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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

MVA protests for third day:

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 placards slamming the...

MVA protests for third day:

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 placards slamming the state and central Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and when some attempted to enter inside, they were prevented by a strong posse of Mumbai Police deployed there since Monday. As tensions appeared to escalate, the police clamped down by detaining top state and city Youth Congress leaders including President Harshwardhan Sapkal, Vijay Wadettiwar, Bhai Jagtap, Hussain Dalwai, and many others. Thousands of students carried out a fresh demonstration at Dadar west Shivaji Park to vent their ire at the police action on Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s agitation in New Delhi on Monday. Several MVA leaders and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray visited or expressed solidarity with the protesting youth, comprising many women. Opposition’s Voice The Congress leaders alleged that Rahul Gandhi was targeted by the BJP-led government to muzzle democratic dissent, suppress the Opposition voices inside and outside Parliament and trampling upon the peoples' Constitutional Rights to protest peacefully. Defying pouring rains in the city on Wednesday, Congress workers along with activists of MVA allies, staged a noisy demonstration in Chembur and another group attempted to storm the BJP office in south Mumbai, condemning the assault on students in New Delhi and the detention of the Gandhi siblings. Senior Congress leader Hussain Dalwai flayed the government for “misusing the police” to gag democratic rights and the protests were intended to defend the Constitution and democracy against the BJP’s policy of intolerance of dissent in any form. “This is gross injustice. We are not allowed to protest against the government failures as they are misusing the police. The PM is scared of taking the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as he could be the next. We want to highlight to the BJP to govern the country as per the Constitution,” Dalwai declared, interacting with the media at Nariman Point. As the BJP also threatened to launch counter-protests, the police cordoned off and deployed a precautionary security ring around Tilak Bhavan, the state Congress headquarters, as leaders from both sides exchanged political darts and looked aggressive enough for a confrontation. MVA ‘bandh’, ‘Tricolour’ march today The state is set for another two days of political turmoil as the MVA has announced a Maharashtra shutdown (‘bandh’) on Thursday followed by a non-partisan ‘Tricolour Peace March’ on Friday. MVA allies, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) President Prakash Ambedkar and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, besides other leaders of the alliance, informed of the state and city level actions today. Ambedkar appealed to the masses and also the BJP youth to participate wholeheartedly in the bandh tomorrow and claimed that students’ bodies, parent-teachers associations, colleges, universities, other institutes of higher education, private coaching institutions, and other governmental departments could support the shutdown, as it has now become a national issue. Aaditya sought the peoples’ participation in the ‘Tricolour Peace March’ on the theme of “One Nation, One Emotion” planned on July 24 afternoon to Shivaji Park, in support of environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk, the Cockroach Janta Party, plus the youth and students protesting in New Delhi. Terming it as a national citizens’ movement rather than a political party, he called upon the people not to carry any party flags but unite under the National Tricolour to assert democratic rights and express resentment against the government’s high-handed policies. Meanwhile, Mumbai Police have already imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 across the city from July 23-to- August 6, apprehending the possibility of law-and-order disturbances.

‘Maharashtra Epstein Files’ to hit screens on Oct 2

Mumbai: Come October 2, Maharashtra’s dark secrets known to the Nashik Bhondubaba, Capt. Ashok Eknathrrao Kharat – currently in custody - may now explode on the silver screen.

 

A prominent film director Swaroopp  B. Sawant has announced a new Marathi crime thriller, “Maharashtra Epstein Files” which threatens to rip open the sleazy and exploitative world of Kharat before it started crumbling in March when his murky deeds tumbled into the public domain.

 

An online poster release proclaims the film – presented by Jain Film Production and Matoshri Entertainment World - which has triggered a political quake even before the cameras start rolling in June.

 

Well-known actress and Shiv Sena leader Deepali Sayed claimed today that “political pressures have already started building” on her. “Some women leaders called me up and warned me against playing the role of Rupali Chakankar. This could destroy my political career, and they asked me to wait and reconsider,” said Sayed in a social media post on Thursday.

 

Unfazed, Sayed said she will meet Deputy CM Eknath Shinde and MP Dr. Shrikant Shinde, but is determined to act in the film after studying the role and characterization.

 

The film is being produced by Devendra Bhat, Suryakanth Bhunde and Prashant Kadampure, while Sagarkumar S. Jain is the story writer with screenplay and dialogues by Sanjay Navgire.

 

The director Swaroop B. Sawant was more forthcoming and appeared passionate about the upcoming venture.

 

“This is a fictional film inspired by certain contemporary events. The purpose of the film is to break myths surrounding the fake godmen who exploit people. We aim to shatter ‘andhashraddha’ perpetrated by such elements and promote ‘shraddha’ (faith),” Sawant told The Perfect Voice.

 

He said Sayed will portray the role of the controversial Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Chakankar, but the plum role of Kharat to be essayed by a big name from Bollywood, which will be revealed next month.

 

“The film will have most other characters played by Hindi film actors… It will convey a social message of ‘Karma’ which  catches up with all. It shall have other popular ingredients of a masala movie – an item number featuring a Bhondubaba gyrating with a nautch girl, a love song on the 'original whistle-blower' and his wife, plus other songs,” smiled Sawant.

 

Hit Poster 

While the film and its fate after the release coinciding with Gandhiji’s birth anniversary is awaited, the eye-catching promotional poster has already become ‘superhit’ in the industry and social media.

 

It shows a mysterious man standing with his back turned, hands clasped behind him and gripping bundles of Rs. 500 notes. He is dressed immaculately in kurta-pyjama and a half-jacket, giving an impression of being a respectable person. However, the yellow crime-scene tape criss-crossing his image gives away the real story.

 

On a wall ahead in a dimly-lit room - akin to a police lockup - are cryptic photos with ‘?’ marks, others referring to ‘Nashik’ and ‘Bhondubaba’, a copper water vessel, a glass of ‘cutting chai’, a bottle of ‘Elish Honey’ (allegedly hawked by Kharat for lakhs of rupees to his unsuspecting victims), and ironically a bookshelf complete the promos.

 

Aking to its tagline – “Now, Everything Will Be Exposed” – but without taking any names, the film poster is like a one-image trailer that vows to yank the curtains off a shocking nexus of blind faith, political power, money muscles, women’s exploitation and social influence, unmasking many a bigwigs.

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