Shiv Sena

Bharat Gogawale, the Whip of Shiv Sena headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that he would first read the entire SC judgement before commenting. On a specific query to his status, Gogawale said that the SC has only made an observation of his appointment as Whip, it's not the judgement.

"In view of the judgement, if the present government has any morality left, then it should forthwith resign, just as I had tendered my resignation (in June 2022)," said Thackeray, in his first reaction to the much-awaited verdict. He said that the apex court judgement has also laid bare the role of the (then) Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and how his office was misused, "which is what we have been saying all along".

"We fully support the SC ruling... It was on expected lines. We are happy, our stand has been upheld by the highest court of the land," the duo said, 11 months after they toppled the Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by former CM Uddhav Thackeray in June 2022.

Sena (UBT) Chief Spokesperson Sanjay Raut also welcomed the SC verdict calling it a trendsetter not only for Maharashtra but for the entire country. "The SC has said that this is a totally illegal and unconstitutional government and all the decisions of the (then) Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari were wrong," said Raut.

He said that when the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) was in power, they had halted the BKC land for the Bullet Train terminus, but as soon as the government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis came to power (June 2022), they gave it away. How many of you are going to travel from Mumbai.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and comprising Justice P.S. Narasimha asked petitioner Ashish Giri, appearing in person, "what kind of petition is this and who are you, what is your locus?" Giri said he moved the top court as the court heard various petitions relating to the dispute between the Thackeray and the Shinde factions. He submitted that the assets of the party should be transferred to the Shinde group.

Nitesh, son of Union MSME Minister Narayan Rane, said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has given the 'Shiv Sena' name and its 'Bow-and-Arrow' symbol to Shinde. "It officially belongs to them (Shinde faction) and nobody has the legal right to use the name of another. The other side led by Uddhav Thackeray must identify.

Taking a sharp jibe, BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam said here that Raut is clearly rattled' and is day-dreaming like 'mungerilal ke sapne' with such comments. "All that's left for him now is to get a parrot and predict peoples' fortunes on the roadside," said Kadam, evoking much mirth in political circles.

"Hindutva is not a matter of selfishness, but a nationalist. The BJP doesn't understand what Hindutva is. Their Hindutva is centred around cow and gomutra (cow-urine). Cow slaughter is banned in one state but not in others... This is their Hindutva," said Thackeray, as the BJP fights the Karnataka elections on its pet-theme. Addressing a massive rally in Pachora, Jalgaon this evening, Thackeray denied the charge that he had left Hindutva, saying that after he took the oath as Chief Minister in November 2019, all religions were treated equally.

The Imperial Census, first conducted by the British Government in 1871-72 for the entire population, and later periodically undertaken, has always included general questions based on caste-religions. However, the first loose Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) was taken up by the British in 1881 -- over 140 years ago.