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.
Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party Legislature Party will meet on Tuesday to elect their leader, paving the way for him to meet Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and stake claim to form the government.
Rohit Sharma was honoured with a stand named after him at Mumbai's iconic Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday asserted that Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra and anyone who lives here should learn and speak it. Fadnavis was speaking in the state assembly after Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav said the government should clarify its stand on senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi's comments that a person coming to Mumbai may not necessarily learn Marathi.
The exclusion of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has sparked speculation of a growing rift within the ruling Mahayuti coalition. This move, which has fueled tensions between Shinde and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, comes amidst reports of discontent within the coalition since its formation last November. Political observers view Shinde's absence from the key disaster response agency as a significant development, further highlighting potential power struggles within the government.
The Maharashtra government, led by a coalition of the BJP and Shiv Sena, has admitted that it cannot increase the monthly financial aid under the Ladki Bahin Yojana to Rs 2,100, as promised during the 2024 assembly polls. The government cites severe financial stress as the reason. Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat, a Shiv Sena leader, has said that the scheme will continue with the existing amount of Rs 1,500, but the increase is not feasible at this time. The minister also accused the Finance Department, led by Ajit Pawar, of diverting funds from his department without his knowledge. He called for a law to ensure that the social justice and tribal affairs departments receive their allocated funds. The statement comes as an embarrassment for the Mahayuti government, which had heavily campaigned on the promise of increasing the Ladki Bahin Yojana aid.
'We were told that the 'yuvaraj' had announced to contest 151 seats, and they were not willing to back down on that number'
Comedian Kunal Kamra has been granted interim anticipatory bail by the Madras High Court in a case filed against him for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a stand-up comedy show. Kamra, who resides in Tamil Nadu, was summoned by the Mumbai Police and feared arrest, prompting him to seek bail from the Madras HC. The court granted him bail until April 7, on the condition that he executes a bond to the satisfaction of the judicial magistrate at Vanur in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday dismissed speculation about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's successor, asserting that Modi would continue to lead the country for many more years.
Amid indications that his continuance in office may be untenable, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has been summoned to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi in New Delhi on Saturday.
Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said he will back any candidate announced by the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawar as Maha Vikas Aghadi's chief ministerial face.
"It is just that Fadnavis and I have swapped our chairs. Only Ajit Pawar's chair is fixed," said Shinde, who was the CM before the assembly elections with Fadnavis and Pawar as his deputies then.
Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has vowed to take strict action against travel agents involved in sending youth from the state abroad through illegal routes. He said the government is identifying those involved and will introduce a law to control illegal immigration. Saini also commented on the recent Delhi elections, praising the BJP's victory and criticizing former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal.
The 20-month-old Fadnavis government will fill up portfolios rendered vacant after the resignation of senior minister Eknath Khadse over corruption charges last month.
After threatening to withdraw Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray's security, Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday said the Sena- Shah Rukh Khan controversy should be resolved by 'mutual understanding'. On reports that the advance booking for 'My Name is Khan' is being closed my multiplex owners apparently due to Sena threats, Chavan said the police are taking care of their security concerns.
The ruling Mahayuti members in both houses of the Maharashtra legislature condemned state Congress head Harshvardhan Sapkal's remarks comparing Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and demanded strict action against him. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said the remarks will be verified and action will be taken accordingly as per the law. The state legislative council witnessed an uproar after the ruling Mahayuti members raised the issue of Sapkal's remarks, and the proceedings were suspended for 10 minutes. BJP group leader Pravin Darekar said comparing the chief minister to Aurangzeb is a highly condemnable act and an insult to Maharashtra. He also demanded that a case be filed against Sapkal and strict action be taken to set an example.
Chavan's helplessness could be seen when he indirectly also appealed to the Sainiks by saying that such acts of 'threats and vandalism' were not in the interests of the state. In a bid to show that the state has not been a mute spectator, Chavan reeled out figures to say that more than a 1000 Sena activists have been booked and arrested for the violence and the state is stringently opposing their bail.
The seven-year-old big cat went missing from Umred Karhandla wildlife sanctuary in April.
