Maharashtra
Yuvraj Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje scion withdraws from Rajya Sabha race

Citing ‘self-respect’ and to prevent ‘horse-trading’, Yuvraj Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje, the scion of the Kolhapur throne, opted out of the Rajya Sabha race here on Friday.
Sambhajiraje – who was hoping to contest as an independent with the support of the extra votes of various parties and independents – said his decision arose out of ‘self-respect’, to prevent ‘horse-trading’ and concern for the masses who are his real strength.
The 13th direct descendent of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj also attacked Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, accusing him of “not honouring” his word to support his solo candidature and insisting that he (Sambhajiraje) should first join Shiv Sena before getting a ticket.
“For me the RS seat is not the concern… The welfare of the masses is more important for me… I will go on a statewide tour to strengthen the idea of ‘Swarajya’ now and see my strength,” said Sambhajiraje with a tinge of disappointment in his voice.
He said that two Sena MPs had met him in a five-star hotel recently to discuss the issue and conveyed the CM’s desire that Sambhajiraje should become a Shiv Sena member and the party would immediately nominate him for RS.
“I made it clear that I wish to contest as an independent and will not join any party for the RS ticket… Now, I shall have nothing to do with the RS elections,” Sambhajiraje declared.
He made it clear that he had no ‘angst or ill-will’ against any party as they all had their respective agendas to pursue and he respected their stand.
Sena MP Arvind Sawant denied Sambhajiraje’s allegations against the CM and blamed him for not accepting the Sena’s offer and missing a ‘great opportunity’.
“He was earlier an NCP member then what prevented him from joining Sena… You stick to your views, we stand by our opinions” said Sawant.
BJP Leader of Opposition (Council) Pravin Darekar slammed the Sena for ‘insulting and humiliating’ Sambhajiraje and said the people of the state will not forgive them.
Congress President Nana Patole said it desired Sambhajiraje to enter the Rajya Sabha and whether he is an MP or not, the Congress will always stand with him.
A few days ago, the Chhatrapati had announced his plans to contest the RS polls solo with the backing of all other parties like the ruling Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, smaller parties and independents.
Though most parties kept silent, the Shiv Sena was prepared to offer him a ticket with a pre-condition that he should join the party as it wanted to increase its tally in the Upper House of Parliament.
Last week, the Sena invited him to CM’s residence to tie the ‘Shiv Bandhan’ and join the party, but Sambhajiraje spurned the offer.
A day later, Thackeray finalised the name of Shiv Sena Kolhapur District President Sanjay Pawar, who – along with Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut – filled their RS nomination papers on Thursday.
Maharashtra
The post of Joint Police Commissioner for Intelligence is under consideration… Decision to assign a senior officer the responsibility of gathering information in connection with the Pahalgam attack

Mumbai: State Government first introduced the post of Special Commissioner in Mumbai city and now there is a national possibility of creating the post of Joint Police Commissioner Intelligence. This decision has been taken by the government after the Pahalgam terror attack, so that intelligence can be collected proactively. After the Pahalgam terror attack, a new post of Joint Police Commissioner will be created in Mumbai to monitor the miscreants and terrorist modules and sleeper cells, so that he can monitor the intelligence and keep an eye on the sleeper cells. Weeks after the Pahalgam terror attack and to keep an eye on the ‘sleeper cells’ of terrorist groups, the Maharashtra government has decided to create the post of a sixth Joint Commissioner for Mumbai, who will be in charge of intelligence in addition to the five posts that already exist.
The decision was taken amid the need to be at the forefront of intelligence gathering, especially in the wake of the recent Indo-Pak tensions. A senior source confirmed that the government has decided to create a new post of Joint Commissioner Intelligence in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and the history of such attacks in Mumbai. The sixth Joint Commissioner will primarily collect intelligence, and is likely to be by upgrading the post of Additional Commissioner (Special Branch) that currently exists. After the post of Special Commissioner in Mumbai, the government has now upgraded the post of Special Branch officer to the level of Joint Police Commissioner. Earlier, the head of SB-1 used to be the in-charge of intelligence, but now this post is likely to be upgraded to Joint Police Commissioner, which will now have six Joint Commissioners in Mumbai instead of five.
Maharashtra
Strongly condemning Minister of State Vijay Shah’s derogatory statement against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, demanding apology and action, Muslim women protest in Mumbai

