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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Raj Thackeray tormented over ‘missing kids’ in state

Mumbai : Expressing grave concerns over the steep rise in cases of ‘missing children’ in the state, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has accused the state government of treating the matter casually and failing to respond to it urgently.   In an open missive on 'X' to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray quoted data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pointing at almost an alarming 30 pc increase in the number of children ‘missing’ in the state...

Raj Thackeray tormented over ‘missing kids’ in state

Mumbai : Expressing grave concerns over the steep rise in cases of ‘missing children’ in the state, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray has accused the state government of treating the matter casually and failing to respond to it urgently.   In an open missive on 'X' to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray quoted data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pointing at almost an alarming 30 pc increase in the number of children ‘missing’ in the state between 2021-2024.   When asked for his reactions, Fadnavis told media-persons in Nagpur that he had not read the letter, but the issue raised is important and he would reply to it. Fadnavis stated that the NCRB has also provided the reasons why the kids go ‘missing’, how they return and the period, ranging from 3 days to 18 months.   Dwelling on the sufficiency of the NCRB figures, he contended that they reflect only complaints formally registered by the police and thousands of cases may never be reported.   On the ‘rescue, return and reunion’ of such missing children, he pointed to the sheer psychological trauma they may have suffered and sought to know how such child-lifter networks continued to thrive openly and blatantly.   The MNS chief targeted what he claimed was the “state’s lack of proactive measures to identify and dismantle child-begging rackets” as many juveniles can be seen begging at railway stations, bus stands, traffic signals, often accompanied by adults with doubtful authenticity.   “If some woman claims to be the child’s relative or guardian, should the government not order a thorough probe? Is it inappropriate to consider even a DNA test in suspicious cases,” Raj Thackeray demanded.   Slamming the government and the Opposition, he lamented how both sides failed to prioritise such urgent social issues in the legislature where discussions centre around partisan sparring.   The letter also mentions attempts by the Centre to coordinate with states on the ‘missing or trafficked children’, regretting how political upmanships and symbolic debates prevent meaningful action on the ground.   The NCRB said that Maharashtra has consistently ranked among states with the highest number of ‘missing children’, particularly in urban centres like Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.   Simultaneously, experts, child rights NGOs and activists have warned about trafficking networks that exploit poverty, migration and weak law enforcement and low convictions, despite official rescue missions or rehab efforts.   In his appeal, Raj Thackeray called upon Fadnavis to take concrete, visible measures rather than discussions and conventions. “Maharashtra expects decisive steps from you, not speeches. Jai Maharashtra,” he signed off.     In October 2023,Sharad Pawar red-flagged ‘missing girls-women’ This is the second major social cause by a political leader, two years after Nationalist Congress Party (SP) President Sharad Pawar had red-flagged nearly 20,000 ‘missing women and girls’ from the state between Jan-May 2023.   In the present instance, Raj Thackeray said that “behind the statistics lies a far more disturbing reality involving organised, inter-state gangs that kidnap children, physically abuse them and force them into begging rings”.   “Little kids are assaulted, made to beg and shifted across states. Groups of children disappear suddenly, and the government appears unable, or unwilling, to grasp the seriousness of what is happening,” said Thackeray in a strong tone.

Don’t let power go to your heads: Modi tells Mahayuti MLAs

Updated: Jan 16

Modi
ree

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who interacted with the Mahayuti legislators on Wednesday, advised them not to let the power go their heads and always remember that the power is means to serve the people.

Ever since the people of Maharashtra gave the massive mandate to the Mahayuti, PM Modi wanted to have an open dialogue with all the legislators of all the three alliance partners. On Wednesday morning he dedicated three indigenous warships to the nation and in the evening he was to inaugurate a temple in Navi Mumbai. He decided to have a dialogue with Mahayuti legislators and have lunch with them in the short interval in between the two programs. Accordingly, arrangements were made at the auditorium at the INS Angre near RBI headquarters where the PM interacted with the legislators for over 90 minutes.


The legislators were also advised not to speak to the media about their interaction with the PM. Many legislators followed the instructions and declined to divulge any information. Others, who revealed the information, too did it on the condition of anonymity. “There was nothing political about the interaction,” said deputy Chairperson of the state legislative council Dr Neelam Gorhe, while Sadabhau Khot of the Rayat Kranti Party commented that the interaction was more about do’s and don’t that the legislators are expected to observe while declining to divulge any other information.


A senior BJP MLA and a former minister termed the interaction as “Bauddhik” – a term from RSS parlance used to describe an intellectual discourse. While, a Shiv Sena MLC said that he was overwhelmed with the interaction as it ‘appeared as if a family head was talking to fellow members of the family and never appeared as if a boss is directing the subordinates’.


A BJP MLC said that the PM narrated his life events and put forth the learnings he has earned over the years. “The whole interaction was very inspiring,” she said.


The PM advised us not to lose touch masses and not let the power go to our heads after the massive mandate, said a senior BJP MLA. “The massive mandate means the loads of trust and faith people have expressed in us and the task now would be to honour their expectation. The opposition attack would be fiercer henceforth and we need to retort them through our work,” the PM told the legislators.


The PM also advised the Mahayuti legislators not to let die the quest to understand and learn new things within themselves. In this connection he also mentioned Raj Thackeray’s Gujarat tour of 2011 and praised him for the initiative. “You too should be on a lookout for any good thing happening anywhere else in the country,” the PM is learnt to have told the legislators.

The PM also gave extensive examples from his experiences in Gujarat to narrate how the power from the grass root to the top level can be held firmly and yet without letting unpopularity creep in.

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