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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Rallies across state back CJP

Several protesters gathered at Dadar, Mumbai, on Monday in support of CJP's Delhi protest. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Endorsing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s massive agitation near the Parliament in New Delhi, lakhs of youth, students and social organizations took to the streets with angry protests, marches and demonstrations almost all over Maharashtra on Monday. Opposition parties in the state including the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and...

Rallies across state back CJP

Several protesters gathered at Dadar, Mumbai, on Monday in support of CJP's Delhi protest. Pic: Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: Endorsing the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP)’s massive agitation near the Parliament in New Delhi, lakhs of youth, students and social organizations took to the streets with angry protests, marches and demonstrations almost all over Maharashtra on Monday. Opposition parties in the state including the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies Congress, Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena (UBT), along with other smaller outfits either voluntarily joined the protestors or wholeheartedly supported them. The political parties expressed full solidarity with the CJP, flayed the forced hospitalization of environment activist Sonam Wangchuk and expressed anger at the purported undermining of major public examinations beset with multiple leaks of question papers in recent years. The demonstrations attracted thousands of collegians, unemployed youngsters, professionals like lawyers, social activists, civil society members, farmers and others, including a large number of women, as the local police deployed strict security to prevent any untoward incidents. The protestors, carrying banners, placards, the National Tricolour and in some places, copies of the Constitution marched or assembled at various central locations in different cities, including Dadar in Mumbai, respective district headquarters since morning, braving showers or heavy rains in many areas. They ranted anti-government slogans, vociferously demanded the resignation of the Union Education Minister of India Dharmendra Pradhan, seeking what they termed as ‘accountability by those holding public offices’, ‘transparency’, ‘safeguarding their democratic rights’ and ‘mutual dialogue’ to resolve such contentious issues. In some districts, the gatherings also condemned the forcible eviction of Wangchuk to a government hospital two days ago, and lashed out the Delhi Police for lobbing teargas shells and mild lathi-charge on the protestors who reached very close to the Parliament – where the Monsoon Session 2026 opened on Monday. Constitutional Rights Speakers at the venues accused the government of allegedly suppressing the Constitutional right to peaceful protests through high-handed means, warning it could deepen public resentment rather than solving the problems the masses raised. Though the emotionally-charged protests in the state remained largely disciplined and peaceful, in some places like Mumbai, a few demonstrators were detained in the afternoon for not adhering to police directives. In Mumbai, the participants included mostly students, young professionals, retired citizens and civil society groups, while the district-level rallies elsewhere drew significant presence of the local youth, farmers organisations and social activists. The vigorous campaigns were carried out in the capital Mumbai and second capital Nagpur, besides Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nandurbar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Akola, Amravati, Dhule, Ahilyanagar, Solapur, Kolhapur, Sangli, Satara, Beed, Latur, Dharashiv, Jalna, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Wardha, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Bhandara, Washim, Yavatmal and Buldhana. Thackeray slams Centre Ex-Chief Minister and SS (UBT) President Uddhav Thackeray took potshots at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government saying “they can hold talks with Pakistan, but not our youth”. His party MP Sanjay Raut alleged that ‘one word’ by a top judge had sparked a nationwide unrest for the past two months, igniting the youth to question the BJP governments at the Centre and in states. Many irate youngsters told the media that the exam reforms centric campaign has now transformed into a broader nationwide movement for debates on civil liberties, dissent and democratic rights of the citizens, and they would continue till their aims are achieved. Hundreds gather in Nagpur to support CJP Hundreds of students, youth and senior citizens staged an agitation in Nagpur on Monday in support of activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janta Party's protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, demanding Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Chanting anti-government slogans over alleged exam paper leaks, angry demonstrators, including students and senior citizens, gathered at Samvidhan Square and vowed to press ahead with their agitation until the education minister steps down. Protesters expressed outrage over the forcible removal of Wangchuk from Jantar Mantar in the national capital and the lathi-charge on students during their march to Parliament. Holding placards, banners and photos of Shaheed Bhagat Singh, demonstrators gathered at the site amid heavy police deployment. One of the young demonstrators said that their agitation will continue till the education minister resigns.

Mahayuti’s ‘Problem Child’ in Marathwada

Updated: Nov 12, 2024

Marathwada

There is perhaps no more volatile Assembly segment in Marathwada ahead of the November 20 polls than in Sillod, where the schisms within the ruling Mahayuti coalition are at its peak.


The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has drawn a significant line with the local unit declaring that it will not campaign for its ally Abdul Sattar, a senior minister of Eknath Shinde’s ruling Shiv Sena candidate, who is seeking re-election from Sillod (in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district) for a fourth time.


Sattar, currently the state’s Minister for Minorities Development, has long been a polarising figure. Kamlesh Kataria, the city BJP president, accused Sattar of actively working to finish the BJP’s presence in Sillod and was allegedly threatening its workers. Kataria has accused Sattar of working against the BJP’s interests despite the two parties being allies by citing Sattar’s support for Congress candidate Kalyan Kale in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, which led to BJP stalwart Raosaheb Danve’s defeated in nearby Jalna constituency.


Originally elected as a Congress candidate in 2009 and 2014, Sattar had joined the undivided Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray ahead of the 2019 assembly elections, where he again emerged victorious. Post the Sena split, he aligned himself with the ruling Shinde faction.


The discontent with Sattar goes beyond electoral calculations. His personal brand of politics has become a liability, both within his party and beyond. His comments and actions have drawn ire from various quarters. More recently, his involvement in a teacher eligibility test (TET) scam, in which his daughters were named, has further tarnished his reputation. The scam, which involved the inflating of exam marks and the distribution of fake certificates, has added another layer of controversy to his already volatile political persona. Earlier, his provocative language against prominent leaders, including NCP’s Supriya Sule, triggered widespread protests.


The growing resentment among BJP workers in the region has paved the way for his arch rival, Suresh Bankar, to seize the day in a bid to settle scores with the Sena leader.


Bankar, a former BJP state secretary with deep ties to the disgruntled wing of the party, has now joined the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and will be facing Sattar on November 20.


Bankar, who has clashed with Sattar before, has accused him of manipulating voter rolls in Sillod, alleging that the names of supporters from outside the constituency were fraudulently registered to boost Sattar’s chances in previous elections.


For Sattar, this is merely the latest chapter in a series of controversies that have dogged his career. His combative approach to politics - often marked by inflammatory rhetoric and allegations of misconduct -has put him at odds with allies and rivals alike. While he remains a key player in the Shinde faction in this region, the BJP’s public repudiation of his candidacy signals a formidable challenge for him in the coming contest.


The BJP’s decision not to support Sattar will have far-reaching implications for the minister, given that Bankar and the local BJP unit will actively conspire to pull him down. Can the abrasive Sattar maintain his political footing on Sillod’s slippery wicket?

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