Page 5 - Devendra Fadnavis

Maratha quota: Protest enters second day as Jarange continues fast

Maratha quota agitation leader Manoj Jarange continued his indefinite hunger strike at Mumbai's historic Azad Maidan on the second day, declaring he would not budge until the community's demands were fulfilled. Jarange and his supporters battled mud on the ground due to overnight rains and bemoaned the lack of basic amenities, including a paucity of water in toilets. Jarange is demanding that all Marathas be recognised as Kunbis under OBC for job and education reservations. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the state government is positive about resolving the issues of the Marathas, if they are social and financial in nature and not related to political reservation. Fadnavis has said the cabinet sub-committee on issues related to the Maratha community was discussing Jarange's demands and will find a solution within the constitutional framework. The 43-year-old activist has warned that he will stop taking water in the next two days, and more Marathas

Maharashtra signs ₹33,768 cr MoUs; industries to generate 33,000 jobs

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the state government has signed 17 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with various companies, attracting investments worth Rs 33,768.89 crore that are expected to generate more than 33,000 jobs. The MoUs, signed in the presence of Fadnavis and Industries Minister Uday Samant, span diverse sectors including electronics, steel, solar energy, electric buses and trucks, and defence-related industries, which will come up in north Maharashtra, Pune, Vidarbha and Konkan. The chief minister assured investors that the state government is committed to providing a smooth experience in Maharashtra. The MoUs of Rs 33,768.89 crore are expected to generate 33,483 jobs. "We will not stop at signing agreements. The government will remain a partner at every stage of investment, ensuring there are no hurdles," he said. He highlighted the state's 'Maitri' portal, a single-window platform aimed at facilitating quick approvals for land, permiss

Palghar building collapse: Fadnavis announces ₹5 lakh aid for victims' kin

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday expressed grief over the death of 17 persons in a building collapse at Virar in Palghar district and announced an assistance of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. The building, which was allegedly unauthorised and housed nearly 50 flats, collapsed on an adjacent vacant tenement at Vijay Nagar in Virar area of Palghar, adjoining Mumbai, at 12.05 am on Wednesday, according to officials. A one-year-old girl's birthday party was underway on the fourth floor when 12 flats in a wing of the building collapsed, trapping residents and guests under the debris, as per eyewitnesses. The child was among the deceased. Police have arrested the builder of the four-storey structure, Ramabai Apartment, after the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC) lodged a complaint, the official said. Seventeen persons have died so far, and Chief Minister Fadnavis has expressed profound grief and paid heartfelt tribute to the deceased, a statement fr

Maharashtra govt forms committee to study impact of pigeons on human health

Amid controversy over the closure of 'kabutarkhanas' in Mumbai, the Maharashtra government has set up an expert committee to examine the impact of pigeons on human health as directed by the Bombay High Court. In response to three writ petitions, the high court had on August 13 asked the government to set up a committee to study health hazards associated with pigeons and the practice of feeding them in public places. The Urban Development Department on August 22 issued an order appointing a 13-member committee headed by Rajay Kan Devad, Director, Public Health Services, Pune. Its other members include representatives from the Bombay Natural History Society, Maharashtra Animal Welfare Board, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Nagpur, pulmonologists from Mumbai, microbiologists, and senior officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. The committee will study the impact of pigeon droppings on health, public feeding of the

Leaders claiming vote theft are consoling themselves over loss: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said leaders alleging vote theft were doing so to provide solace to their workers for their defeat in polls instead of introspecting about their loss. Fadnavis's remark has come after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said that he had been talking about "vote theft" since 2016, and the Election Commission should have conducted a probe when both Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the BJP's Anurag Thakur alleged voter list fraud. Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis, in a veiled jibe, said, "Poet Ghalib once said 'Dil behelana ke liye khayal acha hain' (to console the heart, this thought is good). I want to say that they (leaders) are trying to provide solace to themselves and their workers by claiming there was a conspiracy behind their defeat in elecctions. But I want to tell them that they must introspect about their defeat, or they will never win." Asked about Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's statement

Rajnath, Fadnavis called Uddhav to seek support for NDA V-P candidate: Raut

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray and sought support for the NDA's vice-presidential candidate C P Radhakrishnan, party leader Sanjay Raut said on Thursday. The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan as its vice-presidential candidate, while the opposition INDIA bloc has fielded former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Raut, a Rajya Sabha member of the Sena (UBT), said, "Rajnath (Singh) and Devendra Fadnavis called up Uddhav Thackeray and they requested for voting (in favour of Radhakrishnan). They must have done it to others as well. It's their job." He, however, did not elaborate when the calls were made to Thackeray. Radhakrishnan, a seasoned BJP leader from Tamil Nadu with an RSS background, filed his nomination papers as the NDA's vice-presidential candidate on Wednesday, while INDIA bloc

No need to give political angle to Raj Thackeray-Fadnavis meet: Ajit Pawar

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday downplayed the meeting between MNS president Raj Thackeray and CM Devendra Fadnavis, saying that maintaining communication is a tradition in the state. Talking to reporters in Wardha, Pawar said, Many leaders meet one another as well as with the chief minister, irrespective of whether they are in power or not. Maintaining communication with each other is the tradition of the state. There is no need to give a political angle to this meeting. Earlier, Raj Thackeray met Fadnavis at the latter's official bungalow Varsha' in south Mumbai, prompting speculation in the state's political circles. The meeting came after the first joint contest by the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) in the BEST Employees' Co-operative Credit Society elections ended in a humiliating defeat on Wednesday. The two parties' joint panel failed to win any of the 21 seats in the polls. Fadnavis had on .

