashtra for Gujarat.

Maharashtra

Dahi Handi 2025: One Injured After Falling From Govinda Pathak In Dadar

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Mumbai: One person was injured after falling from the top of a human pyramid during Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai’s Dadar area on Saturday. The incident occurred as a group of Govindas attempted to break the handi by forming a human pyramid, a traditional highlight of the Janmashtami festival.

The injured participant received immediate medical attention and is reported to be in stable condition. The Dahi Handi celebration in Dadar draws massive crowds each year, and this year was no exception, with enthusiastic participation despite safety concerns.

11-Year-Old Boy Dies During Dahi Handi Practice In Dahisar; Pathak President Booked For Negligence

In another news story related to the Dahi Handi, a tragic incident unfolded in Hanuman Nagar, Ketkipada, Dahisar East, on Sunday, where an 11-year-old boy, Mahesh Jadhav, lost his life while practising for the upcoming Dahi Handi celebrations. Mahesh was a member of the Navtarun Govinda Pathak.

The Dahisar police registered an FIR on Monday against Balu Soornar, the President of the Navtarun Mitra Mandal Pathak, under Sections 106 (causing death by negligence) and 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Fall During Practice Turns Fatal

According to police reports, Mahesh was a resident of Dharkhadi, Dahisar East. His family comes from a modest background; his mother works as a domestic helper, his father is a labourer, and he has three younger brothers aged 8, 5, and 1. As the eldest child, Mahesh had taken part in the Dahi Handi practices held by his group.

In preparation for Gokulashtami, the Navtarun Govinda Pathak had been conducting practice sessions. However, reports suggest that no safety measures or protective equipment were provided to the participants. Being the smallest in the group, Mahesh was assigned the topmost position in the human pyramid. During Sunday night’s practice, he lost his balance while standing at the top and fell straight to the ground due to the absence of sufficient members below to cushion the fall.

He sustained critical injuries from the fall and was immediately taken to a multispeciality hospital in Dahisar East, where doctors declared him dead. His body was later transferred to Shatabdi Hospital for post-mortem examination.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: 32-Year-Old Dahi Handi Participant Dies In Mankhurd, 30 Injured Citywide

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Mumbai witnessed tragedy during the Dahi Handi celebrations on Saturday when a 32-year-old participant from Bal Govinda Pathak in Maharashtra Nagar, Mankhurd, lost his life in an accident.

About The Incident

The incident was reported around 3 pm and confirmed by Shatabdi Hospital, Govandi.

The deceased, identified as Jagmohan Shivkiran Chaudhari, was tying the Dahi Handi rope from the first floor of a G+1 structure when he slipped inside the grill of the house. His family members rushed him to Shatabdi Hospital, where doctors declared him brought dead.

Apart from this fatal mishap, several Govinda participants across the city sustained injuries while attempting human pyramids and other celebratory activities. By 3 pm, hospitals had reported a total of 30 injuries. Of these, 18 cases were reported at Cooper Hospital, where 12 people remained under treatment and six were discharged. At Sion Hospital, six injured Govindas were admitted, with three undergoing treatment and the rest sent home after primary care. Another six cases were recorded at Nair Hospital, with one person still under treatment and five discharged.

In all, 30 people were injured during the day’s festivities, 15 of whom continued to receive medical care while the other 15 were discharged after treatment. Civic authorities stated that apart from the Mankhurd incident, no other major untoward episode was reported in the city during the celebrations.

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Maharashtra

‘Eknath Shinde Won Matka Not Lottery’: MP Sanjay Raut Takes Dig At Maharashtra Deputy CM; MNS-Sena Collaborate For BEST Patpedhi Elections

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Mumbai: In numerous locations, employees from both parties are uniting and engaging in various activities. You inquired about the MNS alliance in the Municipal Corporations of Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan, and I just provided an answer. The employees from both organizations are collaborating in the BEST Patpedhi elections.

A large march will occur in Nashik, where MNS will participate alongside Shiv Sena in this significant event. We are currently negotiating to contest the elections jointly. “Our focus is on Mumbai,” stated Sanjay Raut, an MP from the Thackeray group.

Sanjay Raut engaged with the journalists. On this occasion, Sanjay Raut stated that the focus of Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, and their business group is Mumbai. They aim to seize control of Mumbai, and the Thackeray brothers’ goal is to ensure that Mumbai is not given to the Gujaratis.

The position of Chief Minister is not a gamble; it’s a matka, stated BJP leader and minister Ganesh Naik regarding Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. When Sanjay Raut was asked for his thoughts on this, he mentioned that lottery is an esteemed term.

In the past, the government operated a lottery. However, matka is currently being played unlawfully in the state. Despite Devendra Fadnavis being the Chief Minister, the figures are being manipulated. Ganesh Naik referred to the term lottery; he made this indicative comment in Thane.

However, the term matka must have been on his mind. He must have intended to imply that there should have been a matka for the position of Chief Minister. However, matka numbers are unpredictable, and individuals participate in four or five matkas, stated Sanjay Raut.

In the meantime, fundamentally, Girish Mahajan is not Maharishi Vyas. He ought to notice what is igniting beneath him. He ought to consider what will occur for him on the day he is no longer in power, where he will find himself. “On the morrow, when the Thackeray brothers join forces politically, they will be aware.” Sanjay Raut criticized that the thieves and robbers surrounding Fadnavis will struggle to walk the streets when they are out of power.

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