Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Chavan on Friday took a swipe at his former colleagues in the Congress and said that the party should introspect about its poor performance in the recent Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, reported the PTI. Ashok Chavan, a former state chief minister, had quit the Congress and joined the BJP earlier this year, while his daughter Shreejaya Chavan won the November 20 assembly polls from Bhokar seat in Nanded district in Maharashtra. "When I headed the state (chief minister), the party won 82 seats (in 2009). After me, Prithviraj Chavan (chief minister from 2010 to 2014) brought it down to 44 and Nana Patole (state unit chief since February 2021) has now brought it down to 16 (in the 2024 assembly polls). The figures are in front of us," he said, according to the PTI. "Winning is a process in politics so the Congress should introspect," he added. Ashok Chavan emphasised he was not giving advice to his former party but added "I was in 'vanvaas' for 14 long years (an apparent reference to his removal as CM) and I too have feelings," as per the PTI. Ashok Chavan was Maharashtra CM between December 2008 and November 2010, before being replaced by Prithviraj Chavan. Ashok Chavan was president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee between 2015 and 2019. He joined the BJP in February this year. Meanwhile, last week, Ashok Chavan had termed the Mahayuti's landslide victory in the Maharashtra Assembly election "a huge change". Ashok Chavan, who switched from Congress and joined the BJP earlier this year, slammed his former party, stating that it has no leadership in Maharashtra. "A huge change has come in Maharashtra. Mahayuti has got a huge mandate. Congress has no leadership and it does not have any leader left. People have understood that if we stay together, there is benefit," Ashok Chavan had told ANI. The ruling Mahayuti alliance won the Maharashtra assembly polls. While the BJP has won 132 seats, Shiv Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has won 57 seats, and NCP led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar won 41 seats. The state has 288 assembly seats. The constituents of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) suffered a rude jolt with Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray winning 20 seats, Congress 16, and NCP (SCP) led by Sharad Pawar only 10 seats. (with PTI inputs)
29 November,2024 07:11 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentBased on specific information received from the Sri Lankan Navy regarding probable narcotics smuggling by Sri Lankan flagged fishing vessels in the Arabian Sea, the Indian Navy launched a coordinated operation to localise and intercept the boats. Extensive surveillance was undertaken by the Indian Naval Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft and Remotely Piloted Aircraft, based on inputs from the Information Fusion Centre (Indian Ocean Region), Gurugram, and an Indian Naval ship was deployed to augment efforts a media statement released by the Indian Navy said. Two boats were identified based on continuous inputs from the Sri Lankan Navy and aerial surveillance by an Indian Navy aircraft. Subsequently, in a closely coordinated operation between the ship and the aerial assets, both the boats were boarded by the ship’s boarding team on November 24 and 25, leading to the seizure of around 500 kg of narcotics (Crystal Meth). One additional Indian Navy ship was also tasked to augment the force level for conduct of anti-narcotics operations. The two boats, along with crew and seized narcotics, are being handed over to Sri Lankan authorities for further legal action. The operation reaffirms the close partnership and bonds developed between the two countries and navies. It also symbolises the combined resolve of both navies to address regional maritime challenges, and ensure safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region.
