News Analysis India

Tag: Devendra Fadnavis

  • Sharjeel Usmani hurt Hindu sentiments at Elgar event: Devendra Fadnavis

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday alleged that Sharjeel Usmani, an alumnus of the Aligarh Muslim University, had insulted sentiments of Hindus during his speech at the Elgar Parishad conclave held recently in Pune, and demanded strict action against him.

    Fadnavis, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, also said the state government, which is headed by the Shiv Sena and comprises the NCP and Congress, didn’t register an FIR against Usmani despite the demands made by the BJP.

    Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said, “In a video, Sharjeel Usmani is speaking at the Elgar Parishad. Usmani allegedly insulted sentiments of the Hindu community. A person comes in Maharashtra, insults sentiments, and returns to his home state without facing any legal action. If the state government fails to take any action against him, then we will assume that the government is behind Usmani”.

    The conclave was organised on Saturday and among those who participated in it included eminent novelist Arundhati Roy, former IPS officer S M Mushrif, former Bombay High Court judge B G Kolse-Patil, and Usmani.

  • Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis terms parties supporting farmers’ protest ‘hypocrites’

    By ANI
    NAGPUR: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis lashed out at political parties supporting the farmers’ protest against the three agriculture laws and accused them of misleading farmers.

    “No farmer is protesting in Maharashtra. There is no support to anti-farm laws protests in the state,” Fadnavis told reporters here on Monday.

    “In 2006, Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party brought contract farming in Maharashtra. If there can be contract farming in Maharashtra, then why not in the entire country,” he added.

    “Why did they support contract farming then? This is hypocrisy,” he said.

    The BJD leader said that abolishing the system of Agriculture Produce Markets was part of the Congress party’s manifesto for 2019 General Elections.

    “Today, such hypocrites are trying to jump on bandwagons for mere political gains,” concluded Fadnavis.

    Farmers from various districts of the state gather at Azad Maidan in Mumbai, in protest against agriculture laws today.

    “We will give memorandum to Governor today. Our families have also come with us because if we lose farming, the entire family will come on the road,” a protester said.

    Farmers are protesting against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • Amid protest threat, BJP’s Fadnavis meets Anna Hazare in Ralegan Siddhi

    By PTI
    PUNE: Maharashtra BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Friday met anti-corruption crusader and social activist Anna Hazare in Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar, some 120 kilometres from here, and said the latter’s views and demands on the farm sector will be communicated to the Centre.

    Hazare has written to the Centre and said he will sit on a fast in Delhi from January 30 over a host of agricultural demands.

    Fadnavis said the Union agriculture minister had asked him to speak to Hazare, adding that a solution to the demands would arrive at soon.

    Speaking to reporters, Hazare said the Centre’s new farm laws were undemocratic and added people’s participation was necessary in drafting laws.

    One of his demands is the implementation of M S Swaminathan Committee’s recommendations on agriculture.

  • Political blamegame errupts as Thackeray government downgrades BJP leaders’ security

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s decision to scale down the security cover of opposition leaders, while extending it for Maha Vikas Aghadi ministers and leaders, has drawn flak from the BJP, which termed the action as vendetta politics.

    However, Congress came out in support of the Tackeray government, stating that the security cover upgrade or downgrade was based on police report after analysing the situation.

    The grade of security given to former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis was reduced to Y plus escort from Z.

    Fadnavis’ wife and daughter’s security cover too witnessed a downgrade. Maharashtra BJP state president, who had been given Y plus security, would have none now.

    Meanwhile, MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s cover was brought down to Y plus security from Z.

    Shatraghan Sinha found his cover had been upgraded to Y plus escort from Y, while U B Nikam’s Z security was upgraded to Z plus in Mumbai.

    Estranged Congress leader Kripashankar Singh’s security cover has been scrapped altogether.

    Union minister for state Ramdas Athwale’s security cover has reduced to Y from the earlier Y plus escort, while former governor of Uttar Pradesh Ram Naik, former BJP minister Ashish Shelar and former Sena Minister Deepak Kesarkar’s found their security cover downgraded to Y from Y plus.

    The police department also cancelled the security cover extended to several BJP leaders, including Sudhir Mungantiwar, former CM Narayan Rane, BJP MLC Prasad Lad, BJP MLA Ram Kadam, Haribhau Bagade, Rausaheb Danave, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, Shobhatai Fadnavis etc.

    Maharashtra state legislative council chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar and Maha Vikas Aghadi minister Vijay Wadettiwar have been given Y plus escort security cover in Mumbai.

    Besides, Shiv Sena youth leader Varun Sardesai, Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik, Minister Abdul Sattar and Minister Dilip Walse Patil and Sunil Kedar have been also provided with security cover.  

    Interestingly, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s spouse Sunetra Pawar was given the X security by Uddhav Thackeray government.

