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Maharashtra

‘We don’t laugh at the same joke again and again’: Fadnavis takes dig at Rahul Gandhi

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Nagpur, Feb 7: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday hit back at Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, after he raised concerns over the rise in voter numbers during the Maharashtra Assembly elections.

Taking a swipe at Gandhi, Fadnavis said, “Rahul Gandhi is firing cannonballs in anticipation of his party’s defeat in the Delhi elections. After the Delhi results, Congress will be wiped out. He is simply practicing how to spin a new narrative. But we don’t laugh at the same joke over and over again.”

Dismissing Gandhi’s concerns over voter numbers, Fadnavis added, “The Election Commission has already provided all answers regarding voter lists — where names were added, where they were deleted — so there’s no need for further clarification. Rahul Gandhi knows the Delhi results will be a disaster for Congress, so he’s preparing his script in advance.”

He further criticised the Congress leader, saying, “As long as Rahul Gandhi keeps avoiding real introspection and instead focuses on misleading statements, there is no possibility of a Congress revival.”

Fadnavis’ remarks came after Rahul Gandhi, joined by Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule, at a press conference in Delhi on Friday questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) on how 9.7 crore votes were cast when Maharashtra’s adult population stands at 9.4 crore. Gandhi clarified that the opposition was not making accusations but was merely demanding transparency in the voters’ list.

However, his comments drew sharp criticism from the ruling BJP and its allies.

Shiv Sena Parliamentary Party chief Shrikant Shinde demanded a public apology from Rahul Gandhi, stating, “He must apologize not just to Maharashtra but to the entire nation for his reckless remarks. He should accept the will of the voters with humility instead of habitually trying to discredit India’s electoral integrity for short-term political gains.”

Shinde further asserted, “Maharashtra witnessed its highest voter turnout in 30 years, a testament to the strength of our democracy. Full credit goes to the Election Commission and Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer for ensuring a free and fair election.”

Mumbai BJP chief and state IT Minister Ashish Shelar accused Rahul Gandhi of indulging in “public melodrama” instead of reflecting on Congress’ defeat. “Rahul Gandhi and the Congress are still reeling from Maharashtra’s rejection,” he said.

Maharashtra BJP president and state Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule expressed similar sentiments, stating, “The Congress and its allies have not recovered from the shock of their crushing defeat. Instead of accepting the people’s verdict, they are casting doubt on voter turnout. The Election Commission has repeatedly clarified the increase in voters, yet they continue to make misleading allegations, undermining democracy.”

Bawankule also linked Gandhi’s remarks to the upcoming Delhi Assembly election results, saying, “As the inevitable defeat looms, he is trying to shift focus to Maharashtra’s election process. This is nothing but desperation.”

Taking a further jab, he remarked, “Supriya Sule, who sat next to him at the press conference, had previously said, ‘I won on this EVM.’ But Rahul Gandhi, who thrives on political stunts, refuses to acknowledge the truth. Rahulji, believe in democracy — stop defaming it with baseless allegations. The people have already seen through your lies.”

NCP chief spokesperson Anand Paranjape also dismissed Gandhi’s claims, attributing them to Congress’ fear of an impending defeat in Delhi.

“Since the Census has not been conducted yet, some discrepancies between the population and voter lists are expected. Moreover, the increase in voter numbers between Lok Sabha and Assembly elections is natural, as all parties push for new voter registrations. The Election Commission has also increased the number of polling stations, which further explains the rise in voter turnout,” he explained.

Maharashtra

40 rain shelters, 08 unauthorized shops, 30 hawkers, 06 vehicular paths removed, joint action by ‘T’, ‘S’ and ‘N’ departments of Mumbai Municipal Corporation

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The Mumbai Municipal Corporation is implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign in the Mumbai region (Mumbai city and suburbs). Under this, 40 rain shelters, 08 unauthorized shops and 30 hawkers obstructing footpaths were removed today (August 11, 2026) in the Milind area. This action was taken jointly by the ‘T’, ‘S’ and ‘N’ divisions of the Municipal Corporation. As per the directions of the High Court, the Mumbai Municipal Corporation under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide is effectively implementing the ‘Pedestrian First’ campaign to immediately remove unauthorized hawkers and encroachments on footpaths and to make the footpaths free from obstructions.