29 November,2024 06:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentPrime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the loss of lives in a bus accident in Gondia, Maharashtra, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the victims and Rs 50,000 for those injured in the mishap."Distressed by the loss of lives in the bus mishap in Gondia, Maharashtra. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The local administration is assisting those affected. An ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh from PMNRF would be given to the next of kin of each deceased. The injured would be given Rs. 50,000: PM Narendra Modi," PMO said on X.At least eight people died and around 30 were injured after a Maharashtra State Transport bus overturned near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni Road in the Gondia District on Friday afternoon.The incident happened when the bus was on its way from Nagpur to Gondia."A state transport bus met with an accident after it lost control and overturned near Bindravana Tola village in the Gondia district. So far, eight people have died. Around 30 people are injured and the injured have been shifted to Gondia District Hospital," the Gondia Police said in a statement.After the incident, Maharashtra's caretaker Chief Minister Eknath Shinde issued an order for immediate and appropriate medical care for the injured."A state transport Shivshahi bus overturned in a horrific accident. Eight bodies have been recovered from the site of the incident, and the death toll is expected to increase. Information about the situation was taken from the local administration. Instructions have been issued for immediate and proper treatment of the injured," Maharashtra CMO said.Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also offered his condolences to the families of the victims and stated, "It is very unfortunate that a Shivshahi bus met with an unfortunate accident near Sadak Arjun in Gondia district in which some passengers died. I pay my heartfelt respects to the deceased. We share the grief of their families." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
29 November,2024 06:19 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIThe Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday called Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi as "unfortunate," adding that it does not represent the position of the government. The development comes after Gandhi took a jibe at PM Modi during a poll rally in Amravati on November 16 and said he is also "losing his memory" like United States (US) President Joe Biden. The statements had received criticism from Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari as well as members of the medical fraternity. According to news agency ANI, Randhir Jaiswal, the MEA spokesperson, during a weekly press briefing on Friday, stated, "India shares a multifaceted partnership with the United States, and this partnership has been built over years of perseverance, togetherness, mutual respect and commitment by both sides. We see such reports as remarks as unfortunate, and they're not in keeping with warm and friendly ties with the United States and do not represent the position of the government of India." When asked about the latest development over patrolling on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Jaiswal said it is "under progress." "We have said earlier, we have been working on it. It is under progress," he said, according to ANI. Earlier, the armed forces of India and China agreed to carry out one coordinated patrol every week in the Demchok and Depsang areas in the eastern Ladakh sector and have already completed one round of patrolling there. The two sides had started coordinated patrols in the first week of the month after completing disengagement in both Demchok and Depsang in the last week of October. In each area, one patrol would be carried out by Indian troops and one patrol would be done by the Chinese troops, defence sources told ANI. India and China reached the agreement for the disengagement along the Line of Actual Control following multiple rounds of talks at political, diplomatic and military levels. Relations between India and China have witnessed tensions after a violent clash occurred in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, causing the most serious military conflict between the two nations in decades. (With ANI inputs)
29 November,2024 05:59 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentAccusing the Election Commission of India (ECI) of tampering with the voter data in the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, state Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday wrote to the poll body seeking to know how the turnout increased by 7.83 percentage points after the official polling time had ended. According to news agency ANI, Patole, in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer, has raised questions over electronic voting machines (EVMs) and said that public "sentiment" has become "extremely intense" as there is a huge "scam" in the percentage of votes polled in the assembly elections. "Doubts are being raised from many levels on the 7.83 per cent increase in votes. Looking at the vote figures announced by ECI, there must have been long queues at the polling stations after 5 pm on the day of voting. In how many constituencies in the state were there long queues of voters after 5 pm?" Patole questioned in his letter to the apex poll body, demanding the ECI to announce "evidence," including video footage, suggesting the surge. "According to the official figures released by the Election Commission, 65.2 per cent voting was done till 11.30 pm on November 20. The official figures released on the next day, i.e. on November 21 at 3 pm, were 66.05 per cent. Where did the 1.03 per cent discrepancy in the figures officially released by the Election Commission itself come from? How did a whopping nine lakh ninetynine