    Lashing out at the government, the opposition called the action as vendetta politics. However, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant referred to the action of the Modi government, reducing the security cover of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka.

    “Was it vendetta politics then? Maha Vikas Aghadi is not into vendetta politics. The security was reduced or scrapped or upgraded as per the internal report of the police department,” Sawant added. 

  • Uddhav govt reduces security cover of opposition leaders in Maharashtra

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: In a move that is drawing criticism, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has scaled down the security cover of Opposition leaders while extending the same to the ministers and leaders of Maha Vikas Aghadi. 

    The former CM and BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis’ security cover has been reduced to Y+ escort from Z plus. His wife Amruta and daughter Divija will also get X security from hereon. Besides, Y plus security, which was given to Maharashtra BJP president, has now been scrapped completely. 

    Interestingly, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, CM’s cousin, will also get a reduced security cover of Y plus security. 

    Estranged Congress leader Kripashankar Singh’s security cover has been scrapped. The central minister for state Ramdas Athwale’s security cover has been reduced to Y while that of former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik, former BJP minister Ashish Shelar and former Sena Deepal Ksarlar’s security covers have been reduced to Y. 

    The police department has also canceled the security cover of several other BJP leaders including Sudhir Mungantiwar, former CM Narayan Rane, BJP MLC Prasad Lad, BJP MLA Ram Kadam, Haribhau Bagade, Rausaheb Danave, BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari, Shobhatai Fadnavis among others.

    On the other hand, film actor Shatrughan Sinha’s security cover has been upgraded to Y plus and UB Nikam’s Z security has been scaled up to Z plus in Mumbai. 

    Maharashtra state legislative council chairman Ramraje Nimbalkar and Maha Vikas Aghadi minister Vijay Wadettiwar have been given the Y plus escort security cover in Mumbai. Besides, Shiv Sena youth leader Varun Sardesai, Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik, Minister Abdul Sattar, and Minister Dilip Walse Patil and Sunil Kedar have been also provided with the security cover.  Interestingly, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s spouse Sunetra Pawar has also been given the X security by the Uddhav Thackeray government.

    The Opposition parties in Maharashtra have termed this is vendetta politics of the state government. Responding to these, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said that the Narendra Modi government also displayed vendetta politics when they downgraded the security cover of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka. “In fact, the Gandhi family had lost the two members of their family in the attack still the BJP led central government reduced the security cover of our leaders. Maha Vikas Aghadi did not do any vendetta politics. The security has been reduced or scrapped and upgraded as per the requirements of an internal report of the police department,” Sawant added.

  • Maharashtra govt slashes security cover of Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has reduced the security of Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Devendra Fadnavis and his family, former UP governor Ram Naik and MNS president Raj Thackeray, and withdrawn the security cover of state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil.

    State BJP spokesman Keshav Upadhye termed it as “vendetta politics”, while former chief minister Fadnavis said this would not impact his plans to travel and meet people.

    As per a government notification issued on January 8, Fadnavis will now get ‘Y-plus security with escort’, instead of the ‘Z-plus’ cover.

    The security of his wife Amruta Fadnavis and daughter Divija has been downgraded from ‘Y-plus with escort’ to ‘X’ category.

    Former Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik will now get ‘Y’ cover instead of ‘Y-plus’.

    MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s security cover has been downgraded from ‘Z’ to ‘Y plus with escort’.

    The security covers of BJP leader and former CM Narayan Rane, state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil and senior party leader Sudhir Mungantiwar have been withdrawn.

    Rane had ‘Y-plus’ security.

    Besides, the security of state Lokayukta M L Tahiliani has been downgraded from ‘Z’ to ‘Y’.

    The government, as per the notification, has upgraded the security of two persons, downgraded of 11, withdrawn of 16, while 13 new people have got security cover.

    Prominent among the new persons to get security are Sunetra Pawar, wife of state Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, and Varun Sardesai, secretary of the Yuva Sena and nephew of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s wife Rashmi Thackeray.

    Both have been given ‘X’ security cover.

    Union minister Ramdas Athawale will get only ‘wireless’ instead of the ‘Y-plus with escort’, while central minister Raosaheb Danve’s ‘Y-plus’ cover has been withdrawn.

    The government has also withdrawn the security cover of former minister Rajkumar Badole, BJP MLAs Prasad Lad and Ram Kadam, and former speaker and BJP legislator Haribhau Bagde.

    The state has also withdrawn the ‘X’ category security of former Mumbai Congress chief Kripashankar Singh, who quit the party, andBJP’s former minister Shobhatai Fadnavis, an aunt of Devendra Fadnavis.

