top of page

By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Shinde hauls up Shirsat as BJP fumes over controversial visit

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 into a major...

Shinde hauls up Shirsat as BJP fumes over controversial visit

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 into a major flashpoint between the alliance partners and raising serious questions about their internal coordination. The political storm began brewing when Shirsat called upon Dipke’s residence in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar on July 26. The visit immediately raised eyebrows in the BJP camp, given that Dipke’s recent agitations have been squarely aimed at the saffron party, with direct rhetorical attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The simmering anger boiled over during Shah’s visit to Pune on August 1, where the Union Home Minister is said to have expressed his profound displeasure over the Sena minister’s diplomatic faux pas. Taking immediate cognizance of the BJP’s mounting outrage, Shinde reportedly summoned Shirsat over a phone call, demanding a swift explanation and firmly reprimanding him for the political indiscretion. However, neither the government nor party officials have issued an on-the-record confirmation of these developments. Political Battle Despite the fierce political backlash, Shirsat has stubbornly stood his ground, offering a personal justification for the contentious rendezvous. Defending his actions, the minister clarified that his ties with the Dipke family go back a long way and that he firmly believes in keeping political battles separate from personal relationships. He further noted that Abhijeet Dipke was in Delhi during the time of the visit, and the meeting was strictly limited to Dipke’s parents. Shirsat also pointed out that he had deliberately avoided visiting the family earlier to steer clear of the ongoing political controversies, though his belated visit seems to have done little to prevent a political firestorm. For the BJP, the visit is not just a matter of poor optics but a glaring breach of alliance protocol. Senior BJP leaders are reportedly furious that they were kept completely in the dark, insisting that the party leadership should have been informed in advance before a sitting Mahayuti minister extended an olive branch to a vocal critic. This lack of communication has once again brought the fragile issue of coordination within the Mahayuti alliance to the forefront, prompting the BJP to officially register its objection. Disciplinary Action The controversy has now sparked intense speculation about whether Shinde will wield the same disciplinary stick against MLC Bachchu Kadu. Kadu recently stirred the pot by not only meeting Dipke but doing so in the company of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Chandrakant Khaire. The BJP has already been nursing a grievance against Shinde for generously accommodating Kadu with a legislative council seat from his party’s own quota. As the dust refuses to settle on these controversial meetings, political circles in Maharashtra are watching with bated breath to see if this episode will further vitiate the atmosphere within the Mahayuti or trigger a fresh set of consequential political realignments.

India working on logistics of Tahawwur Rana's extradition

  • PTI
  • Feb 14, 2025
  • 3 min read

Updated: Feb 18, 2025

Tahawwur Rana

Washington: India is working on the logistics of Tahawwur Rana's surrender and extradition from the US, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has said, as President Donald Trump announced that his administration has given the go-ahead to extradite the 26/11 terror attack accused “to face justice".

“This is an issue on which the US authorities have taken very clear decisions. I think you've seen the President announce it himself from the White House podium" the decision of the US to extradite Rana, Misri said at a press conference here on Thursday.


During a joint press conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that his administration has approved the extradition of "very evil" Tahawwur Rana, wanted by Indian law enforcement agencies for his role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, "to face justice in India”.


In response to a question by PTI on the timeframe by when Rana will be extradited to India, Misri said: "We are working on the logistics of his surrender and extradition to India. There are a few final steps to be completed. The two sides are in touch on this particular issue.”


The India-US joint statement issued during the Prime Minister's visit to the US notes that Modi and Trump reaffirmed that the global scourge of terrorism must be fought and terrorist safe havens eliminated from every corner of the world.

“They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, Jaish-e Mohammad, and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba in order to prevent heinous acts like the attacks in Mumbai on 26/11 and the Abbey Gate bombing in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021," the joint statement said.


“Recognising a shared desire to bring to justice those who would harm our citizens, the US announced that the extradition to India of Tahawwur Rana has been approved," it said.


The leaders further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, and Pathankot attacks and ensure that its territory is not used to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks.

"The leaders also pledged to work together to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors,” the joint statement added.

Rana, a Canadian national of Pakistani origin, is currently lodged at a metropolitan detention centre in Los Angeles. He is known to be associated with Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley, one of the main conspirators of the 26/11 attacks.

Speaking at the joint press meet, Trump said "Today I am pleased to announce that my administration has approved the extradition of one of the plotters and very evil people of the world, and having to do with the horrific Mumbai terrorist attack, to face justice in India. So, he is going back to India to face justice."


The extradition of Rana was cleared by the US Supreme Court in January as it rejected his review petition in the case.


India last month said it was working with American authorities for the early extradition of Rana.


"The US Supreme Court on January 21 declined to hear a petition from the accused. We are now working with the US side on procedural issues for early extradition to India of the accused in the Mumbai terror attack," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.


In November 2012, Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman among the Pakistani group, was hanged to death in Yerawada Jail in Pune.

-PTI

Comments

bottom of page