Maharashtra

Ahead of his much-publicised visit to Ayodhya, Shinde referred to Pawar's comments on Friday to a private television channel contending that the US short-seller Hindenburg Research's report on the Adani Group appeared to a 'targetted attack' on the Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre. "The Congress has launched an agitation demanding an explanation for the Rs 20,000 crore of the Adani Group. Even (ex-CM) Uddhav Thackeray has repeatedly spoken on this issue.

In a hard-hitting speech targeting the ruling Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, firebrand Sena (UBT)'s Deputy Leader Sushma Andhare slammed Fadnavis' remark on Tuesday in response to Thackeray's attack, terming him as a 'fadtus' (useless) home minister and seeking his resignation.

This will be a second visit by a Maharashtra CM to the upcoming Ram Temple - in March 2020, then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had prayed there and now present Shinde will perform an 'aarti' there. Shinde will be accompanied by his party Ministers, MLAs, MPs and other leaders on their maiden trip to Ayodhya.

NCP chief spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said Fadnavis had said a few weeks ago how he had taken "revenge" and brought down the MVA Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray nine months ago. "Now, Health Minister Tanaji Sawant has also confirmed that a whopping 150 meetings have been held since 2019 between Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde, plotting to bring down the MVA," he said.

A BJP veteran for over four decades, Bapat, 72, breathed his last shortly after a medical bulletin issued by Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital & Research Center had described him as "critically ill", and put on life-support systems. In Bapat's passing, the Pune BJP leadership has suffered the loss of a third prominent sitting lawmaker in the past four months.

The legislators were protesting against Rahul Gandhi's remarks against Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar made during his Bharat Jodo Yatra in a heated discussion in the Assembly, which resulted in an adjournment. Shiv Sena MLAs Pratap Sarnaik and Sanjay Shirsat condemned Rahul Gandhi for 'disrespecting' Veer Savarkar, while Shirsat demanded to know the stance of the rival Shiv Sena (UBT) headed by ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray on the Congress leader's remarks.

Addressing a massive Gudi Padwa rally at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park here, he said that "we cannot have a government that keeps glancing at the court for its survival", and hence the state assembly polls should be conducted "right now". Returning to his popular rally style of "Laav re te video" (Play that video), Raj Thackeray.

Raj, the estranged cousin of Shiv Sena (UBT) President and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, is scheduled to address a large rally this evening for which thousands of party workers have started trooping in from Nashik, Pune, Raigad and parts of Mumbai. Setting the tone for the meeting on Gudi Padwa -- the Maharashtra New Year, the MNS Dadar unit chief Laxman Patil has put up the banners conferring the status of 'Hindu Jannayak' and 'The future CM in the minds of the people of Maharashtra!'

Aniksha, the bookie's daughter and a fashionista who was arrested earlier, was produced before the court after her police remand ended on Tuesday, but Additional Sessions Judge D.D. Almale extended her custody till March 24. The father-daughter-uncle trio has been arrested in connection with the attempts to threaten, bribe and blackmail banker-singer Amruta Fadnavis, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Moving swiftly, the Malabar Hill Police Station detained the two persons -- a bookie, Anil Jaisinghani, and his daughter Aniksha, a professional designer -- from Ulhasnagar in Thane district. They have been booked under IPC Section 120(B), and Prevention of Corruption Act Section 8 and 12, and further investigations are on.