Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday inaugurated the final 76-km-long stretch of the Samruddhi Mahamarg, making the entire 701-km Mumbai-Nagpur corridor fully functional and bringing down the travel time between the two cities to eight hours from around 18 hours.
Incessant rains and water-logging slowed down traffic in Mumbai, with the IMD issuing a 'red alert', predicting very heavy showers in the city and neighbouring areas. Commuters faced water accumulation on tracks and delays in local train services.
Heavy rains in Nanded, Maharashtra, have caused severe flooding, leading to the evacuation of hundreds of residents as the Godavari and Asna rivers overflow. The Vishnupuri dam released a large amount of water, exacerbating the situation.
Senior RSS leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi's call to drop the Aurangzeb tomb controversy challenges decades of communal rhetoric in Maharashtra, igniting hopes for unity and a balanced historical narrative.
The blaze erupted at around 4 am in the shop located at Dana Bazar in Cantonment area of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Elections for municipal councils and nagar panchayats in Maharashtra are scheduled for December 2, according to the State Election Commissioner. The schedule for other local bodies will be announced later.
The Maharashtra legislative council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to rename seven stations on the Mumbai local train network.
Votes will be counted on January 16 and the outcome will be keenly watched as the BJP-led Mahayuti will seek to stamp its supremacy in urban landscape, especially in Mumbai, while the Opposition parties will try to redeem themselves after last year's rout in assembly polls.
The opposition Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) conceded defeat in the elections to municipal councils and nagar panchayats, accusing the election commission of 'facilitating' the victory of the ruling Mahayuti alliance.
Quota activist Manoj Jarange demands the Maharashtra government implement a GR for issuing Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas before September 17, threatening further action if the deadline is missed.
A Bangladeshi national, Azizul Nizanul Rahman, was arrested in Mumbai for staying illegally in India. Police are investigating if he was involved in the March 17 violence in Nagpur. Rahman, a daily wage labourer, admitted to obtaining an Aadhaar card using forged documents. Police are analyzing his mobile phone location and have shared information with Nagpur authorities.
Search of two premises of a firm called Apex Medichem Private Limited on Saturday led to the seizures, he said.
Vasant Shinde, a former municipal council president of Jintur in Parbhani district, told PTI that he survived the 1993 tragedy, in which 55 people lost their lives, as the aircraft flew into an 11 KV powerline, which fortunately did not have any supply.
A series of decisions were taken under the Public Health Department, including an approval to increase honoraria for field-level workers engaged under the Ayushman BharatPradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Jan Arogya Yojana.
Ajit's remarks came at a time when Maharashtra is witnessing heated political debates over the Mahayuti government's demand to remove Mughal empire Aurangzeb's grave from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
"Out of 100, I will give minus zero marks to this GR," said activist Vinod Patil.
Fourteen persons were arrested on Friday in connection with the violence in Nagpur earlier this week, taking the total number those held so far to 105, a senior police official said. Those held include 10 juveniles, as per police. Three more FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident, he added. Large-scale stone pelting and arson was reported in several parts of Nagpur on March 17 over rumours that a chadar' with holy inscriptions was burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, which is in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. "The 14 accused have been arrested from different parts of the city in connection with the riots. Three more FIRs have been registered related to the riots," Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal said. The decision on lifting curfew from some parts of the city will be taken after a high-level review meeting, he added. Singhal, meanwhile, held a meeting at Police Bhavan in Civil Lines here to take stock of the situation. Thirty-three police personnel including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers were injured during the violence. Key accused Fahim Khan is among those booked for sedition.
'Any type of violence is not good for the health of the society and I think police have taken cognizance of it and so they will get into the details'
A large group of Muslim community members gathered outside the City Chowk police station to demand action against Ramgiri Maharaj, alleging that he made objectionable comments against Prophet Mohammad and Islam, they said.
According to fire department officials, the blaze erupted around 02:15 am at the factory in Waluj MIDC area.
Maharashtra Minister Yogesh Kadam said 54 people have been arrested in connection with the violence in Nagpur, India, while a search is underway for the mastermind. The violence, which injured 33 police personnel, was triggered by rumors about a chadar with holy inscriptions being burnt during protests by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).
