Samajwadi Party legislator Rais Shaikh on Wednesday has argued that the recent assembly election results in Maharashtra refute the narrative of 'vote Jihad,' which suggests that the Muslim community votes uniformly against the BJP, reported news agency PTI. The MLA from Bhiwandi (East) highlighted that in the November 20 assembly elections, the BJP-led Mahayuti coalition secured 21 out of 38 seats in constituencies where the Muslim population ranges from 20 per cent to 52 per cent. Shaikh emphasised that most of the winning candidates in these areas were Hindus. "If 'vote Jihad' existed, this would not have been the case. Some Mahayuti candidates won by a margin of as little as 1,500 votes. But the claim of 'vote Jihad' has been used to malign the Muslim community," he alleged, stated PTI. Shaikh also pointed out his own victory in a Muslim-majority constituency, which he won by a substantial margin of 52,000 votes, including about 18,000 votes from Hindu voters. He asserted that divisive slogans from the BJP, such as 'Batnege to Katnege' and 'Ek Hai Toh Safe Hai,' failed to have any impact on the voters. Additionally, he noted that Muslim candidates Hasan Mushrif and Abdul Sattar were elected from predominantly Hindu constituencies in Kagal and Sillod, respectively, as further evidence against the 'vote Jihad' narrative. Shaikh highlighted the disparity in representation, stating that while Muslims make up 11.56 per cent of Maharashtra's population, their presence in the newly formed assembly is only 3.47 per cent. During the election campaign, BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had accused the opposition of attempting to polarize the electorate, suggesting that 'vote Jihad' could only be countered through a 'dharma yudh' of votes. The Mahayuti swept the polls to the 288-member assembly polls, with BJP bagging 132 seats, Ajit Pawar’s NCP winning 41 seats and Shinde’s Shiv Sena winning 57 seats. The opposition Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) of Sharad Pawar managed to win just 16, 20 and 10 seats, respectively. The BJP had the highest strike rate of 88.59 per cent after winning 132 of the 149 seats it contested. (With inputs from PTI)
25 December,2024 02:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA man was killed and 15 other persons were injured when a speeding private bus rammed into a truck on a highway in Maharashtra's Pune district on Wednesday morning, police said, reported news agency PTI. The accident took place at 5.30 am at Khadki on Pune-Solapur highway in Daund area, an official said. The speeding luxury bus rammed into the truck from its rear side while it was going towards Pune, he said, reported PTI. A man sitting in the bus cabin (near the driver's seat) died, while 15 other passengers received injuries, the official said. Local police rushed to the spot and rescued the injured persons, who were taken to a state-run hospital in Pune, he said, reported PTI. Chemical tanker catches fire near Mumbai-Pune highway; traffic hit A speeding tanker carrying a chemical caught fire after it overturned near Mumbai-Pune highway in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Wednesday morning, police said, reported PTI. No casualty was reported, an official said, adding that traffic movement on the road was affected for a couple of hours. The incident took place at 6.15 am at Patel Nagar, Shilphata, near the highway exit in Khopoli area, he said, reported PTI. According to the official, the driver lost control over the wheels due to which the speeding tanker overturned, reported PTI. As the tanker was carrying an inflammable chemical, it caught fire and suffered damages, he said, reported PTI. After receiving information, the Khopoli police reached the spot. Fire-fighting vehicles of Tata, Godrej groups, HPCL and JSW were also rushed to the spot, the official said. The blaze was later brought under control, he said. (With inputs from PTI)
25 December,2024 01:55 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe body of a 45-year-old man was found in a drain in Thane city of Maharashtra on Wednesday morning, civic officials said, reported news agency PTI. The disaster control room here received a call at 9.16 am about the body being spotted in the drain at Raghunath Nagar in Wagle Estate area, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said, reported PTI. Emergency response teams, including local fire personnel and the regional disaster management cell members, rushed to the site. It took them nearly an hour to retrieve the body from the drain, the official said. The deceased was identified as Sunil Jagdish Thakur, he said, adding the circumstances leading to his death were not yet clear, reported PTI. The body was sent to a government