    Senior advocate Ujjwal Nikam’s ‘Y-plus with escort’ cover has been upgraded to ‘Z’, while film actor and Congress leader Shatrughan Sinha’s ‘Y-plus’ cover has been upgraded to ‘Y-plus with escort’.

    The security of BJP’s former minister Ashish Shelar has been downgraded from ‘Y-plus’ to ‘Y’.

    State Legislative Council Chairman Ramraje Naik Nimbalkarand Relief and Rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar will get ‘Y-plus with escort’, while Shiv Sena MLA Vaibhav Naik, who had defeated Narayan Rane in the 2014 Assembly polls, will get ‘X’ security cover.

    Current state ministers Sandeepan Bhumre, Sunil Kedar, Dilip Walse Patil and Abdul Sattar, Leader of Opposition in the Council Pravin Darekar and state Assembly’s Deputy Speaker Narhari Zhirwal have been given ‘Y’ cover.

    Meanwhile, state BJP spokesman Keshav Upadhye alleged that the security of Fadnavis and other BJP leaders was downgraded out of “political vendetta”.

    “The decision shows what kind of a mindset the government has, and it is unfortunate. During the COVID-19 lockdown period, Fadnavis was travelling to the nook and corner of the state, while Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was sitting at home,” he claimed.

    Upadhye said Fadnavis was the first to reach Bhandara where 10 babies died in fire at a hospital on Saturday.

    “Even if the entire security cover is removed, he (Fadnavis) would continue to travel in the state and highlight the voice of the people,” the BJP leader said.

    Reacting to the government’s decision, Fadnavis said he had no complaints or worry.

    “I am a people’s person and this doesn’t impact my travel (schedules) to meet people,” he said.

    Narayan Rane said he was given security by Mumbai police because he had a threat from terrorists.

    “I have no complaints. If anything happens to me, the state government is to be blamed,” he said.

    Sudhir Mungantiwar said he was given security due to Naxal threat.

    “I thank the government for withdrawing my security cover. This means the Naxal threat doesn’t exist. Our aim to highlight people’s voice will be more stronger,” he said.

  • Maharashtra hospital tragedy: Former CM Devendra Fadnavis demands strict action

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Terming the death of ten newborn babies in a fire in the Bhandara district hospital in Maharashtra a “very painful” incident, former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday demanded a thorough probe.

    Ten newborn babies died after fire broke out in the Special Newborn Care Unit of the hospital in the east Maharashtra city in the wee hours on Saturday, doctors said.

    The infants were aged between a month and three months, a doctor said.

    “The government should carry out a thorough inquiry into the incident and initiate action against those who are responsible for the death of 10 infants. It is a very painful accident,” Fadnavis, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said in a statement.

    I demand an immediate probe in the fire incident at Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of Bhandara District General Hospital. I have also asked the government to take strict action against the culprits: Devendra Fadnavis, Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly (File pic) pic.twitter.com/e3PJjnIgcs
    — ANI (@ANI) January 9, 2021

  • PM Modi takes charge of Bihar election campaign, from this day he will hold shankhanad

    For the Bihar Assembly Election, now all the political parties are trying hard for their victory. All political parties have started fielding their top leaders. In this episode, now Prime Minister Narendra Modi (PM Narendra Modi) is going to take charge of the election campaign from BJP (BJP) and NDA. PM Modi is going to have rallies in Bihar in the next few days. Prime Minister Modi will address 12 rallies in Bihar assembly elections. His first rally will be held on October 23 in Sasaram. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address three rallies every day. All the leaders of the allies will be present in the rallies of Prime Minister Modi in Bihar. Apart from this, the special thing is that JDU National President and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will also be present on every platform. Devendra Fadnavis gave information about this while talking to the media. Fadnavis told that on 23 October, PM Modi will hold three rallies in Sasaram, Gaya, Bhagalpur.Let us tell you that both the NDA and the Grand Alliance have started a campaign in Bihar. CM Nitish Kumar is also holding public meetings continuously. They are also doing a virtual rally as well. This time too, JDU and BJP together have entered the electoral fray in Bihar. However, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) is not part of the NDA in Bihar this time.

  • Maratha quota: Maha sets up ‘war room’ to fill vacant posts

    The Maharashtra government has set up a ‘war room’ at the state secretariat complex here to complete the mega recruitment process as per the new caste reservation quota.

    An official said the government may complete the process of recruitment for all the 72,000 posts at one go before February, instead of filling 36,000 posts spread over two years.

    A bill that grants 16 per cent reservation to the members of the Maratha community in government jobs and education in Maharashtra was unanimously passed by both the Houses of the state legislature last week, meeting a long-pending demand of the influential community, which constitutes 33 per cent of the state’s population of around 13 crore.

    “The idea is to fill the posts before the Bombay High Court stays the decision. It will help the ruling party get Maratha votes in the Lok Sabha and Assembly polls scheduled in 2019,” the government official said.

