News Analysis India

Tag: NCP

  • Maharashtra RS polls: BJP bags 3 of 6 seats in major setback to ruling Sena-NCP-Cong alliance

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: In a major setback to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, the BJP on Saturday won three of the six Rajya Sabha seats in the state, even as the ruling combine questioned the eight-hour delay in counting of votes.

    The winners include BJP candidates Union minister Piyush Goyal and former state minister Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, NCP’s Praful Patel and Congress’ Imran Pratapgarhi also won the fiercely-fought elections.

    The contest was for the sixth seat the BJP had fielded former MP Dhananjay Mahadik and the Shiv Sena candidate was Sanjay Pawar, who lost. Mahadik and Pawar hail from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

    The high-stake battle for the sixth turned out to be a nail-biting affair with the Congress and BJP trading charges, even approaching the Election Commission.

    “Elections are contested not just for the fight, but the victory.bJai Maharashtra,” tweeted BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, whose refusal to have a consensus candidates for the Rajya Sabha led to elections in the state after 23 years.

    The counting of votes started after an eight-hour delay amid complaints of cross voting and rules violation by the BJP and the ruling alliance.bBoth BJP and the Shiv Sena approached the Election Commission, alleging cross voting and seeking disqualification of votes.bThe poll panel directed the Rajya Sabha election returning officer of Maharashtra to reject the vote cast by Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande, after which the counting of votes got underway.

  • Maharashtra RS polls: BJP wins 3 of 6 seats in major setback to ruling Sena-NCP-Cong alliance

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: In a major setback to Maharashtra’s ruling alliance of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, the BJP on Saturday won three of the six Rajya Sabha seats in the state, even as the ruling combine questioned the eight-hour delay in counting of votes.

    The winners include BJP candidates Union minister Piyush Goyal and former state minister Anil Bonde and Dhananjay Mahadik. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, NCP’s Praful Patel and Congress’ Imran Pratapgarhi also won the fiercely-fought elections.

    The contest was for the sixth seat the BJP had fielded former MP Dhananjay Mahadik and the Shiv Sena candidate was Sanjay Pawar, who lost. Mahadik and Pawar hail from Kolhapur in western Maharashtra.

    The high-stake battle for the sixth turned out to be a nail-biting affair with the Congress and BJP trading charges, even approaching the Election Commission.

    “Elections are contested not just for the fight, but the victory.bJai Maharashtra,” tweeted BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis, whose refusal to have a consensus candidates for the Rajya Sabha led to elections in the state after 23 years.

    The counting of votes started after an eight-hour delay amid complaints of cross voting and rules violation by the BJP and the ruling alliance.bBoth BJP and the Shiv Sena approached the Election Commission, alleging cross voting and seeking disqualification of votes.bThe poll panel directed the Rajya Sabha election returning officer of Maharashtra to reject the vote cast by Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande, after which the counting of votes got underway.

  • Unemployment, inflation: NCP lists eight ‘failures’ of Modi government on eighth anniversary

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The NCP on Thursday claimed the last eight years of the Narendra Modi government have been marked by a series of “failures” and counted rising inflation, high rate of unemployment and unchecked hate politics as prominent among them.

    Maharashtra NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said that the country has “lost a lot” under the BJP-led central government which completed eight years in office on May 26.

    He listed rising inflation, high unemployment, “suppression of democracy”, failure to safeguard national security, hate politics, historic fall in value of the rupee, “economic collapse” and erosion of social fabric as the eight “failures” of the government.

    “In these eight years of Modi misrule the country has lost a lot. The RSS ideology has ruined communal harmony of the country. Religion & ethnicity are ruling over science & equality,” Tapase alleged.

  • ‘There is no other option’: Sharad Pawar bats for caste census

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday demanded a caste-based census, saying such an exercise was necessary to ensure social equality.

    Addressing a meeting of the NCP OBC cell, Pawar said everybody should get what is rightfully due to them.

    “We are not asking anything for free. There is no option but to conduct a caste-based census,” the former Union minister said.

    Pawar said Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes had benefitted due to reservations granted to them by the Constitution and similar concessions are required for the Other Backward Classes.

    The NCP leader’s comments came in the backdrop of demands to restore OBC reservation in local body polls in Maharashtra, where elections are due this year in a number of local self-government institutions.

    The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission’s interim report recommending the restoration of 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in local body polls.

    “To provide concessions, the government should know the exact OBC population and hence a caste-based census was needed,” Pawar said.

