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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Strange bedfellows

BJP hugs Congress, AIMIM; panics after uproar Thane : Eyebrows were singed and blood pressures spiked when the Bharatiya Janata Party suddenly decided to hug its “sworn enemies” in Ambernath (Thane), and in Akot (Akola) – after the December 20 municipal council polls there.   The BJP became snug under its saffron blanket with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – all to politically leave the Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, out in the...

Strange bedfellows

BJP hugs Congress, AIMIM; panics after uproar Thane : Eyebrows were singed and blood pressures spiked when the Bharatiya Janata Party suddenly decided to hug its “sworn enemies” in Ambernath (Thane), and in Akot (Akola) – after the December 20 municipal council polls there.   The BJP became snug under its saffron blanket with the Congress and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party – all to politically leave the Mahayuti ally, Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, out in the cold.   Similarly in Akot, the BJP cozied up under the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM)'s green quilt, without a shred of guilt, to shoo off the Congress-Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and others from bagging the civic body.   In Ambernath, the Shiv Sena had emerged as the single-largest party with 27 seats in the 60-Ward house, and in Akot, the BJP achieved the same feat with 11 seats in the 35-Ward house.   Predictably, leaders across these parties rushed to douze the hayfires. A shaken Congress state chief Harshwardhan Sapkal suspended local leaders in Ambernath, including the local party chief Pradeep Patil, the executive committee and around a dozen elected municipal councillors.   A dazed AIMIM state chief Imtiaz Jaleel, declared there was “no question of joining hands with the BJP”, and added grimly: “We have sought a report from the local party leaders, and after getting all details, we shall initiate appropriate disciplinary action,” a grim Jaleel said.   Smarting under red-hot chilli criticism flung by Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sanjay Raut and Aam Aadmi Party’s Preeti Sharma-Menon, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis shot out an earful to the local party leaders in Ambernath and Akot.   “We shall not tolerate the alliances with Congress and AIMIM. These partnerships must be broken. If the local (BJP) units have worked out such deals, they are wrong and violate norms. We shall take stringent action against them,” warned Fadnavis. Later, BJP State President Ravindra Chavan slapped a notice on the Akot party units seeking an explanation.   Ideological Somersaults Since 2019, the state has witnessed many such brazen ideological somersaults that have left political parties and voters shocked and awed.   It started when the (undivided) Shiv Sena joined the Congress and (united) NCP to form the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) which ruled the state for two-and-half years.   In the current civic elections season, even the MVA has fractured with Congress going solo or with local allies like Prakash Ambedkar’s Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, while the Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) have embraced the once-untouchable MNS.   Adding to this is the flurry of local leaders-activists hopping parties, leaving voters bemused and bewildered, even as the parties fumbled to save their ideological credibility.   Ambernath: Shoving out the winner Indulging in political creativity, the BJP, Congress and NCP floated the Ambernath City Development Front, uniting the BJP, Congress and NCP, intended to keep the Shiv Sena out of power at all costs.   Ambernath falls in the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat of Dr Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, who is already at loggerheads with BJP state chief Ravindra Chavan, hailing from Dombivali town, also in Thane district. BJP-Shiv Sena fought against each other in the civic polls last month.   In the 59-member Ambernath Municipal Council, the Shiv Sena won 23 seats, BJP 16, Congress 12 and NCP four. BJP’s Tejashree Karanjule was elected president through direct polls. Post-alliance, the BJP-Congress-NCP touched 32 seats, edging out the Shiv Sena which in its undivided form had ruled here for almost 35 years.     Akot: Bulldozing to grab power The BJP, AIMIM formed the Akot Vikas Manch, which included Shiv Sena, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP and NCP (SP) and Prahar Janshakti Party to wrest the 35-member house from potential claimants.   The BJP won 11 and AIMIM five, and along with others, the AVM claimed a majority with 25 municipal councillors, and the Congress, VBA floundered with just 8 seats.   The AVM was formally registered with the SEC. In the polls, BJP’s Maya Dhule was elected mayor defeating AIMIM’s Firozabi S. Rana.

Pak violates Indian air space; gets proportionate response

  • PTI
  • May 9, 2025
  • 4 min read

New Delhi: Indian armed forces responded proportionately and adequately to Pakistan's attempts to target Indian installations last night, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday. He was addressing a press conference here.


Pakistan violated Indian airspace to target our military installations on the intervening night of May 8 and 9, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh said. She said Pakistan sent 300-400 drones in 36 locations from Leh to Sir Creek last night to target Indian military installations and the drones were shot down by Indian military.


Misri said the Pakistani side targeted places of worship with a particular design and it is a new low even for that country.