Maharashtra prominent in Indian's unstoppable growth story: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday called the state a prominent participant in the country's unstoppable growth story and said it is taking concrete steps towards achieving its goals. In his address after hoisting the tricolour at Mantralaya, the state secretariat, on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day, Fadnavis paid tributes to the freedom fighters, martyrs of the independence movement and the soldiers guarding the country's borders. Our security forces showed the world the country's prowess during Operation Sindoor by destroying terrorist and military targets in Pakistan. The world came to know what New India is, he said. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is progressing and has risen from 11th position to become the world's 4th largest economy, he said. No one can stop India's development. It has now also set its foot in space, he said, adding that Maharashtra is a prominent participant in the country's unstoppable growth ...

MMR region can become $1.5-trillion growth hub, says Maharashtra CM

At the event, the CM mentioned, We can build a city bigger than Dubai and even better than that in Mumbai

CM Fadnavis shielding 'corrupt' ministers, claims Uddhav Thackeray

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

Supriya Sule alleges casteist language by police, urges CM to take note

Sule shared a couple of Facebook videos, in which a woman can be seen alleging that the police officers used objectionable words against people of the Mahar and Mang castes

As prices fall, onion growers want Maharashtra CM to chair urgent meet

Amid a steep fall in prices, the Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association has urged Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to convene a special meeting urgently at Lasalgaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC), the largest market for the crop in Asia, to find immediate and long-term solutions. A delegation from the association had recently submitted a written request to the chairman and secretary of Lasalgaon APMC, urging them to extend a formal invitation to the chief minister for such a meeting. The association also sent an official email to Fadnavis reiterating the demand. The letter, signed by Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association founder-president Bharat Dighole and Nashik district president Jaydeep Bhadane, highlights the acute financial distress faced by farmers due to plummeting prices. According to the association, onion farmers across Maharashtra are currently getting only Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 per quintal, while the average production cost is at least Rs 2,500 p

'Dadagiri' biggest hurdle in Pune's industrial development: CM Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said growing "dadagiri" (bullying) by certain elements to exert pressure on industries to hire particular persons or to award contracts to them is the biggest bottleneck in Pune's development. If this mentality is not eradicated, Pune, the state's second largest city and one of the country's premier economic hubs, will not be able to achieve its true development potential, the CM warned. He was speaking at the inauguration of Pune Metropolitan Region Growth Hub (PMR G-Hub) initiative on Friday. "Merely ensuring a hassle-free environment at the government level is not enough. The larger social and political ecosystem must also be conducive for businesses. Today, some people are pressuring industries to employ their recommended candidates, buy raw material from them, and allot contracts only to them. This kind of interference has become a major hurdle in Pune's progress," he asserted. "If there is any bottleneck in the development of .

'Will challenge in SC': Fadnavis shocked over HC decision on Mumbai blasts

On Monday, the Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused who had been convicted by the trial court for their alleged roles in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts

First time Maha CM placed Hindi above Marathi: Supriya Sule on language row

NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule took a jibe at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, questioning who might be pressuring him to prioritise Hindi over Marathi

Oppn holds pumpkin protest against Maharashtra govt over public grievances

Opposition legislators carried pumpkins during a protest on the Vidhan Bhavan steps on Thursday, using the vegetable as a metaphor to claim people received "nothing" from the government during the ongoing monsoon session of the legislature. They chanted slogans like "loan waiver for farmers - a pumpkin", "healthcare for people - a pumpkin", "rights for tribals - a pumpkin", and "education for students and jobs for workers - a pumpkin". The monsoon session of the state legislature will conclude on Friday. "What have the people of Maharashtra received from this monsoon session of the legislature? A pumpkin," read a slogan on a banner displayed by the opposition members. The protesters carried pumpkins in their hands as they raised slogans to criticise the government for allegedly ignoring issues of various sections of the society, including farmers, tribals, students, teachers, ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) workers and mill workers. They accused the ruling alliance of fai

Mumbai Police to file case against MLA Gaikwad over canteen assault video

Mumbai Police to register assault case against Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad after viral video shows him slapping and punching canteen staff over alleged poor food quality

6 active organisations in Maha already banned in other states: Fadnavis

Six organisations operating in Maharashtra have already been banned in some other states, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Friday, referring to the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill'. The bill, which seeks to prevent unlawful activities of Left Wing Extremist organisations with a focus on urban Naxalism and passive militancy, has been passed by the assembly. It is expected to be tabled in the legislative council soon. I am happy that the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, which was introduced during the Winter Session in December last year, was cleared by the assembly on Thursday, Fadnavis told reporters at the Vidhan Bhavan here. When asked how many organisations might be affected once the bill becomes a law, Fadnavis said, There are 64 organisations operating in the state, of which six are already banned in other states under similar laws. Speaking in the assembly on Thursday, Fadnavis had said that Maharashtra had the highest 64 Extreme Left Wing ...

Maha CM inaugurates Sindoor bridge, built in place of M'bai's Carnac bridge

The name draws its inspiration from Operation Sindoor, which was launched following the Pahalgam terror attack to give a 'befitting reply' to Pakistan

Hindi language row: Raut slams Fadnavis, Shinde over BJP MP Dubey's remarks

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