hospital for postmortem and a case of accidental death was registered, a police official said. A probe was on into the man's death, the police added. Man held for 12-year-old girl's murder in Thane Police on Wednesday arrested a man in connection with the murder of a 12-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official sai, reported PTI. The girl was allegedly kidnapped by an unidentified person at around 4 pm on Monday when she was playing outside her house in Kalyan town, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-III Kalyan) Atul Zende told reporters, reported PTI. The body was found near the wall of a graveyard at Bapgaon near Bhiwandi at about 10 am on Tuesday, he said. The motive behind the murder was not yet known. The body was identified by the girl's parents, who had lodged a missing person complaint at Kolsewadi police station in Kalyan on Monday evening after searching her for several hours, reported PTI. Police initially registered an FIR under section 137 (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a search to trace the girl. During the probe into the crime, the police arrested a man and were searching for another person suspected to be involved in the crime, Zende said. After the body was found on Tuesday, BNS section 103(1) (murder) was added to the case, Kolsewadi's senior police inspector Ashok Kadam told PTI. "We are waiting for the postmortem report and if rape is detected, other penal sections will be added to the FIR," Kadam said. Six teams have been formed to trace the other wanted accused, who is a habitual offender against whom several criminal cases are already registered, Zende said. (With inputs from PTI)
25 December,2024 01:51 PM IST | Thane | mid-day online correspondentA speeding tanker carrying a chemical caught fire after it overturned near Mumbai-Pune highway in Maharashtra's Raigad district on Wednesday morning, police said, reported news agency PTI. No casualty was reported, an official said, adding that traffic movement on the road was affected for a couple of hours. The incident took place at 6.15 am at Patel Nagar, Shilphata, near the Mumbai-Pune highway exit in Khopoli area, he said, reported PTI. According to the official, the driver lost control over the wheels due to which the speeding tanker overturned. As the tanker was carrying an inflammable chemical, it caught fire and suffered damages, he said, reported PTI. After receiving information, the Khopoli police reached the spot. Fire-fighting vehicles of Tata, Godrej groups, HPCL and JSW were also rushed to the spot, the official said, reported PTI. The blaze was later brought under control, he said. Man killed, 15 persons injured as bus hits truck on Pune-Solapur highway A man was killed and 15 other persons were injured when a speeding private bus rammed into a truck on a highway in Maharashtra's Pune district on Wednesday morning, police said, reported PTI. The accident took place at 5.30 am at Khadki on Pune-Solapur highway in Daund area, an official said, reported PTI. The speeding luxury bus rammed into the truck from its rear side while it was going towards Pune, he said, reported PTI. A man sitting in the bus cabin (near the driver's seat) died, while 15 other passengers received injuries, the official said. Local police rushed to the spot and rescued the injured persons, who were taken to a state-run hospital in Pune, he said. (With inputs from PTI)
25 December,2024 01:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentAs the festive season kicks off across India, Mumbai is gearing up for the celebrations of Christmas and the New Year. Several government offices, courts, and banks in Mumbai, Maharashtra, will remain closed to observe Christmas on December 25, and New Year's Day. This closure will impact residents who may need to visit these institutions for official or banking matters during this time, so plan accordingly. Here is a list of key offices and institutions that will be closed: 1. Bombay High Court will be closed from December 24th till January 1st. 2. Bombay Stock Market will be closed on December 25th on the occasion of Christmas. 3. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will be closed on December 25th. 4. Reserve Bank of India observes a bank holiday on December 25th. All banks in Mumbai will be closed. 5. Government of Maharashtra will be closed on December 25th. 6. State Secretariat will be closed on December 25th. 7. MMRDA will be closed on December 25th. 8. Mumbai Port Trust will be closed on December 25th. 9. Byculla Zoo will be closed on December 26th instead of December 25th, as per BMC. 10. Post offices in Mumbai will remain closed on December 25th. Schools, colleges, businesses, and government offices will remain closed on December 25th.