Preliminary information suggests that this "seems to be some sort of a blast," Chavan said. Forensic experts have reached the spot, he said. The Pune police commissioner has said that till the entire place is searched, it won't be all right to comment, he added
The resignation followed a vociferous demand by the opposition for Munde's removal from the cabinet.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that all competitive examinations conducted through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) will be held in Marathi. The decision was made following a query raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator Milind Narvekar, who pointed out that some examinations related to agriculture and engineering disciplines were conducted only in English. The chief minister stated that efforts are underway to make Marathi textbooks available for technical subjects and that the new education policy allows for engineering courses to be conducted in Marathi. This decision is expected to benefit Marathi-speaking students aspiring to take the MPSC exams.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Friday said the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party combine stands a good chance of returning to power after the October 13 assembly elections as the Opposition in the state was in a state of complete disarray. "We are going to people again on our performance. But, at the same time, we will also benefit because the opposition camp is in disarray," Chavan said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies on Tuesday welcomed the Union Budget and said it focussed on youth, farmers, women, and has 'substantial allocations' for Maharashtra, but the opposition slammed the annual financial statement, claiming it neglected the western state and only seeks to please the saffron outfit's partners in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh.
The Sena chief said he had to honour "yuti dharma".
The ground floor of the structure was used as a shop and the upper floor as residence, an official said.
Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan was among 13 people chargesheeted by the Central Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday in the multi-crore Adarsh Housing scam.
The Bombay High Court has reserved its order on comedian Kunal Kamra's petition seeking the quashing of an FIR registered against him for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The court also granted Kamra interim protection from arrest.
The flag will be taken down on July 24, 2028, which will mark the conclusion of the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which is held once in 12 years.
"This incident is really unfortunate. I feel there was total negligence on part of those who admitted her to the hospital and negligence on part of the hospital," the chief minister, who discussed the issue with senior health officials in Mumbai on Monday night, said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis met MNS head Raj Thackeray at the latter's residence in Mumbai on Monday. The purpose of the meeting was not immediately known. BJP MLC Prasad Lad confirmed the meeting, stating that Thackeray had invited Fadnavis to his residence. The meeting comes after Thackeray had criticized the ruling BJP in the past, raising questions about their actions and the outcome of the Maharashtra assembly elections.
Prithviraj Chavan said, "I will meet Anna Hazare and will discuss at length on a range of issues. The state government is committed for a strong Lok Ayukta. Besides, my effort has been to bring in transparency in administration and sanity in governance. During my tenure as the chief minister of Maharashtra since November 2010, I have given priority for a public cause and not for personal gains. Discretionary powers have been reduced."
Jarange is a strident critic of the senior BJP leader and has routinely accused him of being the main obstacle in the Maratha community's quest for reservations.
The rivalry between the local leaders of the two parties could be a cause of concern for Shinde.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar acknowledged that some ministers are unhappy with the portfolios assigned to them in the new cabinet, which includes a high number of ministers. Pawar said that the work on pending projects will begin soon after the ministers take charge of their respective ministries. The budget session of the Maharashtra legislature will commence on March 3.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday asserted that Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will not be restored even if Congress stalwart and late PM Indira Gandhi comes down from heaven.
The party high command has set up a high profile three-member panel of Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony, and political adviser to Congress president Ahmed Patel to review the performance of Deshmukh, who has been at the receiving end from his detractors.Speculation is rife for the past some months that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi is keen to replace him."The Congress periodically conducts in-house exercises, " Tiwari said.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has thrown his weight behind villagers in Solapur, Maharashtra, who are demanding a repoll using ballot papers after raising doubts about the accuracy of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Pawar met with villagers in Markadwadi, where a police case was filed against over 200 people for attempting to conduct an unauthorized re-election. He expressed support for their concerns, claiming that the villagers were "the ones who thought of conducting polls using ballot papers." Pawar criticized the police action, calling it a restriction on the villagers' right to assemble and vowing to raise the issue with the Chief Minister, the state Chief Electoral Officer, the Prime Minister, and the Election Commission of India.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted above-normal rainfall for the upcoming monsoon season in India (June to September). The cumulative rainfall is estimated to be 105 percent of the long-period average. The IMD has also ruled out the possibility of El Nino conditions during the entire season. The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of a significant portion of the population and contributes substantially to the country's GDP. However, while the prediction of normal rainfall brings relief, climate change is expected to cause variations in rainfall distribution.
Hours before the ceremony, Saini visited the Valmiki Bhawan and offered prayers at a gurdwara and the Mansa Devi temple in Panchkula.
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