Latest news with #Sardesai
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Agents take Rs 1 lakh for rental car licences, says Vijai
Panaji: GFP MLA Vijai Sardesai on Saturday alleged that agents have been collecting Rs 1 lakh for rent-a-cab licences, which is then passed to transport minister Mauvin Godinho's personal assistant. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He said the sudden halt on rent-a-cab licences is a govt move to pre-empt scam revelations in the House. 'The department has appointed agents in Margao, Panaji, and Vasco, and they are taking Rs 1 lakh in cash from each applicant. They are now refusing to return the money,' said Sardesai. 'One agent from Margao has taken money from 250 to 300 people... that is Rs 3 crore. Some vehicles have arrived and owners are paying premiums, but they have not received the letter from the transport department, so they can't get their cars. The agents claim that some money was given to the minister, and the minister says he is going to make a movie on Ram Mandir,' said Sardesai.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Agents collect ₹1 lakh bribes for rent-a-cab licences: Sardesai
Panaji: In a serious accusation against the transport department, Goa Forward Party MLA Vijai Sardesai on Saturday alleged that agents have been collecting Rs 1 lakh for rent-a-cab licences, which is then passed to transport minister Mauvin Godinho's personal assistant. Sardesai said the transport department's sudden halt on rent-a-cab licences is a govt move to pre-empt scam revelations in the monsoon assembly session. 'The department has appointed agents at Margao, Panaji, and Vasco, and they are taking Rs 1 lakh in cash from each applicant for rent-a-cab licences. And this money was given to the transport minister's PA. I demand that the minister should be sacked. The agents are now refusing to return the money,' said Sardesai. 'One agent from Margao has taken money from 250 to 300 people... that is Rs 3 crore. Some vehicles have arrived and owners are paying premiums, but they have not received the letter from the transport department, so they can't get their cars. The agents claim that some of the money was given to the minister, and the minister says he is going to make a movie on Ram Mandir,' said Sardesai. He said even the BJP state president, Damu Naik, has been speaking against the transport department's policies. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Health: the best shoes to walk and stand all day Ultra-Comfortable Shoes Undo Responding to questions about the fissures between Congress and GFP, Sardesai said both parties could have prepared better for the monsoon session. 'Complete coordination did not happen, and I cannot say what will happen on the floor of the house, but we would like to work together so that we can highlight people's concerns as much as possible,' said Sardesai.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP member files complaint against Vijai for casteist remarks
Margao: A senior BJP functionary lodged a police complaint on Wednesday against GFP President Vijai Sardesai, alleging that he made 'casteist' and 'derogatory' statements targeting the Speaker, Ramesh Tawadkar. Dhaku Madkaikar, a zilla panchayat member from St Lawrence constituency and member of the Gawda community, filed the complaint at Fatorda police station. BJP held a press conference at its party office in Margao to condemn Sardesai's remark. The complaint refers to a video posted on the official Facebook page of GFP on Tuesday in which Sardesai, objecting to Tawadkar's presence at the BJP's legislative party meeting to discuss floor management ahead of the assembly session, allegedly called the Speaker a 'puppet' of a political party. Madkaikar, in his complaint, stated that these statements were made with 'malicious intent to humiliate and demean the constitutional office of the Speaker and the social standing of the Gawda/ST community.' He claimed the remarks deliberately insulted 'a constitutional authority holding the highest position in the state legislature,' and also targeted the ST community, 'of which the Speaker is a prominent member. ' Madkaikar further alleged that Sardesai's remarks 'created enmity and resentment between communities.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Maharashtra clears Bill to include drug peddling and narcotics-related offences
The Bill amending the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) to include drug peddling and narcotics-related offences was passed on Monday (July 14, 2025) in the Maharashtra Legislative Council. Yogesh Kadam, Minister of State for Home (Urban), in the Council said, ' The handlers of commercial quantity will be charged under MCOCA. We are bringing drug-related activities under this law as things are getting worst and drugs related crimes are the treated as the organised crime.' He further added that, 'Within 12 days we amended this Bill. On July 2, CM Fadnavis announced that drug peddlers would soon be booked under MCOCA and now have fulfilled that promise.' The drug- related crimes are booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance s (NDPS) Act, 1985. After the amendments, the large-scale drug trafficking as a form of organised crime. Opposition has welcomed this move and raised concerns around the modus operandi of drug peddlers involving minors. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Mr. Sardesai in the Assembly raised concerns over Nigerians' involvement in drug-pedalling and drug cartels in the Bandra East areas, including Naupada, Behrampada, Bharatnagar, and Golibarnagar. Referring to open-drug peddling in these areas, Mr. Sardesai said, 'Despite open drug peddling, criminals are not caught as police do not have access to these areas. Can we give orders to establish the beat chowki?' Mr. Sardesai raised questions around minors used in the drug cartel and the action on the Nigerians and other African nationals settled in Bandra East. State in process to lay SOP to deport foreign nationals associated with drug-related cases Maharashtra government is in the process of forming standard operating procedures (SOPs) to deport Nigerians and other foreign nationals involved in drug-related cases, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Monday in the State Assembly. 'The work is underway to draft an SOP for deporting Nigerian and other foreign offenders, whose modus operandi is to commit petty crime to extend their stay in the country,' said Mr. Fadnavis, while replying to Bandra East legislator Varun Sardesai. Mr. Fadnavis pointed out the Centre is working on SOP, wherein to dismiss the small crime cases on Nigerians involved in drug-pedalling and deport them. Mr. Fadnavis mentioned to study whether it is possible to reduce the age bracket for punishing the accused by two years in case of minors, similar to laws related to rape. 'We are also considering whether to hold individuals accountable connected to the minors and charge that person,' Mr. Fadnavis added.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Special Public Security Bill: As CM warns of ‘urban Maoism' rise, Maharashtra House clears Bill to tackle ‘Left extremist ideology'
