Latest news with #Sapkal
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Cong's ‘Urban Gandhian' To Counter BJP's ‘Urban Naxal'
Nagpur: After Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal said he is an 'urban Gandhian', chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , who was in Wardha on Monday, said he has no issues with anyone calling themselves 'Urban Gandhians', and he in fact welcomes this. Sapkal's statement had been in response to BJP's allegations that 'urban naxals' have infiltrated many Gandhian institutions. Earlier, CM Devendra Fadnavis also said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is surrounded by people who have extreme left ideological leanings, taking the urban naxal jibe further. Fadnavis, on Monday, said, "I am happy to hear that he (Sapkal) realised that he is an urban Gandhian. We have no issues. We welcome urban and rural Gandhians." A few days ago, Sapkal said, "I am an urban Gandhian. I am also an urban Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar follower." The urban Gandhian mention was specifically targeted at an accusation made by BJP MLA Sumit Wandkhede that urban naxals have infiltrated Gandhian organisations based in Wardha. The district is home to Mahatma Gandhi's Sevagram Ashram. Fadnavis said that while not everybody can be labelled as an urban naxal, there were some specific inputs which led to these allegations being made. "In the recent past, some events were held here. And some organisations which were part of the event are known to have urban naxal connections, as per police records. So, while Sevagram Ashram is open to all, and that's the way it should always be, caution has to be taken," said Fadnavis. Some Congress party members from Nagpur shared their photo from Sevagram Ashram on social media with comments like 'I am Urban Gandhian', thus taking the war of words to the social media space.
Time of India
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Urban Gandhian': Cong responds to ‘Naxal' jibe
Nagpur: CM said he has no issues with anyone calling themselves 'urban Gandhians', and he, in fact, welcomes this. Fadnavis, who was in Wardha on Monday, made the comments after Congress state president Harshvardhan Sapkal said he is an 'urban Gandhian'. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Sapkal's statement was in response to BJP's allegations that 'urban Naxals' have infiltrated many Gandhian institutions. Earlier, Fadnavis also said Rahul Gandhi is surrounded by people who have extreme left ideological leanings. Fadnavis on Monday said, "I am happy to hear he (Sapkal) realised he is an urban Gandhian. We have no issues. We welcome urban and rural Gandhians." A few days ago, Sapkal said, "I am an urban Gandhian. I am also an urban Shahu-Phule-Ambedkar follower." The mention was targeted at an accusation made by BJP MLA Sumit Wandkhede that urban Naxals had infiltrated Gandhian organisations based in Wardha. The district is home to Mahatma Gandhi's Sevagram Ashram.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Ajit Pawar visit to Pune reignites Opposition charge of ‘flight' of industries
The spectre of industries, jobs and economic opportunities moving out or away from Maharashtra to other States reared its ahead again on Saturday (July 26, 2025) as a video of Deputy Chief Minister in conversation with a sarpanch from a Pune suburb referenced the issue. Conducting a 6 a.m. surprise visit the Hinjewadi area of the city to review ongoing efforts to tackle civic infrastructure issues that have worsened during the monsoon, Mr. Pawar was heard confronting Hinjewadi sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar, 'We are ruined. The entire Hinjewadi IT Park is moving out. It's going out of my Pune, out of Maharashtra, to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Don't you care at all?' The Deputy CM and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was referring to the condition of the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park in Hinjewadi, spread over 2,800 acres and developed by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation in the mid-1990s, which houses over 800 IT and business entities including majors such as Infosys, Wipro, Cognizant, and Tech Mahindra. The visit came in response to severe waterlogging and traffic chaos during the first spell of monsoon, which had triggered public complaints. Sapkal criticism Following the video going viral, the Congress accused the Mahayuti government of failing to maintain Maharashtra's industrial dominance, citing crumbling infrastructure, corruption and lawlessness. 'The IT industry that once flourished in Hinjewadi during Congress rule is now migrating to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar himself has admitted this,' said Harshvardhan Sapkal, president of the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee. Mr. Sapkal questioned Mr. Pawar's dual role as Pune's Guardian Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. 