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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday asked officials not to pay heed to "false complaints" against his party workers, and warned that if any injustice was done to them, they would have to deal with him. His remarks came on a day when the Sindhudurg Police registered an FIR against Nilesh Rane, an MLA of the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, for 'trespassing' into a BJP supporter's house. Rane had 'raided' the BJP supporter's house and claimed to have found bags of cash meant for distribution to voters ahead of civic polls. Speaking at a rally at Phaltan in Satara district, Shinde said those who do injustice will not be spared. "I want to tell officers not to do any illegal work. Do not pay heed to false complaints, and if anyone is pressuring you then do not succumb to it. If you do injustice to our party workers then you have to deal with Eknath Shinde," the deputy CM said. "I know who does what. I am quiet and let me be quiet. I know the secrets of everyone. I do not
Police in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district have registered an FIR against Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane on the charge of trespassing on a BJP supporter's house, days after the legislator alleged that bags of cash meant for distribution to voters were found there during his "sting operation". The case was filed on Friday at the Malvan police station, based on a complaint filed by BJP worker Vijay Kenavadekar, a police official said on Saturday. The development further escalated tension between the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and the BJP, two of the allies who form the ruling Mahayuti alliance along with Ajit Pawar's NCP. While state BJP chief Ravindra Chavan said he had no idea who filed the complaint against Nilesh Rane, the latter said registration of a case shows "how desperate people are". He also said the FIR was filed against him even as the money was found at someone else's house. Speaking in Sindhudurg on Saturday, Maharashtra minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane came out in ...
The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed November 12 for hearing a plea of the Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of the Shiv Sena against the Maharashtra Assembly speaker's decision to allot the 'bow and arrow' party symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led faction. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said the hearing on the plea will start on November 12 and if need arises, it would continue on November 13. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Shiv Sena-UBT, said that local body elections are likely to be held in January next year and therefore there is a sense of urgency in the matter. He said the court may hear the matter finally before the local body polls. "We will hear all the parties on November 12 and if need arises, we can continue the hearing on November 13," the bench said. Senior advocates Mukul Rohatgi and Neeraj Kishan Kaul appeared for the Shinde faction. On July 14, the top court fixed the matter for final hearing, saying the issue had been pending for long and
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday targeted the BJP over the arrest of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk in connection with the violence in Ladakh last month and asserted that fighting for rights and justice is becoming an act of treason in the country. Addressing the annual Dussehra rally here, Thackeray also likened the BJP to "a single cell organism amoeba". "It spreads as per its will, forms an alliance as per its will and after the work is done it switches to another (party). It causes stomach ache when it enters the body and disturbs peace when it enters the society. Which is why I call it an amoeba," Thackeray said. There is no link between the BJP and good governance, he added. Thackeray referred to the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conflict-hit Manipur and said the PM did not see the tears of people there. On the alliance with Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, Thackeray said, "What did we do on July 5 (a reference to the 'victory rally' of MNS ..
Elective merit will be a key factor in deciding seats for the upcoming Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena head Eknath Shinde has said. Addressing shakha pramukhs (branch heads) of Shiv Sena on Sunday, Shinde also said the collective victory of Mahayuti is more important than the number of seats allotted to each constituent of the alliance in the BMC elections. He said due respect will be given to the Sena during a seat-sharing agreement of Mahayuti. The Mahayuti comprises the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP, headed by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. "It is not important as to who gets how many seats. What is important is the elective merit, which will be the key in deciding the seats," Shinde said. He said the Sena is holding Lok Sabha constituency-wise meetings ahead of the civic polls, expected to be conducted by the end of January 2026. While shakha pramukhs, the crucial cogs in Shiv Sena, are well aware of the nature of work, they sh
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Monday claimed gambling to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh crore took place on the India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match played a day earlier, of which Rs 25,000 crore went to Pakistan. Talking to reporters, the Rajya Sabha MP said the Pakistan Cricket Board got Rs 1,000 crore from the India-Pakistan match, adding that "this money will be used against us". "Gambling of 1.5 lakh crore took place in yesterday's match of which Rs 25,000 crore went to Pakistan. This money will be used against us. Doesn't the government or the BCCI know it?" Raut claimed. A seven-wicket win for India ended on a hard-edged note as their players refused the customary handshake with their counterparts from Pakistan after a collective decision endorsed by an important member of the support staff and okayed by the BCCI. Raut, whose party was opposed to the match, dubbed it as a farce and claimed the refusal was not a spur-of-the-moment call. The match was played despite calls .
