Latest news with #MedhaKulkarni
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tackle traffic, environment issues on priority: Kulkarni
Pune: Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni on Friday said Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was responsible for pending civic issues as well as the city's traffic and environment problems — all of which should be dealt with on priority. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She held a meeting with civic officials at PMC headquarters on Friday. Kulkarni told reporters after the meeting that she was against the riverfront development (RFD) project and rampant tree cutting across civic areas. "A detailed study should be done while defining the blue line and red line near rivers. Discharge of water and its spillover should be considered in accordance with the current carrying capacity. Issues like traffic congestion in different areas should be resolved, especially the concerns raised by commuters at the Gangadham Chowk. The flyover is delayed and should be constructed as soon as possible," she said. Kulkarni said the naturally preserved Naik Island stands to get damaged because of RFD. The project's impact on the Mula and Mutha rivers should be assessed immediately. "There should be no adverse impact on the rivers under any circumstances. Rivers like Ramnadi have suffered because of rapid urbanisation," she added. The MP said the administration should focus on Kalyaninagar residents' issues, including illegal pubs and drug abuse. She said illegal pubs and eateries must shut down and action was necessary since many of the organisations were operating on rooftops without any permission for change of use. "Also, illegal constructions and encroachments are increasing by the day and must be stopped," she added. Pune: Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni on Friday said Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was responsible for pending civic issues as well as the city's traffic and environment problems — all of which should be dealt with on priority. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She held a meeting with civic officials at PMC headquarters on Friday. Kulkarni told reporters after the meeting that she was against the riverfront development (RFD) project and rampant tree cutting across civic areas. "A detailed study should be done while defining the blue line and red line near rivers. Discharge of water and its spillover should be considered in accordance with the current carrying capacity. Issues like traffic congestion in different areas should be resolved, especially the concerns raised by commuters at the Gangadham Chowk. The flyover is delayed and should be constructed as soon as possible," she said. Kulkarni said the naturally preserved Naik Island stands to get damaged because of RFD. The project's impact on the Mula and Mutha rivers should be assessed immediately. "There should be no adverse impact on the rivers under any circumstances. Rivers like Ramnadi have suffered because of rapid urbanisation," she added. The MP said the administration should focus on Kalyaninagar residents' issues, including illegal pubs and drug abuse. She said illegal pubs and eateries must shut down and action was necessary since many of the organisations were operating on rooftops without any permission for change of use. "Also, illegal constructions and encroachments are increasing by the day and must be stopped," she added.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Hoardings with ‘derogatory' content against BJP MP Medha Kulkarni, FIR lodged
Police on Wednesday registered a case against unidentified persons for allegedly putting up hoardings with derogatory content against Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Medha Kulkarni at the junction near Balgandharva auditorium in Pune city. Kamlesh Pradhan, a resident of Ganesh Nagar, Dhayari, lodged an FIR at the Deccan police station. Kulkarni, a resident of Kothrud, had raised a demand in a Railway committee meeting to rename Pune railway station after Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I. Several organisations and political parties have opposed Kulkarni's demand. Several social media users began spreading alleged objectionable and abusive content against her. Meanwhile, banners were put up with alleged derogatory remarks against Kulkarni at the junction near Balgandharva auditorium in Shivajinagar. The banners carried names of office bearers of Uddhav Thackery's Shiv Sena faction from Pune city. Earlier, the Parshuram Hindu Seva Sangh Maharashtra had submitted a complaint to the Deccan Gymkhana police station regarding alleged defamatory content circulating on social media and in public spaces, targeting Kulkarni and the Brahmin community. The complaint was attached with screenshots of remarks from social media platforms, claiming that these posts not only defamed Kulkarni but also attempted to insult her on the grounds of her caste and gender. The complainant organisation condemned the use of derogatory language against Peshwa Bajirao, the Peshwa regime, and the Brahmin community. Furthermore, the complainants alleged that large hoardings and banners with derogatory messages have been put up at various locations in Pune, inciting public unrest and creating social disharmony. The letter submitted to the police called for the immediate removal of such hoardings and legal action against those responsible. It also urged authorities to take steps to suspend or block social media accounts posting offensive content and register cases against the individuals involved. They have demanded strict action to prevent further spread of hate speech that could lead to communal tension.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Complaint filed against posts targeting Brahmin community, MP Medha Kulkarni