    Based on the census figures, justice can be provided to the community, said the NCP leader, whose party is a key constituent in the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

    Attacking the BJP for criticising the MVA government over the issue of political quota for OBCs, Pawar said, “You were in power here (in Maharashtra) for five years (from 2014 to 2019) and continue to rule in Delhi (at the Centre) since 2014.

    Were you sleeping till now?” He said the NCP will face the upcoming local body polls only after resolving the OBC quota issue and added that the social group will surely get its share in decision-making.

    The NCP president said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, an ally of the BJP, has spoken in favour of caste census, but the saffron outfit’s mindset on the issue is different.

    Pawar said RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi has opposed a caste-based census, saying it would send a wrong message in the society.

    “What is wrong if a correct picture emerges? The NCP will create awareness about it,” he said.

  • Fadnavis likens Uddhav government with Babri; says he won’t rest till it is brought down

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Hitting out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday sought to liken the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in the state with the Babri mosque structure and said he would not rest till the Shiv Sena-led dispensation was brought down from power.

    He also said that the Shiv Sena does not mean Mumbai, Maharashtra or Hindutva, and added that nobody can separate Mumbai from the state, but he wants to free the city from “corruption and misdeeds”.

    Fadnavis was addressing ‘Hindi Bhashi Mahasankalp Sabha’ organised by the BJP’s North Indian cell in suburban Goregaon, a day after Uddhav Thackeray’s rally in the city, where he had slammed Fadnavis and the BJP.

    Fadnavis’s rally began with the chanting of Hanuman Chalisa.

    Elections to several other civic bodies in the state, including Mumbai, which was ruled by the Shiv Sena for more than 25 years, are due this year.

    Describing Thackeray’s rally as a “laughter show”, Fadnavis said, “This man had never spoken about the state’s development, progress and welfare of people in the two-and-a-half years (of his rule).”

    “One doesn’t become a tiger just by clicking photographs of tigers. There is only one tiger now – Narendra Modi,” he said.

    During his rally, Thackeray had targeted Fadnavis for saying that he was in Ayodhya during the demolition of the Babri mosque.

    “If you had tried to climb the Babri mosque, it would have collapsed under your weight,” he had said.

    Referring to it, the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly said he weighs 102 kilos now, while back in 1992 his weight was 128 kilos.

    “I will not rest till I bring down the Babri structure of your power,” Fadnavis said.

  • Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale, pharmacy student held over ‘objectionable’ posts about Sharad Pawar

    By PTI

    THANE/MUMBAI: Marathi actor Ketaki Chitale and a 23-year-old pharmacy student were arrested in Maharashtra on Saturday over allegedly objectionable social media posts about Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar.

    While Chitale (29), a film and TV actress, was arrested by the Thane police over a post she allegedly shared on her Facebook page, the student, identified as Nikhil Bhamre, was arrested in the Nashik district for allegedly making an objectionable comment against Pawar on Twitter.

    The post shared by Chitale, which was in verse form, was purportedly written by someone else. It only mentioned the surname Pawar and the age of 80. The NCP supremo is 81 years old.

    The post contained phrases like “hell is waiting” and “you hate Brahmins”, allegedly referring to Pawar whose party shares power in Maharashtra with the Shiv Sena and Congress.

    Speaking to reporters in Nanded, Pawar said he didn’t know who Chitale was and also had no idea about what she posted about him on social media. “The offence against Chitale was registered at Kalwa police station in Thane on Saturday based on a complaint lodged by Swapnil Netke,” a police official said.

    Subsequently, Chitale was arrested from Navi Mumbai by the crime branch of Thane Police.

    Black ink and eggs were thrown at her outside Kalamboli police station in Navi Mumbai by workers of the NCP’s women wing as she was being taken away.

    She was booked under Indian Penal Code sections 500 (defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 505 (2) (making, publishing or circulating any statement, rumour or report promoting enmity, hatred or ill will between classes), 153 A (spreading disharmony among people).

    In Pune too, a case was registered against her based on a complaint filed by an NCP worker for similar offences.

    In Dhule, in north Maharashtra, a case was registered against Chitale and Nitin Bhave, the purported author of the post shared by her, on a complaint lodged by an NCP leader.

    In his tweet, Bhamre had said that the time has come to create “Baramati’s Nathuram Godse for the Gandhi of Baramati”. He had, however, not mentioned the name of any leader or political party in the tweet.

    Baramati, a town in the Pune district of the state, is the home turf of Sharad Pawar, while Godse was the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. “After probing the tweet, Maharashtra Cyber had intimated Nashik rural police for further action,” a police official said.