thousand and three hundred and fifty nine votes increase in a single day? Considering the discrepancy in the percentage of votes, this seems serious and worrying. If there are doubts in the minds of the public about this increase in votes, it is the duty of the Election Commission to dispel them. The Election Commission itself should come forward and clarify its position with evidence and give a satisfactory answer to the doubts in the minds of the public," Patole added in the letter. Speaking to ANI, he said that ECI must explain how such a surge was possible. "The Election Commission, at 5 pm (20th November) when they showed the voting percentage, it was 58 per cent, at 11:59 pm, the number was 65.2 per cent, so the question is there would have long queue...where were those long queues, we have sought such videos from Election Commission. Next day 3 pm, they tweeted that 66.5 per cent voting took place, which means by next day they increased the voting percentage by 1.3 per cent...we want to ask Election Commission, where did this voting happen?" he added. '76 lakh more voters polled in state elections' The opposition has raised questions over EVMs, mentioning the rise in voting percentage in comparison to the parliamentary elections, which were held months ago. Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader Rohit Pawar has also alleged that there has been a huge rise in the voting (percentage) in the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024. "In comparison to parliamentary elections, 76 lakh more voters have voted in assembly elections... We need to investigate that. There are a lot of complaints against EVMs," Pawar said. Earlier, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge had demanded the replacement of EVMs with ballot papers, alleging that votes from "SC (Scheduled Caste), ST (Scheduled Tribe), OBC (Other Backward Classes) and poor communities are being wasted." The Maha Vikas Aghadi — comprising the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray), NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) and the Congress — won just 46 seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) emerged as the biggest winner, securing 132 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly, while its allies — the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP — won 57 and 41 seats, respectively. The Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 were held on November 20, and the results were declared three days later. (With ANI inputs)
29 November,2024 04:41 PM IST | Nagpur | mid-day online correspondentAt least eight people died after a Maharashtra State Transport bus overturned near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni Road in Gondia District on Friday afternoon.The bus was on its way from Nagpur to Gondia."A state transport bus met with an accident in Gondia district. The bus was en route from the Bhandara Depot to Gondia when its driver lost control of the vehicle near Bindravana Tola village on the Gondia-Arjuni Road and overturned. Eight people have died and around 30 others are injured," an officer from the Maharashtra Police said.The officer added that the injured have been shifted to Gondia District Hospital, adding that the death toll is expected to increase.According to information from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), Eknath Shinde has ordered the Transport Administration to provide an immediate assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the victims."A state transport Shivshahi bus overturned in a horrific accident. Eight bodies have been recovered from the site of the incident, and the death toll is expected to increase. Information about the situation was taken from the local administration. Instructions have been issued for immediate and proper treatment of the injured," the CMO said.Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis offered his condolences to the bereaved family members.Taking to his official handle on X, Fadnavis posted, "It is very unfortunate that a Shivshahi bus met with an unfortunate accident near Sadak Arjun in Gondia district in which some passengers died. I pay my heartfelt respects to the deceased. We share the grief of their families.""The people who were injured in this incident may immediately receive treatment in a private hospital if necessary. I have also told the Collector of Gondia to make arrangements to shift them to Nagpur if required. Senior administration officials have reached the spot and are coordinating relief efforts. I pray to God for the speedy recovery of the injured in this incident," posted Fadnavis on X.Further details on the matter are awaited. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
29 November,2024 03:43 PM IST | Mumbai | ANIThe Delhi High Court on Friday extended the interim bail of 4 basement workers accused in RAU's IAS Study circle case of Old Rajendra Nagar, ANI reported. Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma extended the interim bail of Sarabjit Singh, Parvinder Singh, Tejinder Singh and Harvinder Singh until January 21. The Supreme Court has postponed the requirement to deposit Rs. 2.5 crores with the Red Cross, ANI cited. The High Court had imposed this condition while granting interim bail to the 4 accused in the case on September 13. As per ANI, the High Court has also postponed the condition of depositing Rs. five crores with the Red Cross Society while granting bail to Abhishek Gupta, the CEO of RAU's IAS Study Circle. The High Court directed Advocate Abhijit Anand, a lawyer for complainant Dalvin Suresh, to file a reply to the applications. The bench has scheduled the hearings for January 21, 2025. On September 23, 2024, the Rouse Avenue Court granted interim bail to RAU's IAS Study Circle CEO Abhisek Gupta and coordinator Deshpal Singh in the UPSC aspirant's death case. The trial court has scheduled the matter for December 7. Previously, the Delhi High Court granted temporary bail to