Mumbai Weekly
Gopinath Munde dies in tragic road accident Gopinath Munde, the Union minister for rural development died unexpectedly on Tuesday 3, June 2014, in a road accident while he was on his way to the airport in New Delhi. Munde was 64.
A BJP supporter reacts after Gopinath Munde’s body is brought to the BJP office in Mumbai on 3 June, 2014. Shweta Agra wal / M umb ai Weekly
Known to be amongst the most prominent OBC leaders of the BJP from Maharashtra, Munde gained visibility nationally as well. Munde was the second in command in the party in the last parliament.
Munde was on his way to his hometown Parli in rural Maharashtra to celebrate his party’s victory in the recent elections. After the accident, he asked his security guard, to take him to the hospital. He was rushed to the AIIMS trauma centre, where doctors declared him dead at around 7:50. Gopinath Munde’s body was taken in for a post mortem where they declared that he suffered multiple internal injuries to the cervix, brain and lungs because of the accident. The body was later taken to the BJP office in Delhi where senior BJP leaders including Narendra Modi and L.K. Advani and opposition leaders like Rahul Gandhi paid their last respects. The body was then brought back to
A man shows his last respects as Gopinath Munde’s body is brought to his house in suburban in Mumbai on 3 June, 2014. Munde was the Union Minister for rural development . Shweta Agrawal/ Mumbai Weekly
Mumbai for local BJP leaders, friends and family to pay their last respects and then taken to Beed—his village home, for the final cremation. Report-
edly the face of rural development in Maharashtra who also fathered the idea of “Krishna valley development corporation , an initiative towards the
Supreme Court stays order to demolish Campa Cola Compound The contentious issue of the Campa Cola compound was back in the news as the residents of the compound appealed to the Supreme Court of India once again in a fresh plea, requesting the apex court to reverse its earlier decision to demolish the illegal floors in the property. The grounds of the new plea by the residents was that the BMC had withheld from the court, information of money exchange between the BMC and residents for regularizing the flats. The plea heard
A Campa Cola residant gets emotional during an interview in Mumbai on 30 May, 2014. Akshay Vaidya/ Mumbai Weekly
by the court on 3 June, 2014 was summarily dismissed on the grounds that there was not enough evidence, according to some residents. The Court stayed its ear-
lier decision allowing the BMC to demolish the 35 unauthorized floors There are a total of 96 unauthorized flats in the building and close to 80
families may have to vacate the premises. Following this final dismissal of the apex court on 3 June 2014, the residents are left with few options but to pack and leave.
welfare of farmers, Munde was struggling within the party. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thakeray demanded CBI probe into the accident.
In Mumbai and Beed thousands of supporters and family members bid farewell to the leader. The BJP veteran is survived by his wife Pradnya
and three daughters including Pankaja, BJP MLA. The case is presently being investigated by the Delhi police but the Union home ministry has
already finalized the communication to the department of personnel, recommending that the probe into June 3 mishap be handed over to the CBI.
Mumbai Metro opens for public On 8 June 2014, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Anil and Tina Ambani inaugurated the first day of the much awaited Mumbai Metro One which will operate between Versova and Ghatkopar through Andheri. Until now this route by road was particularly difficult for Mumbaikars because of traffic jams and no convenient local train line connecting them. The Metro which has missed several deadlines and late by three years, is fully air-
Children enjoy a ride in city’s first metro in Mumbai on 11 June, 2014. Mumbai metro finally opened for public on 8 June, 2014. Akshay Vaidya/ Mumbai Weekly
conditioned and comes as a welcome mode of transport. According to media reports the estimated time for the 11.4km commute will be approxi-
mately 20 minutes, while it currently takes 90 minutes by road. Reports also indicate that the Metro will ply 200 250 times a day and carry unto 11 lakh passengers. Just be-
fore the inaugural there were tensions mounting regarding the ticket tariff between the state government and Reliance, the company managing the project.