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When Shinde Sena MLA spewed a ‘South' slur

When Shinde Sena MLA spewed a ‘South' slur

India Today4 days ago
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated July 28, 2025)Anti-South Indian politics was the very first drum roll with which the Shiv Sena arrived on the stage of modern Indian politics. It clearly still has some juice left, judging by the curious way it made a fresh entry into the headlines—as an afterthought to a thoughtless act tailor-made for endless TV. The protagonist was Sanjay Gaikwad, an Eknath Shinde Sena MLA whose nature, by all accounts, resembles a typical Mumbai weather report: torrential, always with chances of strong thunder. This particular downpour started after a video surfaced of Gaikwad, clad in a vest and a towel around his waist, punching a hapless staffer at the MLA hostel at Nariman Point.advertisementFRESH HEADACHE FOR SHINDEIf anything, the issue has ended up becoming a blow to an already beleaguered Shinde, who finds himself increasingly cornered in the ruling Mahayuti alliance. The BJP is being adequately caustic about the deputy CM's inability to control his men, reviving the frequent characterisation of his Sena as a loose coalition of MLAs rather than a political party with a structure of command and internal checks and balances. The episode was shambolic enough to merit such a broad-brush taint.
In the video, Gaikwad, a second-term MLA from Buldhana in Vidarbha, is seen forcing a hostel employee to sniff dal in a carrybag, before punching him. The staffer at the Akashwani MLA hostel, right opposite Mantralaya in south Mumbai, falls. Gaikwad claims his fists of fury were goaded by poor quality dal and stale food, alleging that the canteen management is a repeat offender. The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later inspected the canteen and suspended its licence.
Under fire for his lack of restraint, Gaikwad went on to burnish that point with a verbal volley on 'the attitude of people from the South'. The said community, he said, 'operated dance bars and ladies bars in Maharashtra' and 'ruined its culture and youth'. His pique apparently originates with the canteen contractor, said to be a Shetty from Karnataka. The recourse to nativist vocabulary was a transparent attempt to deflect focus from his own misdemeanour, and its effect is minimised by the fact that the speaker has earned some renown as an equal opportunity offender.Days earlier, he had made disparaging remarks about Chhatrapati Sambhaji, for which he had to apologise. In May, Gaikwad lashed out at the Maharashtra police, calling it 'the most inefficient police department in India and the world', with a compulsive penchant for 'hafta (extortion)' to boot. That had made even CM Devendra Fadnavis see red. Last September, Gaikwad offered Rs 11 lakh to anyone who would 'chop off the tongue' of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. He also claimed to have killed a tiger and worn its tooth as a pendant. When AIMIM MP Imtiaz Jaleel criticised Gaikwad for his canteen exploits, he threatened to assault Jaleel too.advertisementShinde is said to have upbraided Gaikwad. After three days of Opposition protests, Fadnavis stepped in and a suo moto non-cognisable case was filed by the Marine Drive police. But the man remains defiant for now.Subscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
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4 lanes, 9 flyovers & 6 underpasses: New ₹325cr highway to link south Haryana & Rajasthan
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Time of India

time43 minutes ago

  • Time of India

4 lanes, 9 flyovers & 6 underpasses: New ₹325cr highway to link south Haryana & Rajasthan

Gurgaon: In an infrastructure boost to south Haryana, the Centre has decided to develop a new 45km four-lane National Highway from Nuh to Ferozepur Jhirka and Alwar on Rajasthan border and issued tenders for the Rs 325-crore project, which is expected to cut travel time and enhance road safety in the region. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The new highway, part of National Highway 248-A, will have nine flyovers, six underpasses and bypasses at Malab and Bhadas of Nuh. The govt has set a two-year completion target for the ambitious project. On completion, the highway is expected to reduce travel time to Rajasthan and tackle safety lapses on a stretch notoriously known as the "bloody highway," where over 2,500 fatalities have been reported in the past 12 years. This development is a result of persistent advocacy and public pressure over the years. The Mewat RTI Manch, a local activist group, has been at the forefront of this campaign since 2013, conducting hunger strikes and protests. Also, the group has filed a petition signed by over 20,000 residents to draw attention to the perils of existing narrow roads and demand immediate corrective measures. Initially, a ₹186-crore proposal was approved in 2019, but the project was put on hold following construction plan for Delhi-Mumbai Expressway through the area. Now, with a renewed focus and an increased budget, the Centre has moved forward with a revised estimate of ₹325 crore. Union minister Rao Inderjit Singh, who has been a vocal advocate for the project, emphasised its transformative potential for Mewat. "The project is not just about a road; it's about giving the people of this region better connectivity, safety and opportunities they've long been denied," he said. Locals and activists have expressed their approval of the project. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "This is the result of our decade-long struggle. A safer and better-connected Mewat is finally taking shape," said Rajuddin, a prominent member of the RTI manch movement. Release of the tender has sparked celebrations across Nuh and nearby areas. At Badkali Chowk — the epicentre of several protests — residents gathered on Friday to express their gratitude. Mohammad Habib, an INLD functionary at Ferozepur Jhirka, said, "This road has taken too many innocent lives. The BJP govt has finally taken a step that will prove to be a milestone for every Mewati." Local activists recalled that the movement to expand NH-248A began with a five-day protest on July 9, 2017, under the banner of the Mewat RTI Manch. This was followed by a major state-wide campaign in Nov 2018, which drew national attention. The same year, the Khuni Highway Sangharsh Samiti was formed to intensify the movement.

