CHHATRAPATI SAMBHAJINAGAR/MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday demanded that the six rebel MPs from his party be disqualified, warning the Lok Sabha Speaker that failure to act would amount to violating the Constitution.Addressing rallies in Parbhani and Dharashiv, Thackeray said his party has already written to Speaker Om Birla seeking action. “The rebel MPs cannot defect by merely achieving the two-thirds mark. Such a number is important when the party takes any stand and two-thirds of its members support it. If you (Speaker) do not follow the law, you will not be able to ask others to follow the law. History will record you as the Lok Sabha Speaker who violated the Constitution,” he said.Targeting the Shiv Sena faction led by deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, Thackeray said they have “no future” and would be discarded by their ally. “They will be thrown away after being used by the BJP,” he said.Stepping up his attack on BJP, Thackeray linked the alleged donation theft controversy at the Ayodhya Ram temple with the party’s politics around the shrine. “You didn’t want to build the temple; you wanted to open a shop to loot in the name of Ram. The poor Hindu is naive; if you say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to him, he forgets every issue. This is a crime not only against the country, but also against the Hindus of the world,” he said.Reiterating that the split in Shiv Sena was politically engineered, Thackeray alleged it was aimed at curbing the rise of certain BJP politicians. At the Dharashiv rally, he further accused BJP of poaching MPs from multiple parties to secure numbers for Constitutional changes.“I am ready to support BJP if it carries out military intervention in Manipur or makes PoK part of India,” he said.Referring to the flight he and Devendra Fadnavis shared from Mumbai to Nagpur, Thackeray in his public rally at Parbhani said the CM looked helpless and as someone who had lost confidence. “This is not Operation Tiger, rather it is Operation Devendra Fadnavis. Whoever is in competition for the Prime Minister’s post is being pulled down like they did to Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh. Fadnavis knows his wings are being cut and he knows it is his bosses who are doing it but he does not know whom to ask for justice,” claimed Thackeray.Fadnavis, however, brushed aside Thackeray’s criticism, saying he has the blessings of 14 crore people of Maharashtra and senior leaders of the BJP so nobody can clip his wings. “I am human and have no wings, so there’s no question of anyone cutting my wings.” he added. Fadnavis further said that political issues are secondary and these do not benefit anyone. “People are more interested in development and that is what I am focusing on,” he said. Referring to the extensive media coverage of the flight, he said the question that arises in his mind is whether he is in a political system or “a market for mad people”. “It was a service flight and two leaders travelling together on the same flight is nothing unusual. If we did go on the same flight together then why must there be so much discussion all around?” he said. “Uddhav Thackeray was sitting on one side, and I was sitting on the other. Had we been sitting together, we would have spoken with each other. Normally, once I board a flight, I watch a movie or OTT series downloaded on my mobile phone,” Fadnavis said. “From the time the flight took off until it landed I was watching it (movie/web series). So where exactly did they see any helplessness on my face?” he asked. Taking a swipe at Thackeray, Fadnavis said, “I accept his good wishes. If he had given them in 2019 the picture might have been different. Since he could not do so, I accept those good wishes now.”

ULHASNAGAR: In another setback for the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation (UMC), corporator Pooja Sachin Bhoir has been disqualified after her caste validity certificate was declared invalid by the District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee. The development comes just a month after the membership of Shiv Sena corporator Vicky Labana from Ward 6(A) was cancelled, dealing a second major blow to the party’s strength in the civic body.Municipal Commissioner Manisha Awhale issued the order cancelling Bhoir’s membership from Ward No. 1(B), which is reserved for the Scheduled Tribe (Women) category, following the scrutiny committee’s decision invalidating the caste certificate submitted during the civic elections. The disqualification has once again brought the political equations within the UMC into the spotlight. At present, the Shiv Sena and the BJP jointly share power in the civic body, with the Shiv Sena holding the Mayor’s post and the BJP the Deputy Mayor’s. However, despite being alliance partners, the two parties have frequently been at loggerheads over control of the corporation.The BJP had emerged as the single largest party by winning 37 seats in the civic elections and has repeatedly indicated its desire to install its own Mayor. Before the latest disqualifications, Shiv Sena had 36 corporators and enjoyed the support of two Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi corporators, one SAI Party corporator and one Independent, giving the ruling alliance a comfortable majority.With Bhoir’s membership now cancelled, Shiv Sena’s tally has come down to 34 following the earlier disqualification of Labana, reducing the total strength of the 78-member House to 76. The current composition stands at BJP 37, Shiv Sena 34, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi 2, Congress 1, Sai Party 1 and one Independent.Despite the loss of two corporators, the Shiv Sena, in the case of the BJP, goes against them in the civic body and continues to retain a majority with the backing of its local allies. However, political observers believe that if more corporators lose their memberships in the coming months, the balance of power could shift significantly, intensifying the tussle between the BJP and Shiv Sena over control of the civic body.By-elections are now expected in Ward 1(B) and Ward 6(A), while the memberships of several other corporators are reportedly under scrutiny over issues related to caste validity certificates and election documents. Any further disqualifications could trigger a fresh political battle and alter the power dynamics in the Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation.