Mumbai: Muslim women have also staged a protest against BJP Minister of State Vijay Shah in Mumbai after Indian Army Lieutenant Colonel Sofia Qureshi made an insulting and derogatory remark. Prominent women social workers from Madanpura area of Mumbai’s Byculla, who run a popular NGO like Rais Area Level Federation, along with the women’s wing of Samajwadi Party South Mumbai district, staged a strong protest against BJP Minister Vijay Shah.
The protesters, while addressing the protest, said,
We, as conscious citizens, express our deep sorrow and anger over the condemnable and false statement made by Madhya Pradesh Minister Vijay Shah in which he called Colonel Sofia Qureshi the ‘sister of a terrorist’.
The women protesters paid tribute to the services of Colonel Sofia Qureshi, saying:
Colonel Sofia Qureshi is a patriotic and respected Indian Army officer who made history in 2016 by becoming the first Indian woman to lead an international military exercise. Her services, patriotism and sacrifice are a source of pride for our country.
They further said that
This statement by Minister Vijay Shah is not only an insult to a dutiful woman officer but also a blatant insult to the Indian Army, the Constitution and our secular values.
The women made the following demands:
An immediate and unconditional apology should be sought from Vijay Shah.
Strict disciplinary action should be taken by the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and the BJP leadership.
A resolution should be passed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly to acknowledge the dignity of military officers and condemn communal statements.
The protesters also demanded that the Governor of Madhya Pradesh and, if elections are near, the Election Commission take serious note of this objectionable statement.
They said
Colonel Sofia Qureshi is a symbol of India’s inclusive and democratic strength. Her being a Muslim and being a patriot is not only possible together but is a practical proof of our constitutional ideology. We express complete solidarity with her and stand with every individual who serves the country by donning the military uniform. — No matter what their religion, caste or gender.
During the protest, women have also enthusiastically raised slogans in which we are with Sofia Qureshi… Shame on Vijay Shah, shame on you. Respect and honor our army.
Maharashtra
Relocation of Mumbai Deonar Dumping Ground is a relief for residents, BMC’s decision is welcomed, Govindi residents should have access to basic facilities including a hospital: Rais Shaikh

Mumbai: The Mumbai BMC has decided to shift the Deonar dumping ground, which will bring relief to the residents of Deonar and Shivaji Nagar, and is also a welcome move for the people of Govind. After the BMC invited bids for a major legacy waste bio-remediation project at the Deonar dumping ground, Samajwadi Party legislator and former BMC group leader Rais Shaikh welcomed the move, saying it is the first step towards fulfilling the long-standing demand of Govind residents.
A former Govind corporator, Shaikh said that the residents had faced hardship for decades due to the presence of the dumping ground and now they should get essential social infrastructure like hospitals and schools on the part of the land that will be reclaimed after the removal of legacy waste.
MLA Rais Shaikh said that this was a fundamental, long-standing demand of the residents of Govandi for decades and it is a welcome step for them. Scientific closure of the dumping ground should be ensured, and the civic body should maintain transparency in the entire process. He added that the civic body should take all stakeholders into confidence during the process of removing the legacy waste. Shaikh said, “It should be ensured that the residents of Gowandi face minimum inconvenience during the transportation of waste, as thousands of trucks will pass through the area daily.” Highlighting that Gowandi is a hotspot for tuberculosis (TB), cancer and other respiratory diseases, MLA Rais Shaikh said, “Gowandi, often called the TB and malnutrition capital of the city, is consistently ranking well below average on all socio-economic development indicators. Therefore, social infrastructure in hospitals and schools should not be damaged. After removing the legacy waste, the land reclaimed for them should be prepared,” demanded MLA Rais Shaikh.
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