Uddhav said he would personally join the protest with Sonam Wangchuk if required

Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday extended support to the ongoing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, calling it a “genuine movement for students” and urging all political parties to come together in support of the protesters. Uddhav also said Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi should go and back them.Uddhav said he would personally join the protest with Sonam Wangchuk if required and appealed to all political parties, including the Congress and even the BJP, to participate in the July 20 demonstration. Uddhav also took a dig at Union minister Nitin Gadkari, saying when the whole country was talking about potholes and poor roads, Gadkari was talking about ethanol.“Currently, there is a very strange situation in the country. After many years, the opposition party has a huge task to do in the country and in Maharashtra. Corruption is going on wherever we point the finger. There are potholes on the roads. Those who are responsible for the roads … like Gadkari, are talking about ethanol. All the work is going on indiscriminately,” said Uddhav.“The issue raised by Abhijeet Dipke at Jantar Mantar in Delhi is about the future of many youths. NEET exam papers were leaked, many students committed suicide. No one paid attention to it. The govt does not have time. The ruling party is more interested in splitting rival parties. Where the country’s fortunes are leaking, students are committing suicide, there is no time to pay attention. I fully support this movement and Sonam Wangchuk,” said Uddhav.“Sonam Wangchuk’s intelligence should be used. The person is on an indefinite fast. Four days ago, (Shiv Sena-UBT MP) Arvind Sawant was sent to meet him. I had requested Sonamji not go on a fast… because the country needs people like him. The govt has nothing to lose…. Sonam Wangchuk’s condition is deteriorating day by day. I would say that today, a moment has come when all parties in the country should come together,” said Uddhav.“I am not of the opinion that anyone should carry party flags there. But Abhijit Dipke is raising the voice for the youths of the country. I saw a video on social media that a march has been organized on the 20th. Abhijit Dipke has claimed that an attempt will be made to break up this movement…who are Sonam Wangchuk and Abhijit Dipke fighting for? Not only the youth but also the parents should be awake. Every political party across the country should do something in support of Abhijit Dipke and Sonam Wangchuk in their state. Until the country wakes up, the careless rulers will not wake up,” said Uddhav.“Of course, he (Rahul Gandhi) should go. I will also go. Whoever in the country feels like it, they should go. Even if they are from the BJP. Going beyond the party, if they have interest in the youth of this country, they should leave the party shoes aside and join the movement,” said Uddhav.

Mumbai: The fracture within the NCP’s leadership was made public on Monday with party national secretary Sachchidanand Singh sending a legal notice challenging deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar’s election as national NCP president. On Monday, the party’s working president Praful Patel also spoke out about the vacuum in the party after Sunetra’s husband Ajit Pawar’s death and the “need for corrective measures.”“To fill Ajit Pawar’s vacuum is not an easy task. There is a need to take corrective measures within the party,” Patel told mediapersons in what is his first public acknowledgement of the NCP’s internal issues.After former NCP chief and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s death in an air crash in Jan, the party has gone through a leadership churn. As his wife Sunetra Pawar took over the party’s reins, Patel and state party chief Sunil Tatkare were viewed as challengers and increasingly sidelined. Instead, her son, Rajya Sabha MP Parth Pawar, started calling the shots within the party. The rise of Parth Pawar has not gone down well with many within the party, who are questioning why they need to listen to someone with little political experience.Singh served a legal notice dated July 9 to Sunetra Pawar, Praful Patel and national general secretary Brijmohan Shrivastav, demanding that her election be declared null and void.According to party records dated Feb 17, it was agreed that national working president Praful Patel would temporarily officiate as the national president following Ajit Pawar’s passing, the letter said. It also said that the party’s constitution was amended on Feb 16.“Instead of following proper constitutional protocols, Brijmohan Shrivastav, a General Secretary, independently passed a resolution on February 18, calling for a national convention and initiating an election process to choose a permanent Party President,” Singh stated in the notice. However, it said the power to call for a national convention rested solely with Patel.The letter thus calls into question the validity of the national convention held at the NSCI Club on Feb 26, in which Sunetra Pawar was elected as national NCP chief.Singh has also questioned the party’s official submissions to the Election Commission of India. The notice points out that the communications sent by the party to the EC on Feb 28 and March 10 regarding the election are “internally inconsistent”. Also, Singh said that a final list of office-bearers was submitted to the EC on April 29, without any notification or mandate from the national delegates.Singh has given the party 15 days to declare Sunetra Pawar’s election and that of the revised list of office-bearers null and void. He has asked for the party’s communications to the EC on Feb 28, March 10 and April 29 to also be declared void. Besides, he has sought constitution of a Central Election Authority to conduct fresh, free and fair organisational elections strictly adhering to the party constitution after serving due notice to all national delegates.How tensions grew within partyJan 28: Ajit Pawar dies in an air crash at BaramatiFeb 26: Sunetra Pawar elected as national NCP president at the party’s national convention at the NSCI Club in Mumbai. Praful Patel is re-elected as national working president and Sunil Tatkare as state party presidentFeb 28: Sunetra writes to the Election Commission, asks for decisions between Ajit Pawar’s death and her elevation to be declared null and voidMarch 10: Sunetra Pawar writes to the EC about her appointment as party chief. She sends a list of 14 office-bearers but omits the designations of 12 members, including Praful Patel and Sunil TatkareApril 29: Sunetra Pawar’s letter to EC lists Pawar and Tatkare as part of its national executive but omits their designations as national working president and state presidentJune 12: Sunetra targets indiscipline in the party

