'Not just 12 MPs, but 22 former Shiv Sena MLAs as well as four MLAs who are still in Uddhav Thackeray's camp will be switching to our side gradually.'
Seeking to strike an emotional note at the first annual Dussehra rally of Shiv Sena after the death of its founder Bal Thackeray, party president Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday said he was ready to quit if the cadre had no faith in him.
'The margin of victory or loss would make both camps rethink their strategies for the 2024 assembly election in Maharashtra.'
Prasanna D Zore/Rediff.com reports from Shivaji Park and the MMRDA ground to sense the mood of Shiv Sena workers -- from the Uddhav Thackeray and Eknath Shinde camps.
Former India cricketer and Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Chetan Chauhan tested positive for COVID-19.
From the drones show to projection mapping show, this year's ceremony also presented quite a few firsts.
In a first, a grand drone show will dazzle the sky above the national capital during the Beating the Retreat ceremony to be held at Vijay Chowk on Saturday as part of the country's 73rd Republic Day celebrations.
The MLAs, who are seemingly unhappy with their leadership, arrived in Surat on Monday night and are camping at the Le Meridian Hotel, they said.
Speaking in the legislative assembly on the condolence motion, Thackeray, without taking any names, said, "Some people have gratitude towards the city where they live and earn their livelihood, but some don't."
BSF's role has become more important now as we are the first line of Indian defence, said DG Rakesh Asthana.
Shiv Sena spokesman Sanjay Raut justified the police action against the two girls from Palghar for their Facebook comments against the shutdown for Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray's funeral.
Rediff.com's Uttam Ghosh captured some candid moments on his camera.
'There is no future for the Shiv Sena under Uddhavji's leadership.'
Normal life was on Thursday disrupted in Kashmir Valley due to a strike called by separatist groups to protest against the "proposed plans" to establish Sainik Colony, settlements for migrant Kashmiri Pandits and induction of new industrial policy in the state.
While Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was accorded the Vir Chakra, Army Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in the 2019 Pulwama terrorist attack, was accorded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) by President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony on Monday.
'Our fight is against his political masters, the BJP and Devendra Fadnavis.'
'Sepoy K Ashuli displayed nerves of steel, exemplary courage, fearlessness under enemy fire, unparalleled devotion to duty and camaraderie of the highest order in keeping with the finest traditions of the Indian Army.'
'Badle ki bhavna (revengeful politics) was never seen in Maharashtra and Indian politics, but now we are witnessing all that today.'
'We don't feel that the law and order situation will turn bad because of our agitation.'
The inexperienced Uddhav is forced to match up against 24x7 political pros Amit Shah and Narendra Modi who have the added advantage of wielding power at the Centre, asserts Virendra Kapoor.
The Centre decided to drop one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymns Abide with me from this year's Beating Retreat ceremony as playing more Indian tunes would be appropriate in view of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, which celebrates the 75th year of India's Independence, government sources said on Sunday.
Status quo to be maintained till further order..., the court said.
Raut's remarks came in the wake of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray being recently targeted by the opposition for not moving out of his house during the pandemic. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, Raut said Thackeray has given directives to ensure that Fadnavis, who is leader of opposition in the state Assembly, gets the best treatment.
The 15 ministers were sworn in on Sunday for the expanded Gehlot cabinet, fulfilling a key demand of former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot whose rebellion last year shook the state's Congress government.
'Hindutva doesn't teach you to stab someone in the back.'
"What happens to the exam which is now to be scheduled as we have permitted women candidates to compete for NDA. That being the position we would require the ASG to file an affidavit within two weeks," the SC bench comprising Justice S K Kaul and Justice B R Gavai said in its order.
Chief Minister Thackeray will definitely go for the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony, because the Shiv Sena shares sentimental, religious and national ties with this issue," Raut said.
'It was a reaffirmation of his party's unrelenting defiance of its erstwhile ally, the BJP; an attempt to forge a new relationship with the community the Shiv Sena had always targeted; and a pointer towards the political imperative of taking everyone along if the fight against the ruling party had to succeed,' notes Jyoti Punwani.
Bal Thackeray became a cult in his lifetime. Does Thackeray show this picture of him? Yes, it does, feels Utkarsh Mishra.
Fifty years ago, India and Pakistan fought a short but bloody war. The author finds out how Sainik Samachar, the defence ministry's journal, reported it.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced a number of welfare measures for children who lost their parents to COVID-19, including ensuring a corpus of Rs 10 lakh when they turn 18 and providing for their education.
Scores of Shiv Sainiks on Wednesday intensified their stir against Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Asim Azmi by courting arrest outside the Maharashtra legislative assembly.
Can Nawazuddin Siddiqui bring Bal Thackeray's powerful personality to life? Syed Firdaus Ashraf watches the Thackeray trailer to find out.
Addressing the nation on the 70th Independence Day from the Red Fort, the prime minister had announced a 20 per cent hike in the pension for freedom fighters.
'By their actions, the Sena MPs diverted attention from the original issue that sub-standard food and services are offered at Maharashtra Sadan. It is disconcerting that the state's official guest house in the national capital has such poor standards,' says N Suresh.
'As long as Rane is the point-person, the Sena will never revive its partnership with the BJP.'
Mitra was the editor of The Pioneer newspaper and was considered a respected voice on a variety of issues, ranging from politics to popular music, before poor health kept him out of the public eye for some time.
The office of actor Shah Rukh Khan's production house in suburban Bandra was attacked on Friday by Shiv Sainiks as part of their protest against the release of his latest film My Name is Khan. "A group of Shiv Sainiks gathered outside the office of Red Chillies Entertainment (the production house owned by Khan), protesting against the actor and the movie," a senior police official said. One of the protesters threw a bottle in the direction of the building, he said.
'Wherever in the world there is political instability, those countries are beset with severe crises today. But India is in a much better position than the rest of the world due to the decisions taken by my government in the national interest,' President Droupadi Murmu said in her address to both Houses of Parliament.
Members of the Shiv Sena on Monday burnt a truck and blocked the Western Express Highway in Mumbai to protest the recent increase in electricity charges by Anil Ambani's Reliance Infrastructure. The protests brought the traffic on the arterial highway to a standstill and caused massive jams. Many people were reportedly injured in the protests.