The stringent Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, which seeks 'to provide for effective prevention of certain unlawful activities of Left Wing Extremist organizations or similar organizations and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto', was passed by the state Assembly Thursday via a voice vote amid Opposition concern over the definition and interpretation of some of the terms and clauses in the Bill. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who tabled the Bill in the House and assured members that the Bill would not be misused against political protesters and activists, said Maoists had lost ground in the state and were 'trying to brainwash the youth of urban areas and make them stand up against the democratic system'. He warned of the rise of 'urban Maoism' and said the Bill would 'control them'. The Bill, which provides for punishment ranging from two to seven years in prison, defines 'unlawful activity' as 'any action taken by an individual or organization whether by committing an act or by words either spoken or written or by sign or by visible representation or otherwise, (i) which constitute a danger or menace to public order, peace and tranquility; or (ii) which interferes or tends to interfere with maintenance of public order; or (iii) which interferes or tends to interfere with the administration of law or its established institutions and personnel' – the Bill defines four other actions that constitute 'unlawful activity'. Maharashtra becomes the fifth state to pass such a Bill. It will now be tabled in the upper house for further deliberations. Vinod Nikole, the lone CPI (M) MLA in the Assembly, opposed the Bill. 'I am the only MLA from the Left party. Violent action should be curbed. There is MCOCA and UAPA. The CM has ended Naxalism in Gadchiroli, but I am opposing this Bill as it can be misused,' Nikole said. Several others including NCP SP's Rohit Pawar, Sena UBT's Bhaskar Jadhav and Varun Sardesai and Congress's Vishwajeet Kadam voiced apprehension on some of the clauses of the Bill and what one of them felt was an extensive interpretation of the term 'Urban Naxal'. They also pointed out that not all suggestions of the joint select committee had been included in the revised Bill. While Rohit Pawar, Sardesai and Kadam did not directly oppose the Bill, they expressed concern over the definition of some of the terms used in the Bill such as activism, Left wing extremism and unlawful activities. Pawar and Sardesai said the terms are vague and clearer definitions should have been there in the Bill. 'Not all suggestions have been included,'Jadhav said. Congress MLA Nana Patole said, 'Despite 12,000 suggestions and objections, only three have been accepted.' Rohit Pawar raised apprehension on the misuse of these 'vague' terms. 'There is no clear definition of what is Left wing extremist ideology? There are doubts in the minds of the people. What is the need for a new law when there are existing laws? The definitions are vague and opaque,' he said. Addressing Opposition concerns, Fadnavis said the Bill was not aimed at Left parties or those critical of the government. 'Some members have expressed apprehensions, but this Act is not against any Left wing political party. This is against those organisations which are inciting people to overthrow the Indian Constitution. This is for the internal security of the country. It is not against Left wing parties like CPI or CPI (M). We, in fact, respect them even though we have different ideologies. It is against those organisations whose motive is to demolish the established institutions of our country. They will face action,' he said. Fadnavis said the CPI (Maoist) was banned in 2009 during the rule of the UPA government, and West Bengal had a Communist party-led government under Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. There was no question of the Act being against Left wing parties, he said. Underlining the difference between dissent and extremism, Fadnavis said every citizen has the right to protest, and in case of violence, relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) would apply, not the new law. 'This Act is to be invoked only when an organisation's primary objective is to defy the Constitution or constitutional authorities,' he said. He said it targets organisations inspired by extreme Left ideologies which, over the years, have aimed to challenge constitutional governance through armed struggle. 'These groups reject democratic institutions and seek to replace them,' he said, citing the ideology of CPI (Maoist). He said armed Maoist activity had declined significantly in Maharashtra – down from four districts to two talukas – and would be eradicated soon. Fadnavis, however, warned of the rise of 'urban Maoism' where, he said, inactive cadres operate through what seem to pass off as civil organisations, furthering extremist agenda. He cited a 2014 response in Parliament, during the rule of the UPA government, that named several such organisations. He also said the Centre had urged all states to enact preventive laws on the lines of Telangana and Odisha since UAPA provisions apply only in cases of active terror activity. 'Some of the organisations which are banned in other states where such an Act has been passed have their head offices in our state and they are running their activities. It is like Maharashtra has become a safe haven for these organisations. In the absence of the Act, we were unable to ban these organisations. Hence, this Act is important,' he said.
