Asks, ‘who are you reassuring’ Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and the Bharatiya Janata Party, questioning the political ‘message’ behind Modi’s reported assurance to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his MPs: “Do not fear, I am standing by you.” Thackeray asked whether the Prime Minister’s remark was meant merely to assuage the Shinde camp - or whether i

Mumbai: When Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghachalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat took the stage at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai, the ideological head of the Sangh Parivar delivered an address that left political analysts and attendees alike surprised by its strikingly progressive and youth-centric tone. Speaking to nearly 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha students at the 15th-anniversary conference of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN), Bhagwa

The greatest challenge before Maharashtra’s first Deputy CM is not merely to govern, but to forge a political identity that is unmistakably her own. Politics often rewards the loudest voice. The modern political arena thrives on sharp sound bites, relentless television appearances and instant responses on social media. Yet, some leaders begin their journey not with thunder but with quiet resolve. Maharashtra’s Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar finds herself at precisely suc

Mumbai: In a glaring display of internal friction within Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has reportedly issued a stern reprimand to Shiv Sena leader and social justice minister Sanjay Shirsat. The dressing-down comes in the wake of Shirsat’s highly controversial visit to the family of Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the newly floated Cockroach Janta Party. The meeting has touched a raw nerve within the Bharatiya Janata Party, turning

After forcing Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, the Cockroach Janata Party faces a defining choice: remain an independent citizens’ watchdog or risk losing its credibility by entering electoral politics. Minutes after Dharmendra Pradhan resigned ‘on his own’, a friend from Delhi who understands politics very well called me in an exalted voice. Having followed Indian politics closely for over 60 years, the businessman felt the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) would win 100 seats a

The CJP movement in Maharashtra exposes the limits of an older political communication model and signals a changing relationship between young voters and power. Every generation arrives convinced that it understands the country better than the one before it. Indian cinema has repeatedly captured this quiet conflict between inherited wisdom and youthful impatience. From Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar to 3 Idiots and Udaan, the message has remained remarkably consistent: older generati

Mumbai: The recent CJP agitation at Jantar Mantar, amplified by a ferocious wave of social media backlash, has achieved what years of fragmented opposition politics could not: it has visibly shaken the highest echelons of the Narendra Modi government. For the first time in over a decade, the seemingly impenetrable fortress managed by Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah appears vulnerable. Driven by a Gen Z demographic that refuses to play by traditional political

Seeks Rs 11 crore damages Mumbai: In a pre-emptive legal move, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has approached the Bombay High Court seeking permission to institute a civil defamation suit against the circulation of allegedly defamatory and deepfake content linking him to the Ethanol-Petrol blending programme on the Internet and social media. Justice Abhay Ahuja on Monday granted Gadkari leave under Clause XII of the Letters Patent to institute t

Gen Z says their next target is Nitin Gadkari and Nirmala Sitharaman Mumbai: Dancing on the tunes of ‘Zinghaat’, the Gen Z at Dadar, was celebrating Dharmendra’s Pradhan’s resignation. The ‘Tiranga’ rally called up by Thackeray brothers on Thursday for protesting was turned into a celebration rally after Pradhan’s resignation. ‘The Perfect Voice’ went on ground to know the real reaction of the Gen Z at the rally. A NEET student who gave the NEET and re-NEET exams this year, s

Succeed in pulling crowd that celebrated Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation with sharp political messaging Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray came together for the third time in five days at a joint rally at Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park on Sunday to celebrate a ‘victory’ they were not part of. They addressed a rally as a celebration of the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan a day ea

A CJP supporter celebrates in Nagpur on Saturday. Pic: PTI Mumbai: For only the second time in its 12-year tenure, the Modi government has been forced to bow down. The dramatic resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is not just a cabinet reshuffle; it marks the climax of a gruelling political standoff that has left the ruling dispensation visibly wounded. What began as a student outcry over exam irregularities morphed into a massive siege, exposing cracks

Mumbai: Hundreds of students and youth took part in protest marches and demonstrations all over Maharashtra and Mumbai, to express solidarity with the agitation Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) activists in New Delhi for various demands, including the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In Mumbai thousands marched before converging at the Shivaji Park in Dadar this afternoon carrying banners, placards, the National Tricolour and some with copies of the Cons

India's political history has been shaped not only by elections but also by mass movements. Time and again, public agitations have altered the country's political trajectory, influenced governments, and reshaped institutions. Yet, despite their differences in ideology and leadership, the most successful movements in independent India shared one defining characteristic: they rallied people around a clear, specific, and achievable agenda. The ongoing protest led Cockroach Janta

Every political crisis produces its defining image. The Emergency had press censorship. Anna Hazare’s movement had Ramlila Maidan. The farmers’ protest had Delhi’s borders. The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) agitation may be remembered for turning a medical entrance examination into a major youth movement. Whether the agitation has succeeded depends on how success is defined. If it means forcing the government to defend its credibility, compelling Parliament to confront examinat

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies continued their agitation for the third day in different parts of Maharashtra with an aggressive state Congress hitting the streets today to protest the detention of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, his sister Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra and other Congress leaders yesterday, here on Wednesday. State and city Youth Congress again carried out vociferous protests near Mantralaya raising slogans, carrying banners and plac

Several protesters gathered at Dadar, Mumbai, on Monday in support of CJP's Delhi protest. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Endorsing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s massive agitation near the Parliament in New Delhi, lakhs of youth, students and social organizations took to the streets with angry protests, marches and demonstrations almost all over Maharashtra on Monday. Opposition parties in the state including the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Nationalist C

AI Generated Image Mumbai: The state government has escalated a deeply contentious national debate over religious conversion and affirmative action by forming a high-level committee to review the welfare benefits of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe individuals who convert to other faiths. Triggered by a heated calling attention motion during the recent monsoon session of the state legislature, the move specifically responds to allegations that Christian missionaries and pr

As speculation over Sharad Pawar’s equations with the NDA resurfaces, Maharashtra is reminded that its most enduring political constant has always been uncertainty. There is an old Mumbai saying that seasoned political observers have long enjoyed repeating: “Ghode ki laath aur boss ki baat par kabhi bharosa mat karna” (never trust a horse’s kick or a boss’ word; either can come without warning). If Maharashtra’s politicians were updating the proverb today, one more cautionary

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude c

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is weathering a fresh political storm as newly elected National President and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar faces a direct legal challenge to her leadership. Elevated to the top posts following the tragic accidental demise of former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Sunetra Pawar is now navigating a complex internal rebellion. A legal notice served by a senior party functionary demanding the annulment of her election has not