Page 61 - Maharashtra

Shivaji statue collapse: MVA holds protest; Thackeray, Pawar slam PM

Leaders of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Sunday held a march from the iconic Hutatma Chowk to Gateway of India in south Mumbai to protest against the collapse of a statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district. The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil, some 480 kilometres from here, fell on August 26. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day. NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, Congress state unit chief Nana Patole and the party's Mumbai head Varsha Gaikwad began the protest march by laying wreaths at Hutatma Chowk, a memorial to those martyred in the 'Samyukta Maharashtra' agitation. The protest march is to give voice to the anger of the people of Maharashtra over the statue collapsing just eight months after it was unveiled by the PM, said NCP (SP) leader Rajesh Tope and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sunil Prabhu. The .

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Won't sit quietly till Maha govt is changed in coming months: Sharad Pawar

NCP (SP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the opposition won't sit quietly till the Mahayuti dispensation in Maharashtra is dislodged from power in the next two months and a new government is formed on the ideals of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Addressing party workers at Ghatkopar in Mumbai, Pawar slammed the state government over the collapse of the statue of the legendary warrior king in Sindhudurg district on August 26. He said those in power in the state have no "faith" in Shivaji Maharaj. I assure you (party workers) that if you show your unity, then we will not sit quietly till the government in Maharashtra is changed in the next two months and a new government is formed on the ideals of Shivaji Maharaj that will safeguard the interests of people, Pawar said. The collapse of the Shivaji statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil has triggered a firestorm in the state, with the opposition targeting the BJP-led Mahayuti for "corruption" and "insult" to the icon. Earlier in the day,

Don't do politics in Shivaji Maharaj's name: Jarange to Mahayuti govt, Oppn

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday told the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government and the opposition not to do politics in the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and demanded strict punishment against those involved in insulting state and national icons. Jarange visited the Rajkot Fort in Malvan, where a 35-foot statue of the 17th-century Maratha warrior king, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, collapsed on August 26. The incident caused outrage across the state, with the prime minister apologising for the event. Talking to reporters here, Jarange said, "There should be no politics over it, both the opposition and the government. The government should conduct a detailed probe into the matter. The contractors should not be spared." He said both the opposition and the Mahayuti government were doing politics in the name of Shivaji. "There should be a law. Those who insult icons should rot in jail and not come out in a few days," the activist said, adding that the

Mahayuti seat-sharing talks for Maha polls to conclude in 10 days: BJP

Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said seat-sharing talks for the assembly polls between the ruling allies will conclude in 10 days. Chances of winning and not the number of seats contested will be the criteria, he told reporters in Nagpur. "The seat-sharing talks in Mahayuti will conclude in 10 days. We have decided that seats will be allotted on the basis of winnability. We will leave some seats for our allies. How many each will contest is not important. What is important is to have double engine government to ensure continuity of welfare schemes," he said. Bawankule also said directives have been issued to all BJP functionaries to not make comments that could cause discord in the alliance, which also comprises Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Those violating this diktat will face strict action from the party, Bawankule added. Earlier, on Saturday, CM Shinde, and Deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar held ...

Shivaji statue: BJP holds protests; MVA politicising issue, says Bawankule

The BJP on Sunday staged protests across Maharashtra against the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi for allegedly politicising the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. The statue of the 17th century Maratha warrior king at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil fell on August 26. It was unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4, 2023, on the occasion of Navy Day. Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Bawankule, while taking part in a protest here, said PM Modi had apologised to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as well as the legendary warrior-king's followers in connection with the collapse. "Despite his apology, the MVA is politicising the issue for vote bank politics. The MVA is trying to spread anarchy in the state ahead of the assembly polls," Bawankule said. During his address in Palghar on Friday, PM Modi had said Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name or a king but a deity. "Today, I bow my head at his feet and apologise to my deity," he had ...

Funds transferred to 17 mn beneficiaries of Ladki Bahin scheme: CM Shinde

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said the ambit of the Majhi Ladki Bahin Scheme will be expanded to cover 2.5 crore women even as the state government has transferred money into the bank accounts of 1.7 crore beneficiaries so far. The chief minister launched the second phase of the scheme at Reshimbagh ground here in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Women and Child Welfare Minister Aditi Tatkare. "We were not born with a golden spoon. We belong to the family of farmers. Having experienced poverty, we understood why a scheme like this was necessary. We know the value of Rs 1,500," Shinde said. The Ladki Bahin Scheme provides monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 to married, divorced, and destitute women in the 21-60 age group with a Rs 2.5 lakh annual family income ceiling. The chief minister said the state government deposited money in the bank accounts of 1.7 crore women in the first phase of th

Pettiness of Oppn: Fadnavis after PM Modi apologises for statue collapse

The opposition is only seeing the politics in the incident, they cannot see beyond the politics, says Fadnavis

Global Fintech Fest highlights: India's fintech revolution is improving financial inclusion, says PM

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Vadhvan Port in Maha to generate 1.2 mn jobs for youth, women: Sonowal

The proposed Vadhvan Port in the Palghar district of Maharashtra will generate 12 lakh jobs for the local youth and women besides creating multiple facilities for the people of the area once it becomes operational, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Friday. Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the port project at CIDCO ground in Palghar, Sonowal also said that India has earned a name as a maritime nation in the world under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has taken a slew of initiatives for the maritime sector in the last 10 years. Modi laid the foundation stone for the mega project in the presence of Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan, state chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar. The prime minister during his visit to the state also inaugurated, laid foundation stoned for 218 fisheries projects worth Rs 1,560-crore in Palghar besides addressing the 2024 edition of three-day Global Fintech .

