Nationalist Congress Party MLA Sangram Jagtap has triggered controversy with his appeal to prioritize Hindu shopkeepers during Diwali, later justifying his statement by referencing the Pahalgam terror attack. NCP president Ajit Pawar has strongly condemned the remarks, and the party plans to issue a show-cause notice to Jagtap.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has stated that only Hindus should be allowed to participate in 'garba' events during Navratri and advised organizers to check Aadhaar cards for identification. This has sparked debate, with some supporting the right of organizers to set entry conditions and others criticizing the VHP for promoting division.
The Bharatiya Janata Party leaders said the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast case was a "slap on the face" of people who coined the term "saffron terror".
In May, 40 Rohingyas were blindfolded and flown to the Andaman and Nicobar islands and then thrown into the sea and made to swim to an island in Myanmar. And after the Pahalgam attack, at least 300 Muslims were 'pushed back' to Bangladesh from Assam.
'The (Maoist) organisation is in visible decline. Their senior leaders are ageing. Forest life is unforgiving -- older leaders simply cannot cope physically.' 'Earlier, they attracted educated youth from cities. That stream has dried up. Today's recruits largely come from poor village backgrounds and lack ideological depth.'
'The state governments of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu will be encouraged to consider measures of their own as the employment and economy in such export-oriented states will be affected.'
Festive buying spree unleashed by lower tax rates pushed gross GST collection to about Rs 1.96 lakh crore in October, registering a 4.6 per cent year-on-year growth -- the slowest rate so far this fiscal.
But selectively, with regulatory scrutiny and special approval, points out Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
The Maharashtra government has promised to investigate allegations of a honeytrap racket targeting state officials in Thane, Nashik, and Mumbai, following demands from a Congress MLA for a formal statement in the assembly.
From disagreement over guardian minister's post to taking separate review meetings to separate medical cells and 'war rooms' for monitoring projects, the unease between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde seems to be growing.
In the latest case, the fraudsters, posing as personnel of the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, contacted the businessmen between August 19 to October 8 and claimed his name had cropped up in a case of money laundering.
An independent magisterial inquiry has been initiated into the death of social entrepreneur Rohit Arya, who was shot during a police operation while holding 17 children and two adults hostage in Mumbai. The inquiry will run parallel to a crime branch investigation.
The Bombay High Court has repeatedly flagged the 'copy-paste' culture in confessional and witness statements in chargesheets, calling it a 'dangerous' trend. This issue was highlighted again after the acquittal of the 2006 Mumbai train blasts accused, with the court noting similarities in their confessional statements.
Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal has convened a meeting of OBC leaders to discuss Manoj Jarange's demand for Maratha reservations under the OBC category.
The Bombay High Court has directed the city civic body to invite objections before allowing controlled pigeon feeding at Dadar Kabutarkhana.
Two senior leaders of the banned CPI (Maoist), including a Central Committee Member underground for over four decades, surrendered to Telangana police, citing health issues, pressure from security forces, and ideological differences.
Activist Manoj Jarange's hunger strike demanding Maratha quota continues for the third day in Mumbai, following a meeting with a government delegation. The protest has caused traffic disruptions and highlights the ongoing debate over reservation policies in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde addressed questions about advertisements featuring only CM Fadnavis, asserting that there is no race for credit among Mahayuti allies and that they are working as a team. He also commented on the Maratha reservation issue and the government's efforts to address it.
The Bombay High Court has directed activist Manoj Jarange and his supporters, who are staging an agitation demanding reservation for the Maratha community, to vacate Azad Maidan in Mumbai by 3 pm or face action.
'This is an area where good lending can happen, and that is one of the priorities for the next quarter.'
Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal opposes including Marathas in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota, citing limited reservation available for existing OBC communities and warning of potential protests if their share is reduced.
Opposition parties are questioning the Election Commission's intentions behind the second phase of special intensive revision of electoral rolls in 12 states and Union Territories. The BJP has slammed the Congress and called the opposition a 'herd of dissatisfied souls'.