Look at your own country: Bombay High Court raps CPI(M) over Gaza protest petition
Look at your own country: Bombay High Court raps CPI(M) over Gaza protest petition

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Look at your own country: Bombay High Court raps CPI(M) over Gaza protest petition

The Bombay High Court on Friday (July 25, 2025) dismissed a petition filed by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the CPI challenging the Mumbai Police's decision to deny permission for a protest at Azad Maidan against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The court observed that the Indian political organisations should prioritise domestic issues over international conflicts. A Division Bench comprising Justices Ravindra Ghuge and Gautam Ankhad pulled up the petitioners for focusing on matters outside the country and said, 'Our country has enough issues to deal with. We do not want anything like this. I am sorry to say that you are short-sighted. You are looking at Gaza and Palestine while neglecting what's happening here. Why don't you do something for your own country? Look at your own country. Be patriots. People say they are patriots, but this is not patriotism. Show patriotism for the citizens of our own country first,' the Bench remarked sharply during the hearing. Senior advocate Mihir Desai representing CPI(M), informed the Bench that on June 13, 2025, his clients submitted an application seeking permission from the Azad Maidan police station to hold a peaceful protest and gathering in Azad Maidan to show solidarity with the people of Gaza, who are currently in the midst of a genocide, by calling for a ceasefire. On June 17, denying permission to the All India Peace and Solidarity Foundation (AIPSF) that police informed them that the permission to protest was being denied in exercise of their powers under Section 168 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Section 68 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951. Mr. Desai informed the Bench that the political parties have time and again taken up several causes that has concerned India and have been conducting health and education camps. The Court noted that the CPI(M), being a registered as Indian political party, should ideally be engaging with local civic concerns. 'You are a registered party in India. Your party could have taken up issues like garbage dumping, pollution, drainage, or flooding. Why are you not protesting on these issues? We are only giving examples. Instead, you want to protest over something happening thousands of miles away and showing concern for Palestine and Gaza,' the Bench observed. The petitioners stated that the Indian government's stance and support of Palestine as a State, has been an integral part of the nation's foreign policy. In 1974, India became the first Non-Arab State to recognize Palestine Liberation Organisation as the sole and legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. In 1988, India was also one of the first countries to recognize Palestine as a State. In April 2024, India voted in favour of the Human Rights Council Resolution on the Right of the Palestinian people to self-determination. Moreover, India is a State signatory to the Genocide Convention, 1948, and the protest which was held to condemn violence and genocide in Gaza, can in no way termed to be the foreign policy of the India State. Mr. Desai further argued that citizens have a fundamental right to protest at designated places and that disagreements with the government's foreign policy cannot be grounds to stifle dissent. He also contended that mere apprehensions of law-and-order issues, without concrete evidence, should not override constitutional freedoms. He also clarified that the protest has nothing to do with Operation Sindoor or India's border relations with neighbouring countries. CPI(M) issues statement Rejecting the petition, the court observed, 'You don't know the dust it could kick up. Whether to take a side for Palestine or Israel is their (Govt of India) work, why do you want to create such a situation that the country has to take sides on this? Why do you want to do this? It's obvious, going by the party you represent, that you don't understand what this could do to the foreign affairs of the country.' The CPI(M) has strongly condemned the Bombay High Court's remarks while dismissing its petition challenging the denial of permission to protest against the Gaza conflict. Calling the Court's comments unconstitutional and politically biased, the CPI(M) criticised the bench for questioning its patriotism and aligning with the Central government's foreign policy stance. 'It is regrettable to say that the Bench appears to be completely unaware of the constitutional provisions that empower political parties or the history of our country and the support and brotherly feelings of the Indian people towards the Palestinian people for their right to a homeland. The statement made by the High Court bench regarding the CPI(M) smacks of the bench aligning itself with the position of the Central Government,' the party said in a statement. The party invoked India's historical support for Palestine and urged citizens to reject what it termed a troubling judicial trend undermining democratic rights. 'We appeal to the freedom and democracy-loving people of the country to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in unequivocally rejecting this objectionable view,' the statement read.

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