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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai: In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday. A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his...

HC orders fresh elections in three months

Dr. Rumi F. Beramji Mumbai : In a jolt, the Bombay High Court has directed the state government to hold elections to the Maharashtra Council of Acupuncture (MCA) - which is managed by an Administrator for past three years – within three months, here on Friday.   A division bench of the Bombay High Court (Aurangabad Bench) comprising Justice Ajit Kadethankar and Justice Vibha Kankanwadi were disposing off a petition filed a senior medical practitioner, Dr. Laxman Bhimrao Sawant through his lawyer Sharad V. Natu, seeking different reliefs.   These included alleged serious irregularities in the functioning of the MCA and challenging the continuation of the Administrator for a prolonged period pending the elections. The matter was highlighted in detail by  ‘ The Perfect Voice’   on April 21.   Strong Observations In its order uploaded today, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi noted the petitioner’s contentions that the Administrator, Dr. Rumi F. Beramji was appointed for only one year, and that period is over.   “It should be the endeavour of the State to implement the various provisions of the Act, that is, the Maharashtra Acupuncture System of Therapy Act, 2015. Holding of elections and formation of the council as per Section 3 of the said Act should be adhered to by the State Government and it cannot be then postponed in infinity,” said the court.   Accordingly, Justice Kadethankar and Justice Kankanwadi directed the state government, through the Medical Education & Drugs Department (MEDD) to conduct the MCA elections within a period of three months.   Prolonged Tenure Among other things, the petitioner had termed the appointment and prolonged tenure of former MCA Chairman Dr. Rumi F. Beramji as “illegal and arbitrary,” and detrimental to the cause of Acupuncture.   Elected as the inaugural head (May 2018-May 2023) of the five-member statutory body, Dr. Beramji, was subsequently appointed its Administrator after the MCA’s term expired.   Adv. Natu pointed out that the Administrator’s appointment was intended to be a stop-gap arrangement for one year to facilitate the polls, but it was subsequently ‘extended’. However, nearly three years later, Dr. Beramji continued without fresh elections being conducted, raising questions over adherence to statutory norms and principles of governance.   Directionless Members Dr. Sawant further contended that while Dr. Beramji was installed as Administrator, the remaining members of the council were effectively superseded, leaving the regulatory body without its mandated collective structure, and over 6500-members directionless.   He argued that the excuse cited for delay in conducting elections was ostensibly an incomplete voter list, but this reason was flimsy considering the extended time lapse.   The petition, which was heard and disposed of on April 22, also levelled serious allegations against the style of functioning of the MCA Administrator, decisions were taken unilaterally, whimsically and without transparency or institutional accountability.   Selective Targeting It also made accusations of ‘selective targeting’ of certain prominent members who attempted to raise valid issues, including the globally-renowned noted acupuncture expert Dr. P. B. Lohiya of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.   Other members raised doubts over approvals granted to more than a dozen acupuncture colleges and some two dozen Continuous Acupuncture Education (CAE) centres in undue haste, purportedly in violation of prescribed norms and alleged shady deals. Many of these institutions, it was claimed, either exist only on paper or lack essential infrastructure, faculty and facilities.   The petitioner called for a comprehensive review of the Administrator’s tenure, a financial audit of the MCA's affairs, and an independent probe by the MEDD into the approvals granted to the institutions in recent years.   Dr. Sawant had sought quashing Dr. Beramji’s appointment as MCA Administrator and setting aside all policy decisions taken during his tenure in the last three years, and ordering the government to hold elections to the body.

Cash for votes: FIR against Tawde

Tawde

Mumbai: The police on Tuesday registered a case against BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde and party candidate Rajan Naik in connection with the alleged distribution of cash to voters at a hotel in Palghar.


Hours before the Assembly polls, BVA leader Hitendra Thakur accused Tawde of distributing Rs 5 crore at a hotel in Virar to woo voters, a claim the BJP leader denied, saying he was only providing guidance to party workers on poll procedures.


A viral video showed BVA party supporters barging into the Virar hotel room and flinging bundles of cash at Tawde’s face before police escorted him out.

Based on a complaint lodged by the Election Commission, the Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police registered a first information report against Tawde and Rajan Naik, who is contesting the polls from the Nallasopara seat.


The deputy commissioner of police MBVV said, ‘They are taking action against whatever happened in the hotel. The press conference held on the premises was also illegal. We will take action as per law.’


After a ruckus of over three hours at the hotel, Hitendra Thakur, his son Kshitij, Tawde, and BJP candidate Naik decided to hold a press conference at the hotel. However, as the press conference started, it was stopped by poll officials stating it was illegal.


“I was informed by a BJP leader that he (Tawde) has come to distribute this huge cash. I could not believe that such a key national functionary of that party will do so, but sadly it turned out to be true,” Thakur told a Marathi news channel. “In the hotel today, cash, diaries and laptops (related to the alleged cash distribution) were recovered. The diaries mentioned names and the amount given to them,” Thakur said.


Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took a “note jihad” jibe over claims of Tawde distributing money hours before voting for the Maharashtra assembly elections.


“Is this BJP’s note jihad (for votes)? ‘Baatenge aur jitenge’ (will distribute cash to win). Entire Maharashtra has seen it (a video showing bundles of cash). Maharashtra will decide tomorrow,” Thackeray told reporters.


“Tawde was lauded for toppling governments in some states and helping to form new ones. Now the secret behind this has come out in the open,” Thackeray said.


Rs 9.93 lakh recovered

The district authorities in Palghar on Tuesday said that a police team comprising senior officials recovered Rs 9.93 lakh cash and some incriminating documents from the hotel.


District collector and election officer Govind Bodke said the election department received complaints from BVA activists that some BJP workers were distributing cash at a hotel in Virar.


The collector, in a recorded message, confirmed that cases were registered for offences, including possession of cash, violation of the model code of conduct, and holding illegal press conferences.


The BJP rejected the allegation of distribution of cash to voters by one of its senior leaders in Maharashtra’s Palghar, claiming the opposition camp is trying to influence the election with such “absurd” accusations sensing defeat in the state assembly polls.


BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi termed Thakur’s allegation as “laughable, baseless and absurd”, and alleged that the opposition camp is making such an accusation out of “frustration and despair” sensing their imminent defeat.


Charges ‘baseless’: Tawde; wants EC to conduct impartial probe

Vinod Tawde called the charges against him as “baseless”, and urged the Election Commission to conduct an impartial probe into the matter.

He said there was no question of him distributing money to voters, and claimed that he was only discussing election-related issues with the party workers.


In his statement Tawde said his visit to the hotel was for a casual meeting with BJP candidate Rajan Naik. “While returning to Mumbai from Wada (in Palghar), I received a call from Rajan Naik who invited me for tea at a hotel in Vasai where party workers had assembled. After I reached the place, we naturally discussed election-related matters, particularly technical processes for polling day and precautions to take.


Suddenly, some workers from another party entered and surrounded me, shouting loudly. I later learned they were from the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA).”


Tawde said he then called BVA chief Hitendra Thakur, urging him to control the situation. “I contacted Hitendra Thakur and requested him to restrain his party workers. Both he and (BVA) MLA Kshitij Thakur arrived at the hotel. After a brief discussion, I left with them in the same vehicle to defuse tension,” he said. Tawde said, “There is no question of me distributing money. I was merely meeting our workers over tea and discussing election-related issues. These allegations are baseless.”

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