MUMBAI/PUNE: A Bhiwandi court Sunday remanded the three suspects arrested in the TET paper leak case in police custody till July 6, granting investigators additional time to probe the alleged racket after the Maharashtra State Council of Examination was forced to cancel the June 28 TET exam a day before it was scheduled, affecting more than six lakh candidates. Teacher organisations, meanwhile, renewed calls to review the policy of making TET mandatory for the promotion of senior teachers.The case has been registered at Bhiwandi police station taken the matter seriously and assured candidates that the exam would be conducted again without requiring them to submit fresh applications or pay exam fees. The TET was scheduled to be held at 1,028 centres across Maharashtra.

“Strict action will be taken against the culprits,” Bhuse said, adding that a fresh exam date would be announced soon. The controversy triggered political protests, with the Youth Congress staging a demonstration outside Bhuse’s official residence and demanding his resignation. The incident has reignited debate over the state’s policy of making TET a mandatory condition for the promotion of senior teachers.Separate police teams have been sent to Bihar, Delhi, Agra and Haryana to trace the alleged mastermind, Bijender Gupta of Bihar.The three arrested accused -Rajiv Shah (45) of Patna, Akash Kumar alias Suraj Singh (30), also from Patna, and Dhiraj Singh (28) of Panipat, Haryana -were produced before the Bhiwandi court under heavy police security.Since no govt prosecutor was available on Sunday, assistant commissioner of police Vijay Marathe argued the prosecution’s remand application, seeking 10 days of police custody. Judge SM Sutar granted eight days.According to the remand application, investigators need custody to determine how the confidential question papers were procured, who supplied them, whether they had been sold to candidates and whether similar leaks had occurred in the past. Police have also identified Kapil Dahiya of Sonipat, Haryana, as another wanted accused. Police sources said investigators are tracing the source of the leak through the unique QR codes printed on every paper.

The remand papers reveal that police recovered question paper booklets, several mobile phones, ATM and debit cards, cash, bank cheques and other documents from the accused.The seized mobile phones are being sent for forensic examination to retrieve chats, call records and other digital evidence, while investigators are scrutinising bank accounts to establish the money trail. Counsel for accused Dhiraj Singh, Satendra Redhu, informed the court that his client had undergone bariatric surgery three months ago and sought directions to ensure he received proper medical care while in custody.

Brinda Miller, recipient of the Bombay Times Art and Culture Visionary Award, sees the honour as a testament to her lifelong dedication to Mumbai. Inspired by her father, Nana Chudasama, a former Sheriff who championed city beautification, Miller has been a driving force behind the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival’s growth.

Receiving the Bombay Times Art and Culture Visionary Award was more than just another accolade for artist and cultural curator Brinda Miller. For her, the honour reaffirmed a lifelong commitment to Mumbai. a city she says has shaped her identity and inspired her work for decades.Speaking about what drives her, Brinda says, “Being a fine artist and a creative person, I had always wanted to do something for Mumbai, the city that I love. I had to give back and that is what my jounney is all about.”Her connection with the city, she says, began at home. “I was raised in a family that truly loves Mumbai. My father, Nana Chudasama, was Sheriff of Mumbai and he always strove to beautify the neighbourhoods of Bombay. I watched him distribute saplings to encourage people to grow more trees. Many cultural events were organised to draw attention to the beautification of the city. It is all in my genes.”One of Miller’s most enduring contributions has been her role in shaping the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival into one of India’s most celebrated cultural events. Looking back on that journey, she says, “Twenty-five years ago, I volunteered to help organise the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, and today I am proud to be instrumental in bringing it to its present glory.”She is quick to acknowledge the collective effort behind the festival’s success. “I am grateful to The Times of India Group for always supporting Mumbai’s only such arts, heritage and cultural event. Most of the headliners who won their awards alongside me have contributed to the success of the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival. I have merely been a catalyst in making it possible.”The award ceremony also coincided with an emotional personal milestone. “June 17 was also my father Nana Chudasama’s birth anniversary. If he is watching me from above, I think I made him proud with this award.”For Miller, every initiative, whether in art, public spaces or culture, has always been about giving back to the city she calls home. As she sums it up, “Like him, whatever I do, I do it for this city that I love. Call it Bombay or Mumbai, it is the appreciative people that make it the success that it is.”