The nearly two-hour funeral was conducted with around 15 people using their mobile phone flashlights to perform the last rites

Navi Mumbai: Residents of Karanjade were forced to cremate an 82-year-old man under the light of mobile phone torches at the crematorium near a talao on Sunday night, after the facility was left without electricity.The nearly two-hour funeral was conducted with around 15 people using their mobile phone flashlights to perform the last rites. It was the second cremation within a week to take place in darkness after the power supply to the crematorium was allegedly disconnected by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) over pending dues.The Cidco-developed node, located near the Navi Mumbai International Airport, falls under a local gram panchayat. The crematorium and its surrounding area were shrouded in darkness, prompting concern among residents over the lack of basic civic infrastructure.Local resident Vikram Jaiswal (82) passed away on Sunday. He had recently been discharged from hospital after undergoing treatment for a liver-related ailment and was recuperating at home under medication.His son, Anil, said, “Most of those present at the crematorium had used their mobile torch. There were around 30 persons present at the crematorium.”Local activist Ganesh Utekar alleged, “The agencies are unable to provide power supply to the crematorium. Hence cremation was done using mobile torch lights. The crematorium area also gets light from the high mast light installed near the talao, but adding to the woes it remains dysfunctional since long.”However, MSEDCL assistant engineer Amit Palve said, “The power supply has been cut off since long over bill default.”Rejecting the claim that the disruption was due to unpaid electricity bills, Karanjade Sarpanch Mangesh Shelar said, “People should contact me as there is another switch for power supply. The new staffer does not know about the switch.”A staff member at the crematorium said, “This was the second cremation done without power supply. The last one was held on Saturday night. The gram panchayat maintains the crematorium and pays the power utility bill. The power supply will be restored soon as somebody has inspected the site on Monday. ”– Umesh K Parida

Maharashtra minister Aditi Tatkare (L, Photo credit: Facebook/@Aditi Tatkare) said around 81 lakh beneficiaries were removed from the Ladki Bahin Yojana following an e-KYC exercise to identify ineligible recipients (File photo enhanced with AI)

MUMBAI: Around 81 lakh beneficiaries have been removed from the Maharashtra government’s Ladki Bahin Yojana after a months-long e-KYC verification drive, women and child development Minister Aditi Tatkare said on Monday.Tatkare said the e-KYC exercise was mandatory to identify and remove ineligible beneficiaries, including income-tax payers and families of government employees, who are not eligible under the scheme, news agency PTI reported.“When the scheme was launched, 2.63 crore persons had registered to avail its benefits, and of them, 2.47 crore women became beneficiaries and received monthly financial assistance,” she said.“Once the department started e-KYC to filter out non-eligible beneficiaries, the number started shrinking further,” Tatkare added.Launched on June 28, 2024, the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana aims to promote women’s economic independence by providing eligible women aged 21 to 65 years with a monthly assistance of Rs 1,500 through Direct Benefit Transfer.

Government cites e-KYC verification

Responding to media reports claiming that 93 lakh beneficiaries had been removed, Tatkare said, “After the e-KYC drive, the number of beneficiaries had reached 1.67 to 1.7 crore. If you subtract this figure from the number of people who had registered for the scheme at the time of its launch, you get 92 to 93 lakh. But in reality, the state disbursed the stipend to 2.47 crore women, and the rest were found to be ineligible right from the start.”She said nearly 62 lakh beneficiaries who had registered under the scheme and received benefits failed to complete the e-KYC process despite repeated deadline extensions, PTI reported.“Around 16 lakh beneficiaries were found to have annual family income exceeding Rs 2.5 lakh, while 4.42 lakh were declared ineligible because a family member was a government employee,” she said, adding that some men and government employees had also registered under the scheme and received benefits.Tatkare said the e-KYC exercise began in August 2025, and beneficiaries were given six months to complete the process, with assistance extended till April to rectify deficiencies.She added that complaints from women who completed e-KYC but did not receive benefits are also being verified.The minister said the government had started recovering money from government employees eight to 10 months ago, and the recovered amount was being deposited into the state treasury.