Indian defence and retaliation

India deployed Barak-8 missiles, S-400 Triumph air defence systems, Akash surface-to-air missiles and indigenously developed anti-drone equipment in thwarting Pakistan's attempts to hit 15 Indian cities on Wednesday night, official sources said on Friday.


Pakistani military attempted to target Awantipura, Srinagar, Jammu, Pathankot, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Adampur, Bhatinda, Chandigarh, Nal, Phalodi, Uttarlai, and Bhuj using missiles and drones.


Every single one of those missiles was intercepted or neutralised and none reached its intended target, the sources said.


The Pakistani military attempted to target the Indian cities in response to India's Operation Sindoor under which nine terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir were smashed early Wednesday.


"The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumph systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles, and DRDO's anti-drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm," said a source.


"India didn't stop at defending. It retaliated with speed and precision. Operation Sindoor saw the Indian Armed Forces strike deep into Pakistani territory, destroying an HQ-9 air defence unit in Lahore and damaging key radar infrastructure," the source said.


India's rapid, coordinated response showcased the strength of its air defence ecosystem, built over the past 11 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and "exposed the hollowness" of the Pakistani air defence system, the sources said.


Combat debut

Operation Sindoor also marked the combat debut of loitering munitions - the "suicidal drones" ordered in 2021 and manufactured in India.

"These drones executed simultaneous, precision strikes across sectors, taking Pakistan's defences by complete surprise," the source said.

Additionally, Israeli-origin Harop drones - now locally built - were deployed to target and destroy air defence assets in Karachi and Lahore, the sources said.

These platforms, combined with the strategic deployment of Rafale fighter jets equipped with SCALP and HAMMER missiles, demonstrated India's capability to project power with surgical precision, they said.


BSF kills seven terrorists

New Delhi/Jammu: The Border Security Force on Friday said it has foiled an infiltration bid from across the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu, killing at least seven terrorists and destroying a Rangers post.


The terrorists were engaged around 11 pm on Thursday in Samba district after a "big group" of terrorists was detected by the "surveillance grid".


This infiltration bid was supported by fire from Pakistan Rangers post Dhandhar, a BSF spokesperson said.


He said the troops neutralised the infiltration bid, killing "at least" seven terrorists and caused "extensive" damage to the Dhandhar post.


Officials said there could be more terrorists, who could have been neutralised.

The BSF also shared a thermal imager clip of the firing and "destruction" of a bunker of the said post where a heavy machine gun of the Rangers was mounted.


Two killed in Pakistani shelling

Srinagar: A woman was killed and two of her family members injured after Pakistani troops resorted to heavy shelling in areas near the Line of  Control (LoC) in Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.


Officials said the Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC and resorted to heavy shelling in civilian areas in Uri sector of north Kashmir's Baramulla district on Thursday night.


Pakistan targeted many areas of Uri, including Silikot, Boniyar, Kamalkote, Mohra and Gingle. The heavy shelling caused damage to several structures, forcing the people to flee, the officials added.


They said three members of a family were injured when a shell hit their car near Mohra while they were trying to escape the shelling.


The injured were rushed to a hospital where a woman, identified as Nargis Begum, succumbed to injuries.


A villager was killed and three others were injured in shelling by Pakistan in forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch and Rajouri districts early Friday morning, prompting Army troops to retaliate. The deceased has been identified as Mohd Abrar of Loran area. Among the injured includes Layaqat Hussain of Chalery area of Mendhar.


Scores of people have been evacuated from areas along LoC to safer areas in Poonch abd Rajouri districts besides Jammu, they said adding several of them have been housed in camps.


24 airports closed for civilian flights till May 15

At least 24 airports in northern and western parts of the country, including Srinagar and Chandigarh, have been shut for civilian flights till May 15, sources said on Friday.


Earlier, these airports were closed for civilian flights till May 10. Airlines on Friday said that their flights have been cancelled due to temporary closure of airports till May 15.


The airports include Chandigarh, Srinagar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhuntar, Kishengarh, Patiala, Shimla, Dharamsala, and Bathinda. Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Leh, Bikaner, Pathankot, Jammu, Jamnagar, and Bhuj are among the other airports that have been temporarily closed for civilian flights.


Jammu goes dark after blasts heard

Blasts were heard and sirens sounded in the Jammu region as the city plunged into darkness, officials said on Friday.


In Srinagar, mosque loudspeakers were used to convey to locals to switch off their lights as a precautionary measure.


A blackout was enforced across the Kashmir Valley, including its summer capital here, late Friday evening, and sirens were heard at a few places, officials said.


PM chairs meeting with top defence establishment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level  meeting with the top defence establishment on Friday to take stock of the security situation. 


With conflict between India and Pakistan heating up, Modi met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff to strategise over the future course of action.


Earlier in the day, Modi held interactions with veterans, including former chiefs of the three services, taking their feedback on the current situation.



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