National
Mumbai-Goa Highway ‘brawl’: MahaYuti leaders threaten to 'smash' each other’s faces
Mumbai, Aug 19 (IANS) In an embarrassing development, senior leaders of Maharashtra’s ruling allies Shiv Sena and BJP got embroiled in a verbal brawl on Monday, threatening to ‘smash each other’s faces’ and snap the MahaYuti alliance.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and ex-minister Ramdas Kadam targeted BJP’s PWD Minister Ravindra Chavan over the ‘pathetic’ status of the Mumbai-Goa Highway, almost a year after the latter promised it would be revamped.
The Mumbai-Goa Highway (NH-66) will attract lakhs of people rushing to the coastal Konkan districts of Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg for the state’s biggest public festival, the 10-day long Ganeshotsav starting September 7.
In an outburst before the media, Kadam said that almost a year after Chavan’s assurance, the NH-66 is in a sorry state since nearly 15 years, and “now, there is no road, only potholes”, adding that this would greatly inconvenience the devotees thronging their homes for Ganeshotsav.
“Ravindra Chavan is merely indulging in show-off. He should work and make the highway smooth for the devotees as Ganeshotsav is barely a fortnight away. If he cannot do it, (Deputy CM) Devendra Fadnavis should ask him to resign,” Kadam demanded.
“Ravindra Chavan should stop ‘chamkogiri’ (shining) and perform… Otherwise, I shall smash his face. If they continue like this, there’s no need for the MahaYuti alliance, break it… We go our way, you go yours,” said Kadam.
Hitting back, an equally irate Chavan said he would not take such abuses quietly, as he asked Kadam to mind his language, besides threatening to pay him back in the same coin.
“You better mind your language. I shall not tolerate such abuses from anybody. If you have the guts, come and meet me personally… I shall not rest till I smash your face,” declared Chavan.
Both leaders dared each other to decide on the venue and time for the ‘physical brawl’ as other leaders jumped into the simmering political cauldron.
With Assembly elections round the corner, Fadnavis strode cautiously, saying it was improper for Kadam to level such serious accusations publicly, adding that “if you have anything to say, put it up in internal meetings”.
“Ramdas Bhai should not try to corner the BJP every time like this… It doesn’t create a good image by always hounding BJP leaders,” Fadnavis said, as he promised to take up the matter with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Apparently endorsing Kadam’s stance, ex-minister of opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) ally NCP (SP), Anil Deshmukh, said that “not only Chavan, but even other ministers in the MahaYuti should quit for not doing any work for the people”.
BJP’s Pravin Darekar issued a veiled warning saying “it is not the only party which needs the MahaYuti alliance”, while chiding Kadam for making ‘immature’ statements to create a sensation.
“If he has any problems, he can take it up with the CM or the Deputy CM privately. Don’t mistake our patience as weakness. You must follow the principle of alliance, or else we can reciprocate in equal measure,” warned Darekar.
Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Kishore Tiwari said “the political honeymoon is over and the marriage of convenience among the three MahaYuti allies is falling apart”, adding that people of Maharashtra will “show them their place in the upcoming polls”.
Referring to this and other recent instances among the ruling allies, NCP (SP) chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase predicted that the MahaYuti will collapse before the Assembly polls owing to their growing fissures and the BJP’s ‘evil machinations’.
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)
–IANS
qn/arm
National
Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms
On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry announced that 2025 will be designated as the “Year of Reforms,” with a primary focus on establishing integrated theatre commands to enhance collaboration among the three branches of the military.
These reforms are aimed at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations, the ministry stated.
The initiative will emphasize emerging domains such as cyber and space, alongside cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the “Year of Reforms” as a pivotal milestone in the modernization of the armed forces.
“It will set the stage for significant advancements in the nation’s defense capabilities, ensuring the security and sovereignty of India in the face of 21st-century challenges,” he said.
National
A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning
A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR).
The district administration reported no casualties or property damage following the quake.
The tremor occurred at 10:24 am, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers north-northeast (NNE) of Bhachau, as per the Gandhinagar-based ISR.
Last month, the region experienced four seismic events exceeding a magnitude of 3, including a 3.2 magnitude tremor just three days ago, with its epicenter also near Bhachau.
Earlier tremors in the area included a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on December 23 and a 3.2 magnitude event on December 7, according to ISR reports.
Kutch was also jolted by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on November 18, 2024. On November 15, a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Patan in north Gujarat, based on ISR data.
Gujarat is considered a high-risk earthquake zone, having experienced nine major earthquakes over the past 200 years, according to the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). The 2001 earthquake in Kutch, which occurred on January 26, was the third-largest and second-most destructive in India in the last two centuries, according to the GSDMA.
National
Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs
Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s much-anticipated New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana faced legal hurdles after a complaint was filed by Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh.
Following the complaint, the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department, Government of Punjab, issued a formal notice to Ludhiana’s District Commissioner, urging them to prohibit Dosanjh from performing specific songs during his live show on December 31, 2024.
The notice specifically targets songs accused of promoting alcohol, including Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya), even if the lyrics are slightly modified. The complaint points to previous warnings issued to Dosanjh by various commissions advising against performing these controversial tracks.
Despite these warnings, the singer allegedly continues to perform the songs with minor alterations. Dharenavar raised serious concerns about the influence of such music on young audiences, especially when minors are present at live events.
Adding to the controversy, Dharenavar referenced a 2019 Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling, which directed law enforcement to ensure that songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are not played at public events, including concerts. This ruling underscores the legal basis for the complaint and has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the event.
National
UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured
Five people sustained injuries when a vehicle in the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad overturned into a ditch near Januan village in the Khejuri Police Station area of Ballia district late last night.
Sanjay Nishad shared details of the incident, stating that the accident injured five party workers, including four women.
“I was traveling with the convoy to participate in the Constitutional Rights Yatra organized by the party on Tuesday night. Near Januan village in the Khejuri area, one of the vehicles following the convoy lost control while trying to avoid an animal and overturned into a ditch,” Nishad explained.
The injured individuals have been identified as Rakesh Nishad, Ramrati, Usha, Geeta, and Iravati Nishad.
Senior police and administrative officials quickly arrived at the scene following the incident to oversee the situation.
National
Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder
The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher found dead after accusing the company of copyright violations, has alleged that her son was “murdered” and called for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.
Poornima Rao, Suchir’s mother, claimed her son’s death was a “cold-blooded murder” that authorities wrongly ruled as suicide. She further disclosed that a private autopsy report conflicted with the findings of the initial police investigation.
Rao alleged that her son’s apartment had been “ransacked” and cited evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains that suggested he had been assaulted.
“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not confirm the cause of death stated by the police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and it appears he was hit based on blood spots. This is a cold-blooded murder being misclassified as a suicide. Lobbying in San Francisco won’t deter us from seeking justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” Rao wrote on X.
Elon Musk reacted to Rao’s post, commenting, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”
Balaji was discovered dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of violating copyright laws during the development of ChatGPT, as reported by Fox News. Despite these claims, the San Francisco Police Department found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.
On October 24, shortly before his death, Balaji voiced doubts about the “fair use” defense in generative artificial intelligence. “I recently participated in a NYT story about fair use and generative AI, and why I’m skeptical ‘fair use’ would be a plausible defense for a lot of generative AI products,” he wrote on X.
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