Opposition alleges political misuse

Meanwhile, opposition parties intensified their criticism of the government, alleging that the scheme, launched months before the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, was used as a political inducement.State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal alleged financial irregularities in the implementation of the scheme.“The government allocated Rs 29,693 crore for the scheme but spent Rs 3,541 crore more than the approved budget without maintaining any record or account of the additional expenditure. Is this a government or a gang of robbers?” he said.Sapkal also claimed that expenditure on women’s welfare schemes increased from Rs 261.78 crore to Rs 33,554 crore in 2024-25, while spending on housing schemes dropped by 54% and expenditure on water supply and sanitation declined by 31.81%.Congress MP and Mumbai Congress chief Varsha Gaikwad alleged that the government declared women “beloved sisters” before the elections but deemed them ineligible after assuming power.“If these women were ineligible, why were they given benefits till now? And if they were eligible, why have they now been removed from the scheme? Were the rules ignored before the elections to secure votes and invoked later because of financial stress?” she questioned.In a post on X, NCP (SP) spokesperson Ravikant Varpe alleged that the scheme was introduced to gain women’s trust and votes, but the government had now shown “more than 92 lakh women the exit door”.“The number of beneficiaries has fallen from 2.4 crore, with nearly 38% of women now excluded. Were these women eligible before the elections and suddenly ineligible afterwards? Was this a welfare scheme or merely an election gimmick?” he asked.MNS spokesperson Anil Shidore described the development as “disturbing”.“The removal of lakhs of beneficiaries means thousands of crores of rupees were spent on ineligible beneficiaries. These include 4.42 lakh family members of government employees, 29,000 men and 8,000 government employees,” Shidore said.“The CAG has also pointed to an excess expenditure of Rs 3,541 crore over the planned outlay. The scheme was announced in June 2024, two instalments were paid in August, and assembly elections followed immediately. It is easy for aware citizens to draw their own conclusions,” he stated in an X post.(With agency inputs)

Mumbai: Commuting has long been a challenge for Mumbaikars, and the latest to cite this as a reason while making a push for accommodation closer to the workplace is the city’s deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi, a corporator of the Dy CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena. Ghadi has written to municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide seeking allotment to him of a vacant civic bungalow inside the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan premises in Byculla, saying it takes him too long to commute from his residence in Dahisar.In his letter, the deputy mayor has said that his daily travel between Dahisar (East) and the BMC headquarters at Fort consumes a considerable amount of time and he is frequently delayed by traffic congestion. He said the commute causes “mental and physical distress” and affects his ability to reach the civic headquarters on time for administrative meetings, seminars, public interactions and other official programmes.Ghadi also pointed out that the ongoing monsoon season is likely to make his commute even more difficult. He has requested that the bungalow inside the Jijamata Udyan campus, vacated by former additional municipal commissioner (city) Ashwini Joshi following her transfer, be allotted to him as his official residence. He said the accommodation is close to the BMC headquarters and would enable him to discharge his official responsibilities more efficiently. In the letter, Ghadi said that staying near the headquarters would help him attend civic meetings and programmes on time while ensuring quicker service delivery to citizens.Ghadi told TOI, “It is taking me five hours daily to travel back and forth from the BMC head office. So much of my useful time is being spent in the commute, which I could use attending to the public.”Ghadi, who sent the letter late last month, is yet to receive any reply from the civic administration.Congress corporator Ashraf Azmi criticised Ghadi for making the demand, stating that the BMC’s financial position isn’t very strong to keep spending taxpayers’ money on such official residences. “The BMC already has liabilities of over Rs 2 lakh crore and hence cannot be forced to spend on such additional accommodation that the deputy mayor is demanding. Besides, he is an elected corporator from Dahisar and in case he shifts to south Mumbai, who will attend to citizens’ complaints in his corporator ward?” Azmi said.Unlike mayor Ritu Tawde, who will stay in her position for 2.5 years, Ghadi will hold office only for a duration of 1.25 years. This was decided by the Mahayuti when his name was announced as the Sena’s official nominee for the post of deputy mayor with the idea of splitting the five-year term in order to give an opportunity to other corporators.