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Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been...

Thackerays’ ‘Taandav’ for trees, tigers

AI generated image Mumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray launched a sharp attack on the government for the systematic degradation of the state’s environment under the garb of development, even as the climate change poses a direct threat to the environment, economy, agriculture, public health and the future of both rural and urban centres. Questioning the state government’s claims of having planted millions of trees, he rued how the World Environment Day has been reduced to an annual ritual of tree-planting drives and clicking selfies for social media, though 90 pc of the saplings don’t survive even a day. “Only the government knows where those trees really are,” said Raj sternly. He recalled a "Blueprint of Maharashtra’s Development" he had proposed in 2015, in which he advocated how development without environmental sensitivity is hollow. Justifying, he said that the consequences are visible where roads, bridges and infrastructure projects are hailed as achievements, but even a short spell of rainfall can paralyze entire cities. Referring to recent reports on farmers returning from the fields after 10 am due to the scorching heat, Raj said that the worsening climate crisis has become an everyday reality. Citing official statistics, Raj claimed that extreme heat has caused productivity losses of nearly USD 159 billion and slashing of 160 billion work-hours annually in recent years. He mentioned the World Bank estimates that India’s GDP could plummet by 2.5-4.5 pc while 57 pc of the country’s districts sheltering 76 pc of the population stare at serious climate-related crises. Taking a swipe, he said while the governments boast about growth figures and economical rankings, they are silent on the staggering costs of environmental destruction. He questioned the development model “whether flooded cities, washed-away crops and unbearable summers” genuinely indicate progress. Claiming that Maharashtra was increasingly becoming unliveable for upto 8 months in a year, he said excessive monsoon rains disrupt rural life and urban floods cripple cities, while extreme heat make normal life a torture in summers in both urban-rural areas. Targeting the Centre, Raj alleged that nearly 173,984 hectares of forest lands were diverted in the past 11 years for mining and infrastructure projects to benefit the PM’s single favourite Adani Group. He said that these lands amount to 1,730 sqkm, or equivalent to the area of 16 Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) that is spread over barely 104 sqkm. Dissolve state wildlife board: Aaditya Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aditya Thackeray has accused the Maharashtra government for issuing a permit to carry out mining activity in the sensitive tiger corridor between the Tadoba-Andhari and Indravati sanctuaries housing the big striped cats. In a strongly-worded letter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Member-Secretary Sanjay Kumar, Thackeray sought his immediate personal intervention, sacking the Maharashtra State Board for Wild-Life (SBWL), revoking the permit, and probe against the Chief Wildlife Warden & Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) M. Srinivasa Reddy for the alleged lacunae. Aditya’s two-pager says the permit has been granted for “scientific exploration and excavation/systematic recovery of low-grade iron ore in existing mines in villages Hedri, Bande, Parsalgondi and Round Parsalgondi, in the Etapalli taluka of Gadchiroli district”. Last January, Aditya – MLA from Worli – had first raised the issue saying that the proposed mine would create only 120 jobs, including 32 permanent, and the estimated output is pegged at 1.1 million tons in a year. Referring to two letters of Reddy – on April 28 and May 21 – the SS (UBT) leader claimed that in communications to the state government, the PCCF had changed his stance on the issue. Aditya said that in the first letter, Reddy had effectively opposed the government plans for mining activity but in the second letter, he took a somersault, ostensibly due to government pressures or some commercial interests, “the U-turn is disgraceful and detrimental to India’s national interest” – and this abrupt shift in stance must be investigated thoroughly. In view of the contrary stance of the PCCF Reddy, entrusted with protecting the wildlife but failing to defend the NTCA and NBWL, point to serious malfunctioning of the SBWL, and hence it must be dissolved, besides reviewing all its decisions in the past three years, particularly those pertaining to hazardous activities in sensitive areas, demanded Aditya. 444 tigers roam in 11,000 sq.km As per the Status of Tiger Report (2002), and the Maharashtra Economic Survey 2025-2026, the state boasts of 444 tigers prowling in the wild along with other menacing creatures. The state’s total protected wildlife network of 88 Notified Areas of National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Conservation Reserves - including 6 dedicated to the striped big cats – is spread over 11,092 sq. kms as per current data.