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Was study done before deciding height of Shivaji Maharaj's statue: Danve

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve on Friday targeted the Maharashtra government over the collapse of Shivaji Maharaj's statue and asked Chief Minister Eknath Shinde whether a scientific study was carried out before deciding the specifics of the statue like its height. He also sought to know if a specific height of the statue was maintained to fulfil the political ambitions of someone. A political row has erupted after the 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, built at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of coastal Sindhudurg district, collapsed on August 26. The Maharashtra government has set up a technical committee comprising engineers, IIT experts and Navy officials to probe the reasons behind the statue collapse. Police have arrested Chetan Patil, the structural consultant named in the FIR along with artist Jaydeep Apte, from Kolhapur. Questioning the government over the issue, Danve, who is the Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council, said in a post on X,

Time for BJP to throw NCP out of Mahayuti: NCP (SP) over 'nausea' jibe

The NCP (SP) on Friday latched onto Shiv Sena minister Tanaji Sawant's remark that he feels like vomiting after sitting next to NCP ministers, saying it's time for the BJP to throw Ajit Pawar's party out of Mahayuti. It's also the time for Ajit Pawar to "wake up and smell the coffee", said the rival party led by his uncle Sharad Pawar. The BJP, Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and NCP are the partners in the ruling coalition Mahayuti. NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto said Sawant's remark shows that Mahayuti does not need the NCP any longer. The RSS' mouthpiece had questioned the BJP why they aligned with Ajit Pawar. The BJP cadre is also posing the same question, he said. Now, Shinde Sena leaders are saying derogatory things like feeling nauseating when they sit next to NCP leaders, Crasto said. The time has come when the BJP will, slowly but steadily, throw Ajit Pawar out of Mahayuti. All is not well and cracks are getting bigger by the day. "It is time for Ajit Pawar to wake up an

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Global Fintech pavilion in Mumbai

At the Jio Convention Centre, PM Modi addressed a special session of Global Fintech Fest 2024, which is displaying the latest innovations in the fintech landscape

Badlapur case: HC seeks Maha govt's reply over suspended edu officer's plea

The Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to respond to a plea filed by an education officer from Thane district seeking a stay on his suspension following the alleged sexual abuse of two girls at a school in Badlapur. The officer, Balasaheb Rakshe, urged the high court to stay the suspension order pending a final hearing of his petition before the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT), which refused him interim relief on August 26. He requested the high court to restrain the state government from appointing any other officer in the post. Rakshe moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on his suspension order, claiming the government order was "politically motivated" and he had been made a "scapegoat". A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and Rajesh Patil directed the government to file an affidavit by September 6 when it would hear the plea. Rakshe's advocate, S B Talekar, sought the court to order a status quo until then, but the court said

Sitting next to NCP ministers at meetings is nauseating: Sena leader

Shiv Sena minister Tanaji Sawant has said that he sits next to his NCP peers at cabinet meetings but feels like vomiting after coming out, prompting a sharp reaction from the Ajit Pawar-led party. Speaking at an event on Thursday, Sawant, who is Maharashtra's health minister, said he is a hardcore Shiv Sainik and never got along with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leaders. Even if we sit next to each other in the cabinet, I feel like vomiting after coming out, Sawant said. The BJP, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar's NCP are partners in the ruling Mahayuti coalition in the state. NCP spokesperson and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Amol Mitkari condemned Sawant's remark and asked whether it was the responsibility of only his party to keep the alliance intact. Sawant has made remarks in the past that have hurt the NCP, he said. We are quiet only to maintain the coalition dharma, Mitkari said. It is only the chief minister who can treat his nausea,

Ajit Pawar visits Malvan fort, vows to erect Shivaji statue at same spot

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday visited the Rajkot fort here where a 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed earlier this week and vowed to erect a grand structure of the warrior king at the same place. In a post on X, Pawar called Shivaji the pride and self-respect of Maharashtra. Very soon, a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be installed at the same place. This is my word, Pawar said. On Wednesday, Pawar apologised to the people of the state for the collapse of the structure, which was installed in the coastal Sindhudurg district's Malvan tehsil, around 480km from Mumbai. On Thursday, his party NCP also staged a protest against the collapse of the statue. Amid relentless attacks by the opposition over the episode, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday asserted he would not hesitate to touch the feet of the warrior king 100 times and apologise for the incident if required. The government has set up a technical committee to

Statue collapse: Structural consultant named in FIR held from Kolhapur

Chetan Patil, the structural consultant named in the FIR registered in connection with the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Maharashtra's Sindhudurg district, has been arrested from Kolhapur, police said on Friday. Patil was taken into custody late on Thursday night and was handed over to the Sindhudurg police for further investigation, said Kolhapur Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit. According to the Sindhudurg police, Patil has been arrested in the case. Patil, a resident of Kolhapur, had claimed on Wednesday that he was not the structural consultant for the project. Speaking to the Marathi news channel ABP Majha, Patil, named in the FIR along with artist Jaydeep Apte, had said that he had submitted the design of the platform to the Indian Navy through the state's Public Works Department (PWD) but had nothing to do with the statue itself. A Thane-based company did the statue-related work. I was just asked to work on the platform on which the statue was

Conceptualised, steered project of installing Shivaji statue, says Navy

Navy said in a statement that it remains committed to assisting in all measures to repair, restore and reinstate the statue

Maharashtra, not Kota, tops India's student suicide statistics: Report

The rate of student suicides has been escalating at twice the rate of overall suicides in the country during the past 20 years, according to a IC3 report