    Bhamre has been charged under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 153 (A) (promoting enmity between different groups), 500 (defamation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (criminal intimidation), he added.

    Earlier, NCP leader Anand Paranjpe had lodged a complaint against Bhamre at Naupada police station in Thane city, following which a case was registered against him.

    Maharashtra ministers and NCP leaders Jitendra Awhad and Chhagan Bhujbal called for strict action against Chitale.

    “In Maharashtra, our youth will go to at least 100-200 police stations to register offence. He is the father of the family – that is NCP. He is everything for us and such hideous comments are made about him and that too by a woman!” Awhad told a news channel.

    Some NCP leaders also sought to link the BJP and the RSS for such remarks being made against Pawar on social media.

    NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the actor had learnt from Maharashtra BJP leaders that the best way to get “cheap and free publicity” is to make derogatory statements against Pawar.

    “That criticism is condemnable. She should not engage in such a criticism,” Maharashtra State Women’s Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar told reporters in Nagpur.

    Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray also condemned Chitale, saying “such writing” does not have a place in the culture of Maharashtra. Such writing is “not a tendency, but wickedness” and it needs to be controlled promptly, he said in a statement issued on Twitter and Facebook.

    “We have differences with them (Pawar) and those will be there. But it is quite wrong to come to such a hideous level. It needs to be told quite clearly that this is not Maharashtra’s culture. To write something like this is not a tendency, but wickedness. It needs to be checked in time,” he added.

    Pawar said he didn’t know the person (Chitale) and also have no idea about what you are saying (about the actress’s post).

    Asked about the post allegedly shared by Chitale on Facebook, the NCP chief told reporters that he didn’t know about it.

    The veteran leader further said it would not be right for him to comment on the issue until he learns what the actress had done.

  • ‘Ayodhya visit, chanting prayers taking precedence’: Pawar expresses worry on economy

    By PTI

    PUNE: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday claimed the Centre “failed 100 per cent” in tackling the problems of inflation and unemployment, while issues like Ayodhya visit by some people and chanting prayers were taking precedence.

    “Going to Ayodhya is not a national issue,” Pawar told reporters in Kolhapur.

    Pawar also said he not come across an instance of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducting raids on those part of the central government, but action was being taken against those in opposition.

    Recently, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, who had stirred a row over his call for removal of loudspeakers on mosques, said he will visit Ayodhya on June 5 to seek blessings of Lord Ram.

    Notably, Maharashtra Tourism Minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray had also earlier said he would visit Ayodhya.

    Pawar said issues like Ayodhya visit and reciting prayers are taking priority, instead of focus on handling inflation, unemployment, and law and order issues.

    The Narendra Modi government had given assurances to people over issues like inflation and unemployment when it came to power in 2014.

    But, they have “failed 100 per cent” and people will recover the cost from them at the right time, he claimed.

    “While the common man is facing all these issues, those in power at the Centre are not ready to pay attention to these issues, and to divert the attention of people from these issues, such things related to religion are been encouraged,” said the NCP chief, whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

    On the sedition law and the Centre’s submission in the Supreme Court that it has decided to go for re-consideration of its provisions by a “competent forum”, Pawar said he has already stated before the Koregaon-Bhima Inquiry Commission that the law is “archaic” and was used by Britishers (then ruling India) against those who revolted against them.

    “We are now an independent country and every person has the right to raise his voice against any issue,” Pawar said.

    The NCP leader said he has read that the Centre told the SC that they will re-look into the law.

    “If this is true, then it is good,” he added.

    Asked if the ED raids had come down in Maharashtra, Pawar said he does not know if the number of raids has decreased.

    “But, I have not read anywhere that the ED conducted raids on people who are part of the central government.

    On the contrary, action against the opposition is going on,” he said.

    On Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement that the next census will be an ‘e-census’ (electronic census), Pawar said he has heard about it, but there is a need to ask what exactly is the ‘e-census’.

    To a query on bringing up an alternative front against the BJP, Pawar said discussions on the issue are going on.

    “Every party should take the decision internally. For example, the Congress’s ‘Chintan’ camp is going on and I think they will also come up with some conclusions. Other parties are also discussing it,” he said.

    Asked if there was an “opposition face” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pawar stated,” It cannot be said now.

    In some places, there are differences amongst us (opposition parties).

    In the West Bengal elections, Mamata ( Banerjee) and we were together, but the Congress and communists were on the other side.

    Had the Congress, communists, Mamata and we been together, we would have seen a more different picture,” he said.

    In Kerala, the Congress fights polls separately, but the communists and NCP are together.

    “We need to address this issue and the process is going on,” he added.

