New Delhi/Mumbai, July 20: A tweet by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has sparked widespread political discussion after he publicly thanked Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, for the ongoing agitation over the NEET paper leak case.

In a post on the social media platform X, the Rajya Sabha MP credited the Chief Justice for giving fresh momentum to public protests across the country. He remarked that the credit for the massive protest goes to “just one person, Hon’ble Surya Kant Ji,” thanking him for breathing new life into the country’s social and political movements.

Raut’s statement comes amidst rising political temperatures in the national capital, where thousands of protesters gathered for a ‘Parliament March’ despite police restrictions. His remarks highlighting the judiciary’s role have drawn sharp reactions across political lines, further fuelling the nationwide debate surrounding the paper leak controversy.

Earlier, Raut launched a scathing attack on the Central government against the backdrop of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk’s ongoing hunger strike, accusing the administration of being “scared of the youth” and suppressing democratic protests through force.

Reflecting on the crackdown on protesters, Raut told the youth gathered at Jantar Mantar that the government initially dismissed prominent voices such as Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijit Dipke as minor distractions.

He said the government thought they could crush these activists like tiny insects, but the so-called “cockroaches” had proven resilient, with people across the nation stepping out to support them.

Raut criticised the government’s refusal to grant permission for peaceful rallies, stating that a truly democratic leadership would engage with protesters rather than ban their marches or forcibly hospitalise activists like Sonam Wangchuk under police pressure.

He said the government should have addressed the youth’s grievances directly and sought the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to satisfy the younger generation.

Meanwhile, reacting strongly to the protests at Jantar Mantar and the opposition’s demands for the Education Minister’s resignation, BJP Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule launched a sharp attack on the organisers.

He alleged that the so-called “cockroach” protest was nothing but a staged political drama designed to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Bawankule said the ongoing protest was sheer drama, with some youths joining out of frustration. He asked whether he or Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had leaked the exam paper, adding that constructive suggestions for reform were welcome, but demanding the minister’s resignation was purely politically motivated.

Mumbai: Police has claimed to have registered a case against Shiv Sena UBT for holding an unauthorized protest at Shivaji Park in Mumbai demanding the resignation of Sonam Wangchuck and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Mumbai Police has registered three separate FIRs in this matter, including gathering a crowd at Shivaji Park without permission and ignoring the police appeal by camping in the ground even after the protest. In this case, the police has registered an FIR against the organizers. The second FIR is for creating a traffic problem by gathering students and protesters at Shivaji Park without any permission and the third FIR is for gathering students in Dadar and jamming the traffic. No one has been arrested in this case so far.

A protest demonstration was held at Shivaji Park under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray, during which a flood of protesters had gathered. In such a situation, the police also gave the protesters a message of a peaceful march after the protest demonstration. At the same time, arguments were made with the police, but the protesters were not ready to leave the ground, so the anti-riot squad was also deployed here. While Uddhav Thackeray, while addressing the student protest demonstration, criticized the government and said that the government has time to discuss Pakistan but cannot discuss Sonam Wangchuck.

Mumbai Police has registered three FIRs in the case of illegal morcha and rally, this has been confirmed by the Mumbai Police. Meanwhile, in view of the protest demonstration by the Kakroj Janata Party in Delhi, an alert has also been issued in Mumbai. A prohibitory order has been imposed in Mumbai from July 23 to August 6, in which the gathering of more than five people has been banned, while cremation grounds, funerals and weddings, including official and non-official ceremonies, have been exempted from it. This order has been issued by DCP Operation Akbar Pathan.

Mumbai: In view of the monsoon season, the health machinery of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) must be constantly prepared and highly capable to provide patient care. Prajakta Verma-Laungare, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) has issued important instructions to ensure that all necessary precautionary measures are effectively implemented in all hospitals.

Today (July 18, 2026) Prajakta Verma-Laungare visited the Hindu Hardayisamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Jogeshwari (East) and took a detailed review of various health-related issues.

He directed the Zonal Deputy Commissioners and all Assistant Commissioners to coordinate with the officers and staff of the health department to determine the health-related priorities for each ward. He directed them to regularly review health matters and devise an effective mechanism to collect citizens’ feedback. Furthermore, she directed that the new measures aligned with the overall health policy of the BMC should be effectively implemented.
Special measures to prevent monsoon-related diseases
She also issued instructions to inspect construction sites and effectively implement preventive health measures in light of the monsoon season. The preventive measures should be implemented with special focus on slums. Special campaigns and necessary precautions should be implemented to identify patients suffering from monsoon-related and epidemic diseases like dengue, malaria, leptospirosis and gastroenteritis as well as to prevent their spread. Mrs. Verma-Lovangre directed that special attention should be paid to high-risk areas for this purpose.
Regular monitoring of health measures
All Assistant Commissioners and Health Department Officers in Zone 4 should regularly monitor the implementation of health-related measures. Regular reviews should be conducted regarding the Health Management Information System (HMIS), measures to control stray dogs, necessary minor repairs in health facilities and cleanliness drive in health centres. Assistant Commissioners were directed to personally visit the field to inspect the work and adopt a data-driven approach for decision-making. He also directed that the vacant posts of health related posts like Assistant Medical Officers and Insecticide Officers should be filled up at the earliest by following the prescribed procedure.
Priority for repair of health facilities
The Hospital Infrastructure Cell (HIC) should formulate a policy to ensure that the repair works of health facilities in the zone are completed on priority basis and expeditiously. Instructions were issued to treat the zone as a unit and take necessary steps for expeditious completion of repair works in ‘mission mode’.
On this occasion, the Additional Municipal Commissioner also reviewed the operations of S.K. Patil Hospital, M.W. Desai Hospital, and Siddharth Hospital, all of which fall under Zone 4. Varmalawangire directed all the concerned officials to work with responsibility and sincerity, keeping the patients at the centre and keeping their needs in mind, especially in the backdrop of the monsoon season. Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners to regularly review hospitals Varmalawangire reviewed the issues and pending matters related to hospitals in Zone 4. He directed the Deputy Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners to regularly visit the hospitals and take necessary action to resolve various issues in a timely manner.
On this occasion, Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Varmalawangire inspected the healthcare facilities and operations at Hindu Hardayisamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Trauma Care Municipal Hospital in Jogeshwari (East).
Make licensing and regulatory processes more citizen-centric
The concerned departments should have a clear vision on various licenses issued by the Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and ensure strict compliance with all licensing regulations. He also directed that in order to improve ease of doing business and ensure smooth delivery of services to citizens, emphasis should be placed on effective implementation and adoption of citizen-centric systems – such as online application process and issuance of online licenses.
Focus on strengthening Citizen Facilitation Centres
The Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC) acts as a vital link between the BMC’s health services and the public. Therefore, these centres should be strengthened to streamline all health-related registration processes. The measures should include providing a dedicated window for health services, enabling application tracking, and displaying standard application forms at places easily visible to citizens. The aim is to maximise service delivery while minimising human intervention in health-related services.