'Was Ajit Pawar asleep while Pune declined? He must take responsibility and resign,' he demanded. Launching a sharp critique of the BJP-led alliance government, he said, 'Basic infrastructure is collapsing, and entrepreneurs are losing faith. As a result, not just existing businesses but even future investments are moving away – largely to Gujarat.' The Maharashtra Congress chief cited the ₹1.6-lakh-crore Vedanta-Foxconn project, which was lost to Gujarat, as an example of 'BJP's administrative failure'. 'If even the Deputy CM acknowledges the flight of industries, the government owes the public a clear explanation,' he said. Hinjewadi's decline In May 2024, the Hinjewadi Industries Association (HIA) had claimed that 37 IT companies moved out from the infotech park over the previous 10 years due to the deteriorating infrastructure and traffic congestion in the locality. A month later, NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule said she would hold meetings with the infotech park companies and convince them to stay back. 'The kind of IT park expansion we see elsewhere, like Bengaluru, has not happened here. We are potentially losing business – companies are reluctant to send their employees to Hinjewadi despite the government's efforts. It will take time to regain their confidence,' said Pawanjit Mane, Maharashtra State president of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE).
Time of India
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Farmers dying but agri minister playing rummy in Assembly, CM must act: Sapkal
1 2 3 Nagpur: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Monday criticised the state govt, accusing its ministers and officials of arrogance, insensitivity, and moral decay. He also called for a high-level investigation into the alleged honeytrap scandal involving senior state leaders. "While six farmers commit suicide every day, the agriculture minister plays rummy in the assembly," Sapkal said, calling it as a "disgrace to Maharashtra". Responding to recent comments by CM Devendra Fadnavis in the legislature about some MLAs behaving arrogantly, Sapkal said, "It's not just the MLAs — even ministers and officials have become arrogant. The CM must show courage to curb their excesses." He called for immediate action against the agriculture minister, demanding that be be sent home. Sapkal also condemned the violence in Latur, where members of the Chhava Sanghatna who submitted a memorandum against the agriculture minister were reportedly attacked by supporters of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. "Has power gone to their heads? Hollow condemnations won't help. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Compare Spreads: Bitcoin vs Ethereum CFDs IC Markets Learn More Undo Jail the goons," Sapkal said. On the honeytrap controversy, Sapkal accused the CM of misleading the Assembly. "The honeytrap noose is around the neck of ruling party leaders. He (CM) gave false information in the legislature. A high-level probe must be conducted," he said, alleging the scandal had connections to individuals close to senior BJP leaders. Nagpur: Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Monday criticised the state govt, accusing its ministers and officials of arrogance, insensitivity, and moral decay. He also called for a high-level investigation into the alleged honeytrap scandal involving senior state leaders. "While six farmers commit suicide every day, the agriculture minister plays rummy in the assembly," Sapkal said, calling it as a "disgrace to Maharashtra". Responding to recent comments by CM Devendra Fadnavis in the legislature about some MLAs behaving arrogantly, Sapkal said, "It's not just the MLAs — even ministers and officials have become arrogant. The CM must show courage to curb their excesses." He called for immediate action against the agriculture minister, demanding that be be sent home. Sapkal also condemned the violence in Latur, where members of the Chhava Sanghatna who submitted a memorandum against the agriculture minister were reportedly attacked by supporters of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar. "Has power gone to their heads? Hollow condemnations won't help. Jail the goons," Sapkal said. On the honeytrap controversy, Sapkal accused the CM of misleading the Assembly. "The honeytrap noose is around the neck of ruling party leaders. He (CM) gave false information in the legislature. A high-level probe must be conducted," he said, alleging the scandal had connections to individuals close to senior BJP leaders.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Sapkal blames CM Fadnavis for scuffle in Vidhan Bhavan; says he must resign as penance
