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Maharashtra Assembly
Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Monday demanded that a special session of the Maharashtra legislature be convened immediately to discuss the flood situation and extensive damage caused by heavy rains in the state. Wadettiwar wrote a letter to Governor Acharya Devvrat, drawing his attention to the severe emergency situation prevailing in several parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha and western Maharashtra due to unprecedented rainfall and flooding. He urged the government to immediately declare a "wet drought" in Maharashtra and announce a comprehensive financial relief and rehabilitation package for the affected farmers and people. Wadettiwar is the second Opposition leader, after former minister and NCP (SP) leader Jayant Patil, to write to the governor, demanding a special session of the state legislature to address the rain crisis. The CLP leader said the natural calamity has left farmers and ordinary people in deep distress, causing irreparable losses. Standing
The Maharashtra government tabled supplementary demands of Rs 57,509.71 crore in the state legislative assembly on Monday to allocate funds for various schemes and projects. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the state finance and planning minister, presented these demands on the first day of the three-week monsoon session. Supplementary demands are additional funds sought by the government over budgetary allocations. The government has primarily allocated these funds for infrastructure projects such as roads, metro rail, and irrigation schemes, as well as for planning and execution of the upcoming Simhastha Kumbh Mela. The demands include Rs 1,600 crore for the Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Health Scheme, Rs 1,500 crore for the Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar (Destitute) Grant Scheme, scholarships for students from the backward classes, and overall development of socially and economically weaker sections. The largest allocation Rs 11,042.76 crore has been earmarked for grants ...
The breach of privilege proceedings against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra over his parody song targeting Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will begin soon, a senior official said on Saturday. BJP legislator Pravin Darekar had moved the notice against the comedian and Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare in the state legislative council during the budget session in March. Legislature secretary Jitendra Bhole said, "Legislative council chairperson Ram Shinde has forwarded the notice to the privilege committee headed by BJP MLC Prasad Lad." When contacted, Lad told PTI that the committee headed by him met to discuss the breach of privilege notice, and he had initiated the process of issuing notice to Kamra and Andhare. In March, Kamra, known for his no-holds-barred stand-up comedy at the expense of politicians and celebrities, incurred the wrath of Shinde's supporters in March with a song targeting the Shiv Sena president.
The Maharashtra legislative council has admitted a breach of privilege notice against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra for allegedly insulting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde during a recent performance. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare has also been named in the notice. Maharashtra legislative council chairman Ram Shinde told PTI on Thursday he has accepted a privilege notice against Kunal Kamra over the 'traitor' jibe and had forwarded it to the Privileges Committee. The controversy stems from Kamra's recent show at the Habitat Comedy Club in Khar, where he performed a parody song targeting Eknath Shinde. The act prompted a backlash from Shiv Sena supporters, who vandalised the club and the hotel in which it is located on Sunday night. "I have accepted the notice of breach of privilege against Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare and have sent it to Privilege Committee chairman Prasad Lad. The future course of action regarding the motion will be decided by
A breach of privilege notice was moved against stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra in the Maharashtra legislative council on Wednesday over his parody song targeting deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. BJP legislator Pravin Darekar moved the notice against the comedian as well as Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Sushma Andhare. "Kunal Kamra performed a song containing personal and insulting references to deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde," said Darekar, leader of the legislative council, presenting the motion. "Andhare supported the performance and used objectionable language, which amounts to contempt of the House," he further said. Both Kamra and Andhare disrespected the dignity of legislative institutions through their remarks, Darekar claimed. The notice will have to be approved by Council chairman Ram Shinde before it is presented to the privilege committee. If the committee approves it, the motion will be discussed in the House. In the state assembly, Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh Bornare
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday re-introduced the Special Public Security Bill in the state assembly, and said the proposed law is not aimed at suppressing genuine dissenting voices, but to close down the dens of urban Naxals. The previous Maharashtra government led by Eknath Shinde had in July this year tabled this bill, named as 'Maharashtra Special Public Security Act, 2024', in the assembly during the monsoon session. However, it could not be passed at that time. With the new government led by Fadnavis at the helm after the November 20 assembly elections, he re-introduced the bill in the House. Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis said the bill will be referred to the joint select committee of the state legislature so that all doubts related to it can be cleared. Views of the stakeholders will be considered and the bill will be cleared in the monsoon session of the state legislature to be held in July next year in Mumbai, he said. "Naxalism is not ...
