‘Funds going to CM’s camp MLAs, ally BJP unhappy’

Mumbai (PTI): Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawar has said the Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra was splurging funds to take care of 40 Shiv Sena MLAs while 105 Bharatiya Janata Party legislators remain unhappy.

In our Hindu Rashtra you won’t even get a loudspeaker to do what you do five times a day. —T Raja Singh, BJP leader as “Akhand Hindu Rashtra” by 2026, Singh said.

Industries min Uday

Samant has directed police to take action against pilferers too

This was revealed during a surprise visit to Dombivali industrial area by Maharashtra Industries Minister Uday Samant on Monday night who told a news channel that at least 27 villages are facing water scarcity once again.

He said a mineral water plant with huge tanks was found operating in MIDC area sans permission and asked the civic chief to take action. The minister directed the police to act against the water pilferers.

Samant said he was shocked to find that water was tapped out from the main supply lines of MIDC and Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Corporation in late hours.

Pune: An offence has been registered in Maharshtra’s Ahmednagar against suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Telangana T Raja Singh over a video of his vitriolic speech targeting Muslims that went viral on social media.

The MLA was also recently questioned by Latur police in Maharashtra over another provocative tirade of his, officials said.

“Whoever speaks against Hindus, we will not spare them,” Singh is heard telling the sizeable crowd comprising mostly youth in Rahta tehsil in Ahmednagar district at a recent public meeting. Singh is heard saying that if someone wants to beat “lande” (a derogatory reference to Muslims), they should join Bajrang Dal. He is also heard seeking the support of youth to make India “Hindu Rashtra”.

“Let the ‘lande’ of Maharashtra know that the army of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is ready. Let those who talk against Hindus or slaughter cows know that we are ready,” he is heard saying. India will be declared

“Hindus are demanding the country be made an ‘Akhand Hindu Rashtra’. If there can be more than 50 Islamic countries and more than 150 Christian nations, why can’t India be declared a Hindu Rashtra given that Hindus constitute a majority of its 100 million people?” he asked.

“Come what may, in 2025 and 2026, India will be declared as ‘Akhand Hindu Rashtra’. I am not saying this, this is the roar of all sadhus and sants and it is their prophecy,” said Singh, amid cheers by the crowd.

A senior official on Tuesday said they have registered a case against the MLA.

“We have registered an offence against Singh and the event organizers under sections 295 A (Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings), 504 (Intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code,” he said.

Shinde became chief minister in June last year with the support of the BJP after his rebellion brought down the Uddhav Thackerayled Maha Vikas Aghadi government, in which Pawar was deputy CM.

Speaking on the budget on Monday, Pawar, who also handled the finance portfolio in the MVA government, hinted at unease among the BJP MLAs claiming funds were being used for Shiv Sena MLAs.

“Funds are being splurged to take care of 40 MLAs. There is doubt whether this is a government of only 40 of

AI flight smoking: Man refuses to pay ` 25K for bail

First India Bureau Mumbai: A man booked for alleged unruly behaviour and smoking on an Air India flight was sent to jail by a court here after he refused to pay Rs25,000 for bail and instead cited an online ‘search’ to claim the fine payable under the IPC section was Rs 250. A court has granted the accused, Ratnakar Dwivedi, a cash bail, but he refused to pay the amount and told he was ready to go to jail.

He was booked under section 336 (the act of endangering life or personal safety of others) of the Indian Penal Code after he was allegedly caught smoking in the lavatory of Air India’s London-Mumbai flight and behaving in an unruly manner on March 10.

The accused told the court he had read on- line that the fine payable under section 336 of the IPC is Rs250, which he was willing to pay, but not the bail amount. Following this, the Andheri metropolitan magistrate sent him to jail on Monday. Air India had said a passenger was found smoking in the lavatory of the flight and behaved in an unruly and aggressive manner, despite repeated warnings from attendants.

Council clears bill to extend MESMA term

Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra Legislative Council on Tuesday passed a bill that seeks to extend for five more years the term of an Act that provides for the maintenance of certain essential services in the state.

The Maharashtra Es- sential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) is generally invoked to ensure smooth functioning of services such as those related to health, transportation and communication, among others.

The Upper House cleared the bill to give a fresh five-year exten-

LAND OF NARANGIS!

sion to the legislation.

The law was first introduced in the early 1990s and since then it has been getting an extension every five years.

The bill was cleared on a day when state government employees launched a strike for the Old Pension Scheme.

The Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act gets an addt’l five years

WHAT HAPPENED

BJP legislators not happy and there are many problems, feels NCP’s Ajit Pawar the 288 MLAs. Even 105 BJP MLAs are unhappy. They are quiet but there is a lot of unease. They face a lot of problems. And they are told to have patience as it is better than sitting in the opposition,” claimed Pawar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

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