A formal complaint was submitted to the Deccan Gymkhana Police Station regarding alleged defamatory content circulating on social media and in public spaces, targeting Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni and the Brahmin community. The complaint, filed by Parshuram Hindu Seva Sangh Maharashtra — an organisation which claims to represent the Brahmin community — said that after Kulkarni raised a demand in a Railway committee meeting to rename Pune Railway Station after Maratha warrior Peshwa Bajirao I, several social media users began spreading objectionable and abusive content against her. The complainants attached screenshots of remarks from platforms like Facebook and Twitter, claiming that these posts not only defame Kulkarni but also attempted to insult her based on her gender and caste identity. Furthermore, the complainants allege that large hoardings and banners with derogatory messages have been put up at various locations in Pune, inciting public unrest and creating social disharmony. The letter submitted to the police called for the immediate removal of such hoardings and legal action against those responsible. It also urges authorities to take steps to suspend or block the offending social media accounts and register cases against the individuals involved. The organisations behind the complaint condemned the use of derogatory language against Peshwa Bajirao, the Peshwa regime, and the Brahmin community. They have demanded strict action to prevent the further spread of hate speech that could lead to communal tension. The complainants reiterated that their demand to rename the station was made through democratic channels, including submissions to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. They emphasised that the recent abusive backlash is an attempt to disturb social harmony and must be dealt with firmly.
News18
4 days ago
- Politics
- News18
BJP MP Demands Renaming Of Pune Railway Station After Thorle Bajirao, NCP (SP) Objects
Last Updated: Medha Kulkarni argued that several organisations had submitted demands for renaming the station after Bajirao Peshwa, noting that Bajirao extended the Hindavi Swarajya. BJP Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni has demanded to rename the Pune Railway Station after Shrimant Thorle Bajirao Peshwa, the 7th Peshwa of the Maratha Empire. The demand was raised during a meeting convened by the Pune Railway Division to discuss issues concerning the Pune and Solapur region on Monday. During the meeting, she emphasised that the upcoming redevelopment of the railway station should reflect Pune's historical legacy. Kulkarni argued that several organisations had submitted demands for renaming the station after Bajirao Peshwa, noting that Bajirao extended the Hindavi Swarajya from Attock to Cuttack and that his military legacy continues to inspire even modern defence academies like NDA. She further said that the central government also favour reflecting local history through public spaces such as railway stations. 'There is no representation of Pune's rich history at the station. I demand that it be renamed after Thorle Bajirao Peshwa," she said as per the media reports. #WATCH | Pune, Maharashtra: BJP MP Medha Kulkarni demands renaming the Pune station. She says, 'There are a few demands regarding the Pune railway station… Pune is considered the educational and IT hub. Despite being a city of such importance, the current situation of the… — ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2025 Kulkarni further strongly criticised Pune's poor railway infrastructure, highlighting the need for urgent improvements to match the city's stature as an educational and IT hub. While speaking to the media, Kulkarni raised her demands, saying, 'There are a few demands regarding the Pune railway station… Pune is considered the educational and IT hub. Despite being a city of such importance, the current situation of the station is very miserable; it should be improved." She also raised the issue of poor connectivity from major cities like Nasik and Badalpur. 'Rajdhani Express should also be connected through Pune; be it the Delhi to Hyderabad Express or the Bengaluru to Delhi Express, it should go through Pune." She underlined the need for improved connectivity, especially in the wake of the upcoming Kumbh Mela in Nasik. She said, 'Cities like Nasik and Badlapur don't have much connectivity, and for the upcoming Kumbh in Nasik, there is no train from Pune to Nasik." The Kumbh Mela, expected to draw millions of pilgrims, increases the urgency for better transport links. However, the demand to rename the railway station was met with objection from Nationalist Congress Party (SP) spokesperson and former mayor Ankush Kakade. 'We are not in favour of changing the name of Pune Railway Station, which has a long history. If the central government insists on renaming, they should also consider names like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule or Gopal Krishna Gokhale, along with Bajirao Peshwa," Kakade said. Additionally, RPI leader Sachin Kharaat opposed to naming the station after Bajirao and demanded to rename the station after social activist Mahatma Jyotiba Phule. 'We reject any attempt to glorify modern Peshwai. It was Mahatma Phule who discovered Shivaji Maharaj's tomb and initiated the tradition of celebrating his birth anniversary. Pune is known as the seat of knowledge because of Phule's contributions. The station should bear his name," he said as quoted by media reports. First Published: June 24, 2025, 10:58 IST