four co-owners of a basement connected to the unfortunate deaths of three IAS candidates in Old Rajendra Nagar. The bench of Justice DK Sharma had also requested that the Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Delhi constitute a committee, which would function under the supervision of a retired High Court judge, to ensure that no coaching centres are maintained in basements without permission across Delhi, ANI cited. Furthermore, the court ordered the four co-owners of the basement to deposit Rs 5 crore with the Red Cross Society. Earlier, the Delhi High Court directed the CBI to produce a status report detailing the primary reasons for waterlogging in the area as well as rainfall data from that day. The trial court denied bail to the four co-owners, stating that the co-owners guilt derived from their illegal act of permitting the basement to be used as a coaching institute. (With ANI inputs)
29 November,2024 02:53 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Delhi Police has registered an FIR regarding the explosion near a cinema hall in Rohini on Thursday, officials said, reported news agency PTI. The low-intensity blast that occurred nearly 40 days after an explosion took place at a CRPF school in the same area left one person injured and triggered panic among residents. A case under sections 326(g) (mischief with severe consequences to public safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 3 of the Explosive Substance Act was registered at the Prashant Vihar police station, an officer said. The case was registered against unknown people and efforts are underway to arrest the accused who dumped or planted the explosive material at the Rohini blast site, the officer said, reported PTI. Over a dozen teams of the Special Cell, the Crime Branch, and the local police have scanned the footage from the CCTV cameras of the area but nothing suspicious has been found yet, he said. The local residents, sweepers, and security guards were also questioned, he added. The investigations are also probing the possibility of an accidental explosion that might have occurred due to the unextinguished 'beedi' butt thrown by the driver of a three-wheeler parked nearby, reported PTI. Chetan Kushwaha, the driver, sustained minor injuries in the explosion, reported PTI. Meanwhile, the area remains cordoned off with round-the-clock police deployment. Police on Thursday said white powder was recovered from the Rohini blast site. The explosion took place in front of a sweet shop near a park -- about 500 metres away from a CRPF school where a strong blast ripped through its wall on October 20. Police suspect that both the explosions are linked as white powder was found at the two spots, a senior officer said. Private school in Rohini receives bomb threat email day after low-intensity blast A private school in Delhi's Rohini, located within one kilometre of the site of a low-intensity blast in Prashant Vihar, received a bomb threat via email on Friday, Delhi Fire Service officials said. The threat was later declared a hoax after a thorough search in the school premises, they said. According to an official, a call was received from the Delhi Police about the bomb threat email at Venkateshwar Global School (VGS) at 10.57 am. The school is located around one kilometre from the site where the low-intensity blast took place on Thursday. (With inputs from PTI)
29 November,2024 02:07 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Supreme Court on Friday called for maintaining "peace and harmony" in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, and directed that the report of the advocate commissioner, who conducted a survey of the Jama Masjid, be kept in a sealed cover. The court further instructed the trial court in Sambhal to refrain from proceeding in the suit against the mosque until the Masjid Committee's petition against the survey order is addressed in the High Court. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar emphasised the need for neutrality in such disputes. "Peace and harmony have to be maintained. We don't want anything to happen... We have to be absolutely, totally neutral and ensure nothing wrong is done," the bench stated during the proceedings. The Supreme Court was hearing a plea from the Committee of Management of Jama Masjid, which challenged the local court's November 19 order permitting a survey of the mosque. Senior advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, representing the mosque committee, was advised by the bench to approach the High Court for relief rather than seeking redress directly from the Supreme Court. "We have some reservations against the order, but still, you have to approach the appropriate forum," the bench remarked. The apex court suggested that the petitioners follow due process and challenge the survey order in the High Court. However, the Supreme Court ensured that no further actions would be taken by the trial court until January 8, 2025. In its petition, the Masjid Committee argued that the survey report should remain sealed and the status quo maintained until the case reaches a final decision. "Surveys should not be ordered and executed as a matter of course in cases involving disputes over places of worship without hearing all parties and allowing sufficient time for judicial remedies," the petition stated. The local court's November 19 directive came amidst claims from certain individuals alleging that the site of the mosque was historically a Harihar temple. The sudden survey, conducted with minimal notice, sparked tensions in Sambhal, leading to violent clashes between locals and police. Four individuals reportedly lost their lives during these incidents, according to ANI reports. The Masjid Committee expressed concern over the rising pattern of ordering surveys in disputes related to places of worship. The petition underscored the potential harm to the nation's secular fabric, citing the need for judicial scrutiny and caution in handling such sensitive cases. The Supreme Court has kept the matter pending and scheduled it for further hearing during the week commencing January 6, 2025. The petitioners have invoked Section 136 of the Constitution, allowing the Supreme Court to directly adjudicate extraordinary cases. The court reiterated that surveys should not be routine in cases involving disputes over religious sites, especially when they could provoke communal tensions or law and order issues. The Masjid Committee called for safeguards to protect the constitutional values of secularism and fraternity in handling such matters. As per ANI, the incident has broader implications, with similar disputes and survey orders raising concerns across the country. The apex court's intervention aims to ensure that peace prevails while judicial processes are observed. (With inputs from ANI)