In this regard, a joint campaign was conducted under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner (T Division) under the guidance of Deputy Commissioner (Zone-6) Santosh Kumar Dhonde. Assistant Commissioner (S Division) Samrin Syed, Assistant Commissioner (N Division) Jaideep More
The operation was carried out in the areas of Ram Ratan Trivedi Marg, Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, Sivaram Lalwani Marg, Ratanji Hirji Bhograj Marg, Jhaveer Marg and Ganesh Gawde Marg as well as Lokmanya Tilak Marg (West) in the ‘T’ zone of the Municipal Corporation. In this, 40 rain shelters built on the footpaths, 08 unauthorized shops, 30 hawkers and 06 carriageways that were obstructing the footpaths were removed. Apart from this, the material obstructing the footpaths was also seized.

The operation was carried out with the help of 10 vehicles, 05 dumpers, 05 JCBs and other equipment along with 13 secondary engineers, 07 licensing inspectors, 66 workers working in Zone 6. Adequate police security was deployed at that time.

Meanwhile, the municipal administration is committed to providing barrier-free and easy footpaths for pedestrians. However, no one should create obstacles on the footpath or carry out unauthorized constructions. The municipal administration is telling that strict action will be taken if this happens.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Mankhurd ATM card fraud two accused arrested

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police has claimed to have arrested two accused who committed fraud by changing ATM cards. On August 5, the complainant had gone to the ATM center at Mangal Murthy Junction to withdraw money. While withdrawing money from the ATM, an unknown person standing behind her saw the PIN of the card. After that, she cleverly changed the ATM rod and withdrew Rs 19,000. The police have registered a case of fraud in this matter and started investigating it. The police had seen three suspicious people from the CCTV footage of the scene who were found withdrawing money from the ATM card. After that, the police identified the accused with the help of CCTV footage. Later, they were arrested. The accused have been identified as Qasim Ali Barkat Ali, 30, and Parvez Akbar Ali Sheikh, 38, both residents of Kalyan. The police are investigating further regarding both of them. Along with this, the police are also finding out how many people they have cheated before. This action was taken by DCP Sameer Sheikh on the instructions of Additional Commissioner Dhananjay Kulkarni.

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Maharashtra

7 accused arrested in cyber fraud case of over Rs 1 crore in Mumbai

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Mumbai: The Cyber ​​Police Station has claimed to have solved the mystery of a cyber crime in which the complainant was threatened with digital arrest on WhatsApp from April 2 to April 18, 2026, and was involved in a money laundering case and was defrauded of Rs 16.74 crore online by sending fake electronic documents. During the technical investigation, the police have arrested 7 accused, identified as Sanjay Hiralal, 57, who used to generate OTPs, the 32-year-old female accused used to hide the fraudulent money, Rishi Ramchandra Meena, 38, who used to transfer the fraudulent money to bank accounts, Naushad Ali, 31, who digitally arrested the complainant and the victim and worked in this gang digitally, Muhammad Khalid Hafeezuddin Saif, 27, a digital expert, Jogesh Mehta, 43, and Zubair Hussain, 27, who helped them deposit the fraudulent money in their accounts. 613 mobile phones, 2 laptops, 5 digital sign devices were recovered from the possession of the accused. SIM cards of several companies, 10 cheque books, 2 passbooks and 2 ATM cards have been seized. DCP Bajrang Bansode told the press conference that there is no such thing as digital arrest and in such a situation, do not keep in touch on unknown social media accounts. If someone threatens digital arrest, do not believe them.

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