Indian Express
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Pune citizens approach Jal Shakti minister again, raise RFD concerns
For the second time in four months, citizen groups of Pune took their concerns about the Riverfront Development Project (RFD) directly to the Minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil on June 17. 'We have sent him letters twice and I went and met him in Delhi,' said Medha Kulkarni, a BJP MP who has been raising her voice against the the processes being followed in the RFD, including riverbeds shrinking, dumping of debris and tree felling. On Tuesday, members of the Pune River Revival, which works for the rights of the city's rivers, visited the minister, who was visiting the Central Water and Power Research Station. 'We have raised citizens' grievances and concerns, such as increased flood risk, environmental degradation and river pollution due to the RFD project along with our suggestion for improvement. We are, further, bringing to your urgent attention a series of serious grievances raised by citizens and experts related to environment safety, citizen safety and civic issues arising from the RFD that is, currently, being implemented by the PMC and PCMC,' said the letters. Sewage worries The letter pointed out that 'heavy pollution of the river will not be controlled just by increasing the number of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and downstream management'. This issue brought the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) programme to the fore, whose objective was to 'improve the water quality in the Mula, Mutha and Mula-Mutha rivers by augmenting sewage collection systems and sewage treatment facilities in PMC area. It also includes taking other measures required for the pollution abatement and thereby improving the sanitation and living conditions of people who reside in Pune City and in the watershed of the downstream area'. 'We have been trying to draw their attention to the issue that just having a number of STPs, even if these get completed as per their commitments till 2026, is not going to reduce the pollution in the rivers because the multiple streams that are meeting the river are completely not addressed. The direct outfalls that are releasing the sewage will continue to do so. There is also a major component of groundwater contamination that has not been taken into consideration in the river rejuvenation,' said Shailaja Deshpande, one of the signatories of the letter. She added that groundwater contamination from microplastics and other emerging pollutants, such as pthalates, are not highlighted even by PCBs. 'River rejuvenation means stopping pollution at source and not treating after it enters waterbodies,' said Deshpande. Another signatory, Priyadarshini Karve, said, 'We have been highlighting a point for quite some time that the whole project is based on the assumption that 100 per cent of sewage is going to be treated and there will only be clean water in the river channel. Several calculations, however, have shown that there is no way that, just by completing the STPs under JICA, all the sewage will be treated as the city has expanded and the amount of sewage has increased.' According to the letter given to the minister, citizens feel the solution involves 'upstream management and reducing pollution at the source'. 'Maintaining the natural filtration service by conserving riparian zones is of utmost necessity,' read the letter. Encroachment, wildlife threats The letter points out that the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board sent notices to PMC, PCMC and the Irrigation Department, citing issues like interference with the natural flow of the river as well as encroachment. Point number 3 is that the project violated the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 and Aditya Paranjape, honourable wildlife warden, Pune District, had urged the PCMC Commissioner to halt the work and restore habitats. IISER Pune too raised concerns about the RFD, while the Maharashtra Engineering Research Institute had released findings about long-term safety concerns about the RFD. In the letter, the citizens urged that PMC and PCMC suspend all work on the RFD, revisit the plan and try to balance urban development and environmental conservation, and restore riparian zones and natural habitats to check river pollution. 'This is a collective demand for sustainable and ecologically sensitive urban development, which is safe, participatory and supports the local community. Pune's rivers are not just waterbodies but also living ecosystems and cultural lifelines,' the letter said.