29 November,2024 01:58 PM IST | New DelhiThe police on Friday said that a case has been registered against six doctors of a private hospital in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar for allegedly misleading the father of a child who died under their care, reported news agency PTI. The accused Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar doctors also allegedly tampered with the evidence, they said. According to a release by the police, a 5-year-old kid was admitted to Vedant Hospital in the city's Sutgirni area on April 26. The boy underwent a surgery at the hospital the same day, reported PTI. The child died on May 6 after being under treatment for nearly 10 days. The boy's father Avinash Aghav has alleged that his son died due to wrong treatment at the hospital. He also claimed that evidence was destroyed and papers related to the treatment were not given to him, the release said, reported PTI. The complainant has accused the hospital of tampering with the CCTV footage of the premises from April 26 to April 28, the release said. The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar doctors, Arjun Pawar, Shaikh Ilyas, Ajay Kale, Abhijit Deshmukh, Tushar Chavhan and Nitin Adhane, were booked on Wednesday for causing death by negligence and destruction of evidence under the Indian Penal Code, the release added, reported PTI. The police release did not explain the time gap between the death of the child and the registration of the case against the doctors. Retired cop defrauded of Rs 20 lakh over land deal; FIR registered Meanwhile, a retired senior police inspector from Maharashtra's Thane district has been allegedly duped Rs 20 lakh over a land deal, an official said on Friday, reported PTI. In his complaint to the Mahatma Phule Chowk police, the ex-cop said he shelled out the money between December 2018 and January 2024, reported PTI. The accused include a couple, their servant and the man's brother-in-law. The retired policeman was in touch with the accused to buy some land. While they took Rs 20 lakh from him, they produced a fabricated document of title clearance, the official said, reported PTI. After realising that the document was fake, the complainant demanded his money back but the accused did not respond, he said. The accused are suspected to have cheated a few more persons, including police officials. (With inputs from PTI)
29 November,2024 01:47 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentA private school in Delhi’s Rohini area was rattled on Friday morning after receiving an email threatening a bomb attack, a day after a low-intensity explosion injured one person in Prashant Vihar. However, after an extensive search operation, the threat was declared a hoax, according to the Delhi Fire Service (DFS). The Delhi Police first informed the fire department about the bomb threat email at 10:57 a.m., triggering an immediate response. Teams from the DFS, Delhi Police, the bomb disposal squad, and a dog squad promptly arrived at the school to conduct a thorough investigation of the premises, an official said. After completing the search, no suspicious object was found, leading officials to declare the threat a hoax, the DFS officer confirmed. Nevertheless, the police have initiated an investigation to trace the origin of the email and ascertain the intent behind the threat, as per PTI reports. This incident comes on the heels of a low-intensity explosion in the nearby Prashant Vihar area on Thursday, which left one person injured and caused concern among residents. While there is no direct link established between the blast and the hoax email, the authorities are treating both incidents with seriousness and are not ruling out any possibilities, officials said. According to PTI, the bomb threat email added to the unease already simmering in the area after the explosion. Parents and staff at the school were initially alarmed as the bomb squad and emergency services arrived to comb the premises. However, their fears were put to rest once officials confirmed the email was a false alarm. Delhi Police are now focusing on identifying the source of the email and determining whether it was a prank or a deliberate attempt to cause panic. Investigators are also scrutinising any potential connection to Thursday’s explosion, though no concrete evidence has surfaced so far. Officials have reassured the public that every precaution is being taken to ensure safety and prevent any untoward incidents. "Even though this was a hoax, such threats cannot be taken lightly, especially in light of recent events,” a senior police official said, as reported by PTI. This latest incident has reignited discussions about security measures in schools and public spaces, with parents urging authorities to step up vigilance to prevent such occurrences in the future. As per PTI reports, investigations into both the hoax and the earlier explosion are ongoing. Authorities have urged residents to remain calm but vigilant and to report any suspicious activity or information to the police. (With inputs from PTI)
29 November,2024 12:58 PM IST | New DelhiADVERTISEMENT
