The Maharashtra government has reversed its decision to make Hindi a mandatory third language in schools after facing widespread opposition. The move comes after the state's language consultation committee urged the Chief Minister to revoke the decision. The government will now issue a revised order making Hindi learning voluntary. The decision had been met with criticism from various quarters, including opposition parties and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, which had called for a protest against the move.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit Maharashtra's Parbhani city on Monday to meet the families of two persons who died following violence there earlier this month.
Shinde He said anyone can go anywhere, it is their personal choice, but people support those who work for them and think about their welfare.
The NCP minister said while fake notes were seized in other states after demonetisation on November 8 2016, there was not a single such instance in Maharashtra.
The Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, India, has stopped taking deposits from patients at the emergency department after a pregnant woman died after being turned away for non-payment. The hospital faced intense criticism following the incident, which involved the wife of a BJP MLC's personal secretary. The woman was shifted to another hospital where she died after delivering twins.
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane criticizes Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's joint rally, calling it divisive and anti-Hindu. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar offers a more conciliatory view.
The Congress's performance in the Lok Sabha elections showed that it may be down but not out, and Modi is determined to ensure that in the next round in 2029, it is consigned to irrelevance, points out Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
Traffic jams deny 'family time' to people and cause three per cent of divorces in Mumbai, former Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis's wife Amruta Fadnavis has claimed.
The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has demanded the removal of decorations and installation of CCTV surveillance at the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, Maharashtra. The party also wants a board to be installed at the site stating that Aurangzeb was buried there after trying to "finish" the Marathas. The demands come amid a push by right-wing outfits to remove the tomb. The MNS's memorandum comes amid demand by right-wing outfits to remove Aurangazeb's tomb. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said whether people like the Mughal emperor or not, his tomb is a protected monument, but his glorification will not be allowed.
An alleged attack on a Marathi-speaking family by a government employee in Thane district sparked outrage in the Maharashtra Assembly, where the BJP-led government assured justice and condemned the incident. Opposition parties demanded immediate action against the accused, Akhilesh Shukla, and his wife, who have been arrested. The incident has raised concerns about discrimination against Marathi people and fueled tensions in the state.
Top government sources also said the civic polls in the state, delayed due to the OBC reservation issue being heard by the Supreme Court, are likely to be held in October after getting a clarification from the apex court.
For the first time in 20 years, estranged cousins Uddhav and Raj Thackeray will share the stage on July 5 at a joint 'victory' rally organised by the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to celebrate the rollback of the contentious government resolutions (GRs) on three-language policy.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Shirsat has demanded that the party be given the crucial home department in the new Maharashtra government, indicating fissures among the Mahayuti allies. He also alleged attempts to sideline caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is reportedly upset with the BJP's decision to claim the chief minister's post.
Brookfield Asset Management will invest $1 billion to develop Asia's largest global capability centre (GCC) in Mumbai's Powai, the New York-based global alternative asset manager said in a statement on Friday. The infrastructure arm of Canada's investment firm will develop the campus across 6 acres with 2 million square feet that can be let out.
The priority now is to work out a comprehensive plan for government formation.
Confirming the development, Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve of the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray said the boycott is a mark of protest against a "dishonest government".
Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday agreed to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra chief minister after a last-minute call from BJP President Amit Shah inviting him to the event.
'Please don't politicise the incident or play with our emotions. We were there. We know what the terrorists said. We have already shared their statements during the attack'
Raut's comments came a day after Fadnavis likened the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government Maharashtra to the Babri mosque structure and said he would not rest till the Shiv Sena-led dispensation was brought down from power.
Sources said the BJP is expecting Sena rebels, who include 39 MLAs and have been joined by at least 10 independents in a Guwahati hotel, to make the first move by approaching Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
Kunal Kamra has accepted money from Uddhav Thackeray and is targeting Eknath Shinde, Mhaske alleged.
BJP's Maharashtra unit chief Chandrakant Patil on Friday asserted that his party did not play any role in the ongoing political crisis in the state.
The activist urged his supporters not to block Mumbai's roads. "Clear the streets in two hours and ensure Mumbaikars are not troubled. Those who want to leave the city today can do so," he said.
Nearly 350 people were evacuated from Mumbai's Kurla area after the Mithi river swelled due to heavy rains. Authorities are monitoring the situation and working to ease the flow of water.
Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has denied any involvement in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, saying he is being targeted by the opposition and some leaders within the ruling alliance. He compared himself to Arjun from the Mahabharata, claiming he cannot be cornered like Abhimanyu. Munde also criticized the media trial and social media trolling he has faced since the murder.
A ruling Shiv Sena leader has predicted a "major political earthquake" in Maharashtra on January 23, the birth anniversary of Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray, claiming that 10 to 15 MLAs from the opposition Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) will switch sides and join the party led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The prediction comes amidst reports of discontent within the ruling coalition in the state.
Prime Minister Narendra D Modi dedicated three Made in India frontline naval combatants -- INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer to the nation on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, morning, noting that this is the first time that a destroyer, frigate and submarine were being commissioned together into the Indian Navy.
A dozen ministers will take oath at Tuesday's ceremony, scheduled at Raj Bhavan at 11 am.
Ministers will not be allowed to hold official meetings and meet visitors in the legislature complex during the session. They will have to conduct their official briefings and meetings in Mantralaya, the state secretariat, he said.
"Took darshan and blessings at Kedarnath temple, this morning. Har Har Mahadev!" Fadnavis tweeted along with multiple photos of his trip.
Home Minister Amit A Shah took a break from his frenetic governmental and political decision making to worship at the famed Lalbaugcha Raja Ganpati pandal in Mumbai.
Talking to reporters, Fadnavis said he has received the notice and he would visit the police station at 11 am on Sunday as being asked.
Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut claimed that former Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde wanted to join the Congress in the past. Raut's claim comes after former Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole offered Shinde and Ajit Pawar the "rotational post of the chief minister" if they switched to the opposition alliance. Raut said that "nothing is impossible in politics" and that Shinde and Ajit Pawar are carrying the flags of the BJP.
'Marathwada is the suicide capital of Maharashtra.' 'To stop such man-made disasters, the government should immediately come up with a rightful package, not this charitable approach to compensation.'
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.
'In my 26 years at Raj Bhavan, working with more than ten governors, I can tell you C P Radhakrishnan Sir stands out.'
Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kirit Somaiya has come under opposition fire over a purported video of the former MP that showed him in a compromising position, even as Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday promised a detailed probe into the matter.
The death toll in the collapse of an allegedly unauthorised building at Virar in Maharashtra's Palghar district has risen to 17. Police have arrested the builder of the four-storey structure after a complaint was lodged.
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 Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, will decide whether only the chief minister and deputy CMs will take the oath of office on December 5, or whether ministers will also be sworn in. The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for the evening at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi attending. While BJP sources have indicated that Devendra Fadnavis is the frontrunner for the chief minister's post, the BJP legislature party leader is yet to be appointed. NCP chief Ajit Pawar has stated that the chief minister will be from the BJP, with deputy CMs from the Shiv Sena and NCP. The Mahayuti alliance secured a landslide victory in the assembly elections, winning 230 seats out of 288. The government formation has been delayed due to disagreements on the chief minister's position.