25 December,2024 01:17 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentThe police on Wednesday said that a man allegedly killed a 65-year-old villager and then dumped the body at a field in Maharashtra's Palghar district, reported news agency PTI. The incident took place last Saturday and the body was found on Monday, they said, adding the motive behind the killing was not yet known. The victim, belonging to Gavtanpada in Jawhar taluka, was killed by a man while both were inebriated, Jawhar police station's inspector Kishore Manbhav said quoting the FIR, reported PTI. The accused then tied the body to a rope, dragged it for about 150 metres to a field of another villager and dumped it there, the police said, reported PTI. Some passersby spotted the body on Monday and alerted the police. Later, the police reached the spot and sent the body for postmortem to a government hospital in Jawhar, reported PTI. Search was on for the accused, the police said. Man held for 12-year-old girl's murder in Thane Police on Wednesday arrested a man in connection with the murder of a 12-year-old girl in Maharashtra's Thane district, an official said, reported PTI. The girl was allegedly kidnapped by an unidentified person at around 4 pm on Monday when she was playing outside her house in Kalyan town, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-III Kalyan) Atul Zende told reporters. The body was found near the wall of a graveyard at Bapgaon near Bhiwandi at about 10 am on Tuesday, he said, reported PTI. The motive behind the murder was not yet known. The body was identified by the girl's parents, who had lodged a missing person complaint at Kolsewadi police station in Kalyan on Monday evening after searching her for several hours, reported PTI. Police initially registered an FIR under section 137 (kidnapping) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and launched a search to trace the girl. During the probe into the crime, the police arrested a man and were searching for another person suspected to be involved in the crime, Zende said, reported PTI. After the body was found on Tuesday, BNS section 103(1) (murder) was added to the case, Kolsewadi's senior police inspector Ashok Kadam told PTI, reported PTI. "We are waiting for the postmortem report and if rape is detected, other penal sections will be added to the FIR," Kadam said. Six teams have been formed to trace the other wanted accused, who is a habitual offender against whom several criminal cases are already registered, Zende said. (With inputs from PTI)
25 December,2024 12:07 PM IST | Palghar | mid-day online correspondentThe Department of Telecommunication (DoT) launched the ‘International Incoming Spoofed Calls Prevention System’ on 22nd October 2024. This system identifies calls that appear to be originating from within India but are made by cybercriminals from abroad by manipulating the calling line identity (CLI). These spoofed calls have been used in cybercrimes like threatening disconnection of mobile numbers by fraudsters impersonating as DoT/TRAI officials, fake digital arrests, drugs/narcotics in courier, impersonation as police officials, and arrests in sex rackets. Within 24 hours of the operation of the system, about 1.35 crore or 90 per cent of all the incoming international calls with tempered Indian phone numbers were identified as spoofed calls and blocked by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) from reaching Indian telecom subscribers. In the latest reports of December 2024, the spoofed calls identified and blocked with Indian numbers have dipped to about 6 lakhs indicating that the system has successfully tackled the issue of cyber-crimes that were being conducted through calls that were being made from abroad, but the CLI was tempered to look as Indian number. However, fraudsters have now shifted their tactics and are using international numbers for their deceptive practices. It is noted that fraudsters are increasingly impersonating government authorities by calling from international numbers that do not start with +91 but start with numbers such as +8, +85, +65 etc. DoT has formed a dedicated task force comprising various stakeholders that is actively working to address such spoofed calls. One of the recommendations of the task force was that TSPs should display “International Call” to the subscribers whenever any call from outside the country is received. This will help the users to understand that such calls cannot be from Indian Authorities or organizations like TRAI, Police, Income Tax etc. One of the TSPs (Airtel) has implemented the technical solution and has already started displaying “International Call” for all calls received from outside the country. Other TSPs are exploring the technical feasibility of implementing the same. The DoT advises Citizens that they should show caution with respect to answering calls from unfamiliar international numbers that are not starting with +91 and which claim to be from government authorities of India. Citizens are advised to report such suspected fraud communications at the Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi (www.sancharsaasthi,gov.in ). For those who have already lost money or been victims of cybercrime, the incident should be immediately reported at the cybercrime helpline number 1930 or the website https://www.cybercrime.gov.in. The DoT has been taking proactive measures towards strengthening its capacity to curb the misuse of telecom resources in cyber frauds and cyber-crimes. The department’s continued focus has been on tackling emerging cyber threats, securing telecom services, and providing citizens with safe and reliable communication networks. The cyber awareness caller tunes being played over the past few days are a result of an order issued by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The DoT has directed all telecom companies to play awareness caller tunes 8-10 times a day for the next three months. These caller tunes address various aspects of cyber fraud and aim to educate the public about online safety.