Chakankar resigns; oppon wants her arrest

Mumbai: The chairperson of the Maharashtra State Women’s Commission Rupali Chakankar stepped down from the post on Friday night following her name figuring in the controversy related to a self-styled godman Ashok Kharat.


Chakankar tendered her resignation following the instructions from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “I am resigning due to personal reasons,” Chakankar mentioned in her resignation letter submitted to Fadnavis.


Earlier, in the day the opposition parties had mounted pressure on the government to first sack Chakankar and then arrest her for “shielding” Kharat, who stands accused on sexually exploiting 58 women in a span of a couple of years.


The row after the arrest of celeb godman, ‘Captain’ Ashok Kharat snowballed with politicians, social organisations and women activists demanding the arrest of Chairperson of Maharashtra State Commission for Women Chairperson Rupali Chakankar for her alleged links and attempts to shield the accused.


Kharat, who was nabbed by Nashik Police three days ago, is now subjected to a multi-pronged probe by a SIT headed by an IPS officer, Tejaswi Satpute, for allegations ranging from rape, making videos of his victims, blackmail, extortion, and amassing huge wealth, ostensibly with political backing, including Chakankar, who is the ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party’s Women’s Wing President.


Earning monikers like ‘Asaram Bapu’, ‘Baba Ram Rahim’ and even ‘Jeffrey Epstein’, the astrologer-numerologist-cosmologist-spiritual healer Kharat’s exploits and escapades have rattled the political landscape as many more purported links, videos and photographs hit the social media. Those facing the include range from Chakankar to Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, plus ministers, lawmakers, celebs and others.


Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut, Sushama Andhare; NCP’s Rupali Patil-Thombre, Congress’ Atul Londhe, activists Karuna Munde, Anjali Damania, RPI (SK) President Sachin Kharat and others clamoured for Chakankar’s sack from both the high posts.

“Arrest Chakankar, subject her to a narco-test, check her financial dealings with Kharat and scan the phone CDR of both. A Mumbai Deputy Collector is now sponsoring Kharat’s legal battle, many women have disclosed that he indulged in ‘aghori’ practices. On Amavasya, Chakankar and other women had slashed their fore-fingers for some rituals, and they frequented crematoriums at the dead of the night,” claimed Andhare.


Suspecting Chakankar may have absconded as she is not visible in public for a couple of days, Patil-Thombre threatened to take out a massive protest march of women to Mantralaya if she was not sacked.


Mundhe revealed that she had seen many photos of Minister Dhanajay Munde (her estranged husband) with Kharat, “who used to perform sorcery on my kids and me”.


Referring to an old video that has come to light, Damania said it was shocking how Chakankar could compare a person like Kharat with Lord Vitthoba of Pandharpur Temple, and promised to reveal more sleaze on the Big Bucks Bhondu Baba.


Shady Activities

BJP Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil claimed that he was aware of the shady activities of Kharat even before the first complaint was lodged at Shirdi Police Station. “The SIT must also probe his ‘Shri Shivnika Sansthan Trust’ and Trustees, its financial and realty dealings,” demanded Vikhe-Patil.


Raut contended that “at least nine ministers are Kharat’s ‘Bhakts’ (devotees) and they must be probed”, while lauding CM Devendra Fadnavis for taking cognizance of the matter well before the godman was nabbed.


Working President of NCP Praful Patel announced that the party will take action against all those found involved in the Bhondu Baba’s activities, but state President Sunil Tatkare stonewalled questions by the media on Kharat.


Ajit Pawar victim of witchcraft: Mitkari

Making a sensational claim Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit R. Pawar claimed that some black magic articles were reportedly outside the late Deputy CM Ajit A. Pawar’s official and personal residences.


“This is deeply disturbing. If what MLC Amol Mitkari is true, then who was responsible for these dark rituals. Who are the ‘political monsters’ who commissioned such acts of sorcery and visited Ajitdada’s homes? Did someone go to his home on January 27 (a day before Ajit Pawar’s death in an aircrash in Pune)?”

demanded Rohit Pawar.


Mitkari claimed that in November last year, there was Shivratri and Amavasya (No Moon night) when some ‘aghori’ rituals were performed outside Ajit Pawar’s home in Pune allegedly at the instance of the ‘sex-crazy’ Kharat.

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