    On the possibility of an alliance among MVA parties ahead of local body elections in Maharashtra, Pawar said there are two opinions in his party on the issue.

    “Some (NCP members) think we should fight elections on our own symbol and after the election, we can sit together and decide (on alliance), but some people say since we are running the government together, we also should face the elections together. But, no final decision has been made on this issue,” said Pawar.

    Asked if the Centre’s perspective towards Maharashtra has changed after the MVA came to power in the state, Pawar said there is an observation that there is a delay in getting the Centre’s response on valid issues of the state.

    “The highest collection of taxes is from Maharashtra. The outstanding of Maharashtra’s share of tax (GST compensation) is yet to be received from the Centre. If that share is not received in time, it adversely affects development works in the state,” he added.

  • NCP chief Sharad Pawar praises Gautam Adani, cites his role in country’s infrastructure development

    By PTI

    PUNE: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday praised billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani and said the latter started from zero but was now a major contributor in the infrastructure development of the country.

    Pawar was speaking at the Jain International Trade Organisation’s (JITO) Global Conference here.

    “Once the list of rich people comprised the Birlas and Tatas. Now they have been replaced. Since one week, I have been reading about a Jain individual who has become the country’s richest man and that is Gautam Adani,” he said.

    “He is good friend of mine. He started with zero. Now go anywhere in an aircraft and you will have to use an airport of Adani. Almost 70 per cent airports belong to Adani,” he added.

    The basis of development was infrastructure and Adani had a major presence in this sector as well, the former Union minister said.

    “This contribution is not only for the Adani group but for the country. We cannot forget those who are contributing to the country’s development,” Pawar said.

  • Amit Shah failed to protect Delhi from communal violence: NCP chief Sharad Pawar

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Saturday said Union Home Minister Amit Shah could not protect Delhi from communal riots. Speaking at a rally of the Nationalist Congress Party at Kolhapur in western Maharashtra, Pawar referred to violence that broke out in Jahangirpuri area of Delhi during Hanuman Jayanti processions.

    “Few days back, Delhi was burning due to communal tensions. The state of Delhi is controlled by (chief minister) Arvind Kejriwal, but its police comes under the Union Home Ministry handled by Amit Shah. Shah failed to protect the city from communal riots. If anything happens in Delhi, the message goes out to the world. The world would imagine that there is unrest in Delhi. You have power, but you can not handle Delhi,” he said.

    He also targeted the BJP government in Karnataka over riots in Hooghly. “The names of shops and their owners from minority communities were mentioned on a hoarding. It was also written on it that people should not buy things from such shops. This is a common picture in the states where the BJP is in power,” the former Union minister said.

  • ED submits 5,000-page charge-sheet against Malik in property case linked to Dawood

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday submitted a charge-sheet in a court here against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in an alleged money laundering case linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, nearly two months after arresting him in the matter.

    Malik (62), a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, was arrested by the ED on February 23 in the case, and is currently in jail under judicial custody. The over-5,000-page charge-sheet was submitted in the court’s registry, ED lawyers said.

    The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases will take cognizance of the charge-sheet after verification of the documents, they said.

    The ED’s case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and key 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts accused, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

    Earlier, during remand hearings, the central financial investigation agency had told the court Malik was the key conspirator and beneficiary of the “entire charade”.

    In lieu of getting control of illegal occupation of this property, he funded a prominent member of ‘D-Gang’ (Dawood gang) , the ED had said. It has claimed that for usurping “this property, members of the D-Gang and Nawab Malik connived together and executed several legal documents to put a facade of genuinity over this criminal act”.

    During his custodial interrogation, (previously arrested accused) Iqbal Kaskar (brother of Dawood Ibrahim) revealed certain facts about his sister Haseena Parker and her involvement in usurping high-valued properties of innocent citizens in Mumbai by using the clout of D-Gang, it had said.

    In course of the investigation, it was revealed one such victim of the D-Gang was one Munira Plumber, the agency had said.

    Plumber’s prime property (having present market value of Rs 300 crore) was usurped by Malik through Solidus Investments, a company owned by the minister’s family, with active connivance of members of the D-Gang, including Haseena Parkar, the ED had told the court.

    Plumber, in her statement to the ED, has said she had not sold this property to Malik, the agency said. It is also apparent that Malik is guilty of the offence of money laundering as defined under provisions of the PMLA, the probe agency has said.

    Malik, who has denied all charges levelled against him, has moved the Supreme Court against an order of the Bombay High Court which had rejected his interim application seeking immediate release from jail.