    In the last budget session of the state legislature, Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that 72,000 vacant posts will be filled in two phases.

    The vacant posts to be filled are spread across departments like Agriculture, Public Health, Home, Animal Husbandry, Public Works Department, Water Resources, Water Conservation, Fisheries and Urban Development departments.

    On Wednesday, the government set up a war room on the seventh floor of the state secretariat to handle the mega recruitment process smoothly. The first meeting of all the departments concerned was held there.

    The senior official who attended the meeting said the government was keen on finishing the process of recruitment as soon as possible.

    “However, it would depend on the Information and Technology (IT) department, which will play a key role in the process,” he said.

    “The process of filling up of all 72,000 posts will be started now. It is scheduled to be completed before the Lok Sabha code of conduct comes into effect and before a possible stay by the high court,” he added.

    The state may issue an order delegating the powers to fill few posts at the ground level by the district collector or tehsil to save time, he added.

    Meanwhile, the state general administration department (GAD) Wednesday issued a government resolution stating that Marathas would be able to get 16 per cent reservation in the remaining 48 per cent posts in the open category and no share of 16 per cent in 100 per cent vacant posts.

    “This means that Marathas would get only 8 per cent reservation of the existing 52 per cent reservation,” the official said.

  • 16% Maratha quota Bill OK’d

    In a development that will fetch political dividends to the ruling BJP in forthcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the State, both the Houses of the Maharashtra Legislature on Thursday passed a Bill according reservations 16 per cent reservations in education and Government jobs to the community in the State, thus paving way for enactment of a law.

    Given that reservations will go up to 68 per cent in the State after the impending enactment of the new law, it remains to be seen if the new law — to be known when enacted — as the Maharashtra State (of seats for admission in educational institutions in the State and for appointments in the public services and posts under the State) for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, will stand the scrutiny of the Supreme Court which has put a 50 per cent on reservations.

    While Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis introduced the Maratha reservations bill in the State Assembly, Revenue Minister Chandrakant Patil tabled it in the State Legislative Council. Both the Houses passed the bill unanimously, without a debate on the contents of the bill, amidst chants of “Chharpati Shivaji Maharaj ki Jai”.

    Thanking the members in both the Houses of Maharashtra Legislature for passing the Maratha reservations bill without any discussions, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on the floor of the two Houses that the elected representatives had shown that they could come together to find a solution to the social issue like the Maratha reservations.

    After both the Houses of the State Legislature passed the Maratha reservations bill, the Vidhan Bhjavan complex reverberated to the echoes of slogans like ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ki Jai’, ‘Jai Bhawani, Jai Shivaji’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ raised by elected representatives belonging to all the political parties. Legislators of BJP and Shiv Sena, many of whom wearing saffron phetas (headgear), were seen distributing sweets. There were celebrations in front of the Maharashtra BJP headquarter, which is just a stone’s throw away from the State Legislature.

    Earlier, ahead of introducing the Marataha reservations bill, the chief minister tabled the Action Taken Report (ATR) on the report of the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission (MSBCC) which has recommended 16 per cent reservations to the Marathas in education and government jobs.

    Currently Maharashtra has 52 per cent reservations in jobs and educational institutions. Of the total 52 per cent reservations, SCs and ST communities account for 13 and 7 per cent, respectively, while OBCs have 19 per cent per cent reservations, Together, Special Backward Class and Nomadic Tribes account for 13 per cent.

    The Marathas, who have now been accorded 16 per cent reservations in education and government jobs, account for nearly 33 per cent of the total 11.25 crore population of Maharashtra.

    Once the Maharashtra State SEBC Act comes into force, then the total reservations in the State will go up to 68 per cent — next only to Tamil Nadu that has 69 per cent.

    By seeking to enact a law granting 16 per cent reservations to Marathas and in the process exceeding the 50 per cent cap on reservations imposed by the Supreme Court, Maharashtra has taken the Tamil Nadu route of attempting to circumvent the apex court’s cap on reservations.

    Though Devendra Fadnavis dispensation has not clarified as to how it face the scrutiny of the new law in the Supreme Court, it looks like the Maharashtra government will take the route taken by the Tamil Nadu government under late chief minister Jayalalithaa, which achieved its objective of increasing reservations to 69 per cent by passing the Tamil Nadu Act of 1994 and adding the 1994 Act to the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

    Article 31B of the Constitution stipulates that the legislations in the Ninth Schedule cannot be challenged in courts. However, in 2007, the Supreme Court in IR Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu ruled that even those laws which are placed in the Ninth Schedule are subject to judicial review if the laws violate the basic structure of the Constitution. Interestingly enough, a petition challenging the Tamil Nadu Reservation policy is expected to come up for hearing before the Supreme Court in the near future.