Maharashtra Congress chief Harshawardhan Sapkal on Saturday held Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis responsible for the scuffle between the supporters of two MLAs on the state legislature complex premises, and demanded his resignation as a form of penance. Addressing a press conference here, he also questioned the BJP-led government over the passage of the special Public Security Bill , seeking to know whether the law would apply to Bajrang Dal and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as well. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Data Science others Finance Cybersecurity Project Management MBA Product Management healthcare Degree Operations Management Digital Marketing Design Thinking Healthcare CXO Management Public Policy Data Analytics Technology Leadership Artificial Intelligence PGDM Others Data Science MCA Skills you'll gain: Strategic Data-Analysis, including Data Mining & Preparation Predictive Modeling & Advanced Clustering Techniques Machine Learning Concepts & Regression Analysis Cutting-edge applications of AI, like NLP & Generative AI Duration: 8 Months IIM Kozhikode Professional Certificate in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Data Analysis & Interpretation Programming Proficiency Problem-Solving Skills Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence Duration: 24 Months Vellore Institute of Technology VIT MSc in Data Science Starts on Aug 14, 2024 Get Details Supporters of NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad and BJP legislator Gopichand Padalkar clashed in the Vidhan Bhavan , the legislature complex in south Mumbai, on Thursday evening when the House was in session. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Shocking videos of the two groups pummelling each other and having to be dragged back by security personnel went viral on social media, causing an embarrassment to the government. CM Fadnavis also expressed displeasure over the incident, saying the image of everyone in the legislature has been maligned due to what happened in Vidhan Bhavan. Live Events Speaking about the issue, Sapkal said, "CM Fadnavis is responsible for the scuffle in the Vidhan Bhavan premises. He must resign from the post as a form of penance." Accusing the BJP of nurturing "goons and hooligans" to target opposition members, he said the same culture has now entered the sacred premises of the legislature. "What the public witnessed during the monsoon session was not democracy in action, but a disgraceful spectacle. People send their representatives to the legislature to address issues like farmers' distress, unemployment, women's safety and crop insurance. Yet, none of these were meaningfully discussed. Instead, the session was marred by an unprecedented brawl inside the Vidhan Bhavan," he said. Sapkal likened the incident to a WWE match and blamed Fadnavis for bringing such a "violent culture" into democratic institutions. Referring to past incidents, he cited the example of a Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA)-accused person being supported by BJP leaders in Akkalkot, and an MLA from the ruling party involved in a violent altercation at the MLA hostel canteen. "The BJP is reaping what it has sown. The very culture of goondaism it promoted is now turning against it. The people of Maharashtra are outraged, but those in power are immune, sitting atop the sanctum of power," Sapkal said. He accused the BJP of dragging Maharashtra's democracy to new lows, asserting that the party neither respects the Constitution nor the state's traditions. Last week, both houses of the state legislature passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, which seeks to prevent unlawful activities of Left-wing extremist organisations with focus on 'urban Naxalism'. The bill, which has stringent provisions, including hefty fines and jail term up to seven years for those found guilty, has sparked criticism from civil society groups and opposition parties, who view it as a tool to suppress dissent under the pretext of national security. Speaking about it, Sapkal reiterated the Congress' opposition to it and questioned whether the law would apply to organisations like Bajrang Dal and the RSS. "Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has remained silent on this crucial question. But Congress will continue to oppose the bill both inside and outside the legislature," he said. The Congress leader claimed that the trail of honeytrap allegations leads to the Rs 20,000 crore corruption in the Samruddhi Expressway. "Despite denials from the CM, it is evident that something serious has occurred. The government is trying to bury the matter to shield corruption. Fadnavis' statements are outright lies," Sapkal alleged. Congress MLA Nana Patole on Thursday demanded that the Maharashtra government make a formal statement in the assembly on an alleged "honeytrap" racket targeting state officials in Thane, Nashik and Mantralaya (secretariat) in Mumbai. Speaking in the assembly, Patole claimed he had all the "proof" related to the allegations in a pen drive which is in his possession.