A group of rioters allegedly touched a woman constable inappropriately and tried to disrobe her during violence in Nagpur, sparked by protests against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb. The mob also hurled petrol bombs at the police. Authorities have arrested 51 rioters and filed 57 charges against them.
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat received an Income Tax notice regarding an increase in his assets between the 2019 and 2024 elections. He initially claimed MP Shrikant Shinde also received a notice but later retracted the statement.
A vaccine to fight cancers affecting women will be available in five to six months, and those in the age group of nine to 16 years will be eligible for inoculation, Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav said on Tuesday. The Union Minister of State for Health, Family Welfare and Ayush (Independent Charge) said that research on a vaccine is nearly complete and trials are underway. The government has also waived off customs duty for medicines used in cancer treatment.
The law and order situation in Nagpur, which was rocked by violence on Monday night, is under control but a curfew continues in many sensitive areas of the city, a senior official said on Wednesday. Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singal said the situation will be reviewed in the afternoon. More than 2,000 armed police personnel have been deployed in the sensitive areas. Violence erupted in central Nagpur's Chitnis Park in the Mahal area on Monday, with stones hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing body demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. As many as 34 police personnel were injured in the violence. A curfew, restricting the movement of people and vehicles, was subsequently imposed in sensitive areas in the city.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has denied rumours that a cloth with Quranic verses was burnt during a protest in Nagpur. He attributed the subsequent violence to a planned attempt to disrupt social harmony and vowed to punish those who attacked police. Fadnavis stated that the violence was triggered by false rumours about the burning of a 'chadar' with Quranic verses during a protest demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb.
Lieutenant General Vinod Khandare (retired), former principal adviser to the Ministry of Defence, discusses the implications of Operation Sindoor, including its impact on India's diplomatic relations and the need for improved civil defense.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS are likely to form an alliance for the upcoming local body polls in Maharashtra, with the final decision expected closer to the election date. Leaders from both parties acknowledge public pressure and the need to rejuvenate their cadres after poor performances in previous elections.
Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat of the Shiv Sena has taken an exception to his junior minister Madhuri Misal belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party holding a meeting with department officials 'without informing' him, with the latter responded saying it was very much within her powers.
Curfew was lifted from the remaining four areas of Nagpur in Maharashtra on Sunday, six days after violence rocked the city. The violence erupted on March 17 after rumors spread about a chadar with holy inscriptions being burnt during a protest led by the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal. The rumors were later found to be baseless.
Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said social media was used to vitiate the atmosphere, and appealed to the opposition not to politicise the matter.
Maratha quota movement leader Manoj Jarange is heading to Mumbai to launch a fresh hunger strike, demanding reservation for the Maratha community under the OBC category. He has agreed to meet a government delegation near Pune en route.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said an earthquake which impacted parts of the state on Wednesday was mild, and appealed to people to stay alert and not panic as the administration was taking all precautionary steps.
The drug network was busted based on an intelligence input received by the Crime Branch, he said, adding that three persons were arrested and a case has been registered by the DRI.
The cyber police in Nagpur have booked local leader Fahim Khan and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media during the violence that erupted in the city on Monday. The department has also sought information from Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube authorities about 230 profiles and requested their blocking.
Minority Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Khan has been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted in Nagpur on Monday after Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers staged an agitation for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb. Khan's name is mentioned in one of six FIRs registered so far, along with 50 others. Police are investigating whether Khan played any role in instigating the riots. Khan, along with eight others, had allegedly gathered outside a police station and submitted a memorandum against the VHP's protest. Subsequently, he went to another area where a large group of people from a minority community had gathered. Police are searching for those named in the FIRs and are investigating whether the accused had any role in planning the violence. The violence erupted amid rumors that a 'chadar' with holy inscriptions was burnt during the VHP's protest.
Activist Manoj Jarange, whose indefinite fast over Maratha reservation entered the fifth day on Wednesday, started taking intravenous fluids after a Maharashtra minister assured to resolve the issue.
The Army unit deployed in Ashti successfully evacuated 40 people with the help of an NDRF team and other agencies.
The development comes a day after a government resolution (GR) was issued, in which the state administration ordered disbursal of Rs 10 crore funds for strengthening the state Waqf Board.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena, announced the latest list which also has the name of Sanjana Jadhav, daughter of former Union minister and BJP leader Raosaheb Danve.
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