In a veiled attack on the ruling BJP, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has claimed efforts are being made to diminish the importance of Mumbai and Maharashtra. He also urged the Supreme Court to hear his party's plea against the Maharashtra assembly speaker's decision to allot the 'bow and arrow' symbol to the ruling Shiv Sena, and claimed democracy would die if justice is not delivered. Speaking on Wednesday at the 65th foundation day of 'Marmik', a magazine started by Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and his brother Shrikant Thackeray, Uddhav Thackeray said "Marathi manoos" ensured they get Mumbai. "Marathi manoos was treated as an outsider (before the undivided Shiv Sena was formed in 1966). Efforts are being made to create such circumstances again, to see whether a bite can be taken out of Mumbai and Maharashtra - be it the imposition of Hindi or reducing the importance of Mumbai and Maharashtra. These efforts have not stopped," the former CM claimed. "The work of Shiv Sen
Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray on Monday accused Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of "shielding corrupt" ministers in his cabinet, and claimed the ruling Mahayuti has relegated the state to last position in development and top in corruption. Speaking at a protest organised here to demand the sacking of "corrupt" ministers, primarily from the rival Shiv Sena, which is a constituent of the Mahayuti along with the BJP and NCP, Thackeray said the agitation will continue until those ministers are shown the door. The Sena (UBT) said it has carried out similar agitation across the state. Thackeray asked the party workers to inform the public about "corrupt" actions of the Mahayuti ministers. "We gave them (government) evidence (against ministers) and yet there is no action on them. Someone is running a dance bar, another has a bag full of notes. There is no need of even any probe now, yet the CM does not sack the ministers," Thackeray said. The Shiv Sena (UBT) has bee
In a veiled attack on Shiv Sena-UBT, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that "some treated Mumbai as a golden goose" and forced people to travel through potholed and congested roads, which will be a key issue in the upcoming local bodies elections in the state. In a video interview with PTI, Shinde said he and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were busy giving Mumbai an image makeover, and the financial capital of the nation will get "pothole-free roads" and better sanitation facilities in the next 18 months. He also asserted that the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP MahaYuti alliance will contest the upcoming local bodies elections together and expressed confidence about emerging victorious. "We contested the Lok Sabha elections together and won. The BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP MahaYuti won the Maharashtra elections. We will win the local bodies elections as MahaYuti alliance," Shinde said. The rapid development of infrastructure across the state and particularly in Mumbai and suburban ar
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Wednesday denied making any remarks on forging an alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) led by his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, and claimed that the words that he did not utter were wrongly attributed to him in a section of media. In a post on X, Thackeray said if he wants to make any political statement, he will do so by holding a press conference. He said the party organised a conclave for selected office-bearers at Igatpuri in Nashik on July 14 and 15, where he held an informal interaction with journalists. "When there was an informal chat with journalists, I was asked about the July 5 victory celebration rally in Mumbai. I said the event was to celebrate the victory of Marathi manoos and that it was not political. Then they (the journalists) asked what about the alliance (with the Shiv Sena-UBT). To this I responded, saying - Should I discuss the alliance matters with you now?" Thackeray said. "Words, which I did not utter, were .
The Supreme Court on Monday set August to hear a plea of Uddhav Thackeray-led faction against the Maharashtra assembly speaker's decision to give the "bow and arrow" party symbol to the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said the issue had been pending for long and the uncertainty cannot be allowed to continue. "We will be fixing the matter in August for final disposal of the main case," the bench told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the Uddhav faction. Sibal said they wanted an expeditious disposal of the case in view of the local body elections in the state. Senior advocate Neeraj Kishan Kaul, appearing for the Shinde faction, said the court had previously refused an urgent hearing on the issue. Sibal said the assembly speaker's decision to hand over the symbol to the opposite party in 2023 based on the legislative majority was contrary to a Constitution bench verdict of the top court. Justice Kant then said, "We w
The Shiv Sena (UBT) lawmakers on Friday demanded that 20 per cent houses in buildings in Mumbai be reserved for native Marathi speakers. Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve and Milind Narvekar gave a letter with this demand to minister Shambhuraj Desai, who belongs to the rival Shiv Sena. "We demand 20 per cent of houses in buildings in Mumbai for Marathi Manoos," Nareveak said in a post on X. On Thursday, Narvekar had asked in the legislative council whether a social organisation had demanded that 50 per cent housing units in the city be reserved for the Marathi people, and if the government had taken any decision on it. In a written reply, deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who is also the Housing Minister, said his department had not received any such letter. Replying on behalf of Shinde, Mines Minister Shambhuraj Desai had said when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray was in power during 2019-2022, it did not br
Shiv Sena legislator Sanjay Gaikwad on Thursday said his act of assaulting a staffer at an MLA hostel canteen for serving "stale food" may have been harsh, but it led to a swift action from the government on the food quality issue despite repeated complaints earlier. A viral video footage showing the Buldhana MLA slapping and punching an employee at the Akashwani MLAs' hostel canteen here on Tuesday night for serving "stale food" has drawn widespread condemnation from government and opposition, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis denouncing the act. The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Wednesday evening suspended the licence of the caterer that operates the canteen, saying violations of the food safety norms were found during an inspection at the facility earlier in the day. Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, Gaikwad said, "There were 200 to 400 complaints in the last four to five years, but the FDA did not act. FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal himsel
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said on Thursday that arrangements like the INDIA bloc or the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are not necessary for the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra. The Rajya Sabha member was speaking to reporters here during a routine media interaction. MVA was formed for the Maharashtra assembly elections, and the INDIA bloc for the Lok Sabha polls. There is no need for such alliances when it comes to civic elections, he said. About two dozen parties from across the country are a part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), while MVA comprises the Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP). Raut also referred to public sentiment in Mumbai and other cities for a joint contest between the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). There is pressure from people that Sena (UBT) and MNS should contest the civic polls in Mumbai and other cities in the state together. However, since the ...
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and his deputy Eknath Shinde, questioning their silence over BJP MP Nishikant Dubey's remarks on the language issue in the state. Speaking to reporters here, Raut said Shiv Sena chief Shinde and his supporters should remove the photographs of the late Bal Thackeray from their offices if they continued to ally with Dubey. Amid an outrage over MNS workers thrashing a shopkeeper for not speaking Marathi, Dubey has courted controversy with his reported "patak patak ke marenge" (will thrash you) remarks targeting party chief Raj Thackeray and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray. "To those beating Hindi speakers in Mumbai, if you have the courage, try beating Urdu speakers in Maharashtra. Even a dog is a tiger in its own home. Decide for yourself who is the dog and who is the tiger," the Godda MP posted on X. Raut slammed Dubey for his remarks, alleging that he was a "middlema