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday expressed his disappointment at not being included in the new Mahayuti government and said he would decide his future course after talking to people from his constituency. Thirty-nine legislators from Mahayuti allies, the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, were sworn in on Sunday in the first cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. Ten former ministers were dropped from the cabinet, and 16 new faces have been introduced. Former ministers Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil of NCP and Mungantiwar and Vijaykumar Gavit of BJP were some of the prominent leaders excluded from the new cabinet. Talking to reporters, Bhujbal said he was upset at not being included in the new cabinet. Asked about his future course, the legislator from the Yeola constituency in Nashik district said, "Let me see. Let me think it over. I will talk to my constituency and discuss with the Samata Parishad.' After the cabinet expansion on
The Maharashtra government on Monday tabled supplementary demands of Rs 33,788.40 crore, with a provision of Rs 1,400 crore for the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme. Minister Uday Samant tabled these supplementary demands, which are additional funds sought by the government over the budgetary allocations. In the last budget, the state government announced Rs 46,000 crore annually to provide a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500 to eligible women in the age group of 21 to 60 years under the Ladki Bahin scheme. More than 2.5 crore women have received the monthly instalments. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said that the increase in the monthly instalments from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,100 will be budgeted and implemented. Similarly, a provision of Rs 36 crore has been made for a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot Fort in Malvan taluka of Sindhudurg district. Earlier this year, a 35-foot statue of the Maratha warrior king collapsed at the fort on August 26, just mont
Opposition members staged a demonstration on the steps of the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhawan here on Monday and raised slogans against the use of EVMs in elections. The protest was held on the opening day of the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur. Leader of opposition in the state legislative council Ambadas Danve led the demonstration of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders, who called for "saving" the Constitution and democracy and opposed the use of EVMs. They raised slogans like "EVM Hatao Desh Bachao", "EVM Hatao Constitution Bachao" and "EVM Hatao Democracy Bachao". Danve was joined by Congress legislators Vijay Wadettiwar, Nitin Raut, Bhai Jagtap and Vikas Thakre, Shiv Sena (UBT) leaders Bhaskar Jadhav, Varun Desai and Sachin Ahir, and NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad. Talking to reporters, Danve claimed the Electronic Voting Machines were "dangerous" for democracy and that people were opposing the use of EVMs in elections. "We think the EVMs should be remov
Five days after assuming office, the Mahayuti alliance government in Maharashtra led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday comfortably won a confidence vote in the state assembly. The trust motion, tabled by Shiv Sena MLA Uday Samant and others, was passed by a voice vote on the last day of the three-day special assembly session. Some opposition members were absent when the trust motion was approved in the assembly. They included Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray. On December 4, when Governor C P Radhakrishnan handed Fadnavis the letter inviting him to form the government, he had stipulated in the document that the BJP leader must clear the trust motion in the House in 21 days, sources said. Speaker Rahul Narwekar, elected unopposed for a second straight term earlier in the day, announced that the trust motion has been approved by the newly-constituted House. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP 'Mahayuti' coalition has a commanding majority of 230 seats in the 288-member assembly, w
The Shiv Sena (UBT) "boycotted" Rahul Narwekar's election as the Maharashtra assembly Speaker because he had helped run an unconstitutional government during his previous tenure, party leader Aaditya Thackeray said on Monday. Earlier in the day, Narwekar was elected unopposed as the Speaker after the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) decided not to put up a contest. Narwekar, the BJP MLA from Colaba in Mumbai, has served as the Speaker of the 14th Legislative Assembly for two and a half years. During his previous tenure, Narwekar had ruled that the party led by Eknath Shinde was the legitimate and real Shiv Sena after the undivided Sena split. He also held that the faction under Ajit Pawar was the real Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Speaking to the reporters in Mumbai, Aaditya Thackeray said the Shiv Sena (UBT) boycotted Narwekar's election and the induction of new MLAs during a three-day special session of the assembly. "Everybody knows about the MLAs who escaped to Surat and