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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.

The Celebrity Family

Priya Dutt

‘Will she or won’t she?’ That was the question on the minds of Congress workers and voters until it was announced that Bandra West will not see Priya Dutt as the Congress candidate these elections. But the former MP is seen in public, once again, campaigning for the party’s candidate.


Priya is a two term Member of Parliament from the Mumbai North East constituency and chose to retreat into a sabbatical from politics. It cannot be called retirement because it’s hard to tell when politicians will retire. She contested her first elections in 2005, following the death of her father, Sunil Dutt, who was the incumbent MP at that time and got re-elected in 2009. She lost two subsequent elections and didn’t contest after that.


Priya’s desire to be her father’s successor in public life and work was evident when she accompanied Sunil Dutt on the mahashanti padyatra from Mumbai to Amritsar in 1987 and worked extensively to provide relief to members of the Muslim community during the 1992 riots that set Mumbai afire. Soft-spoken and affable, Bandra-bred Priya holds a post-graduate degree in television production from a New York-based institute. Priya’s debut in politics met with intense media attention given her famous family. Her parents were senior members of the Congress party while her brother Sanjay Dutt is a movie star.


Sunil Dutt, a popular movie star, joined the Congress in 1984 and contested the parliamentary elections. Given his stardom and social work, he won the elections and was elected to the Lok Sabha for five terms until his death at the age of 75. Before his electoral debut, Dutt was appointed as the sheriff of Mumbai which is a titular post. In 1987, when militancy and violence in Punjab was on the boil, Dutt and his daughter Priya undertook a march, the Mahashanti Padyatra from Mumbai to Amritsar to establish communal harmony.


In 2004, he was sworn in as the minister for youth affairs and sports in the Manmohan Singh government but couldn’t hold the position for too long. He passed away in 2005. His wife and movie star Nargis Dutt was also a member of the Congress and the duo is known to have dedicatedly worked with the marginalised sections of society. The popular family faced turmoil in the 1990s when Sanjay Dutt was arrested for possessing banned weapons.

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