25 December,2024 11:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan KhanOn Wednesday, the city saw a significant drop, with the minimum temperature reaching 17 degrees Celsius. According to the latest Mumbai weather updates from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai is expected to experience a cloudy sky on Wednesday, December 25, with temperatures ranging from a cool 22 degrees Celsius in the morning to a warm 31 degrees Celsius during the day. According to the Mumbai weather updates of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai's Santacruz observatory in suburban Mumbai recorded a maximum temperature of 29 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 17.2 degrees Celsius. The weather department's data showed that the city observatory in Colaba recorded a maximum temperature of 27.5 degrees Celsius and a minimum temperature of 19.7 degrees Celsius. According to the latest Mumbai weather updates by the IMD, the maximum temperature will likely be around 31 degrees Celsius, and the minimum temperature will likely be around 22 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity is 57 per cent. The sun rose at 07:09 AM and will set at 06:08 PM. The IMD’s latest Mumbai weather update forecasts a "haze with partly cloudy sky" for the city and its suburbs over the next 24 hours. Mumbai weather updates: City's AQI in 'moderate' category On December 25, the Central Pollution Control Board’s SAMEER app reported in its latest Mumbai weather updates that the city’s air quality remained in the 'moderate' category, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 180 at 9:05 AM. As per the SAMEER app dashboard, many areas across Mumbai showed 'moderate' AQI. Bandra Kurla Complex recorded 'moderate' air quality with an AQI of 187. Colaba, Chembur and Ghatkopar recorded 'moderate' air quality with an AQI of 135, 151 and 145, respectively. Deonar, Kandivali and Sewri recorded 'poor' air quality, with an AQI of 240, 230 and 202, respectively. According to data from the SAMEER app, Navi Mumbai recorded air quality in the 'moderate' category with an AQI of 128, while Thane registered a 'moderate' AQI of 144. The air quality index from 0 to 100 is considered 'good', 100 to 200 'moderate', 200 to 300 'poor', 300 to 400 'very poor' and from 400 to 500 or above 'severe'. Meanwhile, as air pollution levels continue to rise in Mumbai, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has revised guidelines issued last year for construction sites. The civic body will also form squads at the ward level to visit construction sites and act if guidelines are flouted. Sensor-based air pollution monitoring systems will be installed at all construction project work sites and immediate action to be taken if pollution levels are detected above the limit.
25 December,2024 09:56 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentA family, including three years old triplets and two elderly people, was traveling by car from Surat to Pune late at night when their vehicle collided with a jersey barrier abruptly placed at Talasari on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. The accident occurred around 1 a.m. Fortunately, the airbags inflated, saving their lives, and everyone escaped unharmed, according to the driver, Vivek Chashmawala, a native of Surat. “The car was damaged in the accident, but thankfully, my triplet kids, two senior citizens including my father and aunt are unharmed,” Chashmawala told Mid-Day. Recalling the incident, a visibly shaken Chashmawala said, “There were two senior citizens and my triplet children in the car. I was driving as we were heading to Pune from Surat to visit my ailing aunt. Due to the ongoing white-topping work on NH48, the driving space had become narrow. A jersey barrier was abruptly placed in the Mumbai-bound lane. In an attempt to avoid an oncoming speeding truck from the opposite side, I veered the car to the left and rammed into the barrier. Thankfully, all the airbags inflated, and the car came to a stop.” “Though we all were in a panic condition awaiting authorities to help us on the road, none of them arrived. But a motorist Nurul Sultan helped us and took us to a safer place,” he added. The accident site has been cordoned off by the victim Chashmawala and Good Samaritan Sultan. “I was heading with my friends to have dinner when I saw children crying on the highway. The family was absolutely terrified after the accident. So we immediately took them to a nearby hotel, informed Talasari police who assured support,” informed Sultan, a local businessman at Palghar district. But even after two hours, no police had arrived at the accident site on NH48.
25 December,2024 09:08 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar SharmaPrahlad Kakkar, film director Manmohan Shetty, film producer Javed Akhtar, screenwriter, lyricist and poet Divya Dutta, actor Naseeruddin Shah and Boman Irani, actors Ashish Shelar, MLA and state minister Kulbhushan Kharbanda, actor Rajit Kapoor, actor, director Dalip Tahil, actor
25 December,2024 08:45 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentSri Subramania Samaj, Cheddanagar, Chembur, is conducting an Athirudram and Sahasra Chandi Maha Yagnam from December 27, 2024 to January 7, 2025, on the occasion of the samaj completing 80 years. The Yagnam involves the chanting of mantras multiple times and performing sacred rituals to propitiate Lord Siva and Goddess Durga. The rituals will be conducted for 12 days in a specially erected yagasala adjacent to the Temple Complex. Over 150 Sivacharyars from Tamil Nadu temples will perform rare Mahayagyams.
25 December,2024 08:42 AM IST | Mumbai | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
