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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 rise and fall of Munde

Updated: Mar 6

Munde

Mumbai: Finally, Dhananjay Munde submitted his resignation to the Chief Minister after months of pressure from political and social organisations that had been demanding accountability for the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. The resignation comes a day after photos of the murder victim, which were part of the chargesheet, went viral. That turned out to be the final blow for the minister.


Dhananjay Munde, 49, is the MLA from the Parli constituency in Beed district. The nephew of late BJP veteran Gopinath Munde, a popular leader who served as Union Minister, Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and was also a Lok Sabha MP. Munde began his career working with his uncle, Gopinath Munde, and helping manage the family's political interests in Beed. He also marked himself out as an excellent orator. Indeed, many even saw him as the senior BJP leader's 'heir apparent'.


But that changed in 2009, after Gopinath Munde picked his daughter, Pankaja, to represent the family seat of Parli. Then with the BJP, the party offered him a position in the Legislative Council. But the relationship never really recovered, and in 2012 he switched to the NCP, which was then led by Sharad Pawar. Munde's father, Panditrao Munde, made the same jump months before. Dhananjay Munde contested the 2014 election against his cousin but lost. He regrouped and returned five years later, flipping a defeat by 26,000 votes into a victory by more than 40,000.


In 2023 he sided with Ajit Pawar in his rebellion against his uncle and NCP founder Sharad Pawar. The younger Pawar was reportedly keen on signing Munde on to diversify his NCP faction's identity as more than a Maratha-centric political outfit. In return, Munde has been seen as an Ajit Pawar loyalist.


In the previous government, led by Eknath Shinde, Dhanjay Munde served as the Agriculture Minister from July 2023 to November 2024, when the Assembly election was held. During that time he was also the 'guardian minister' for Beed district. Munde was also a cabinet member when Uddhav Thackeray, boss of the then-undivided Shiv Sena, was Chief Minister. Thackeray led an alliance of the Sena, the then undivided NCP, and the Congress. He was then Minister for Social Justice and Special Assistance.


Munde has often faced controversial situations in a career spanning nearly two decades, including charges of rape in January 2021. These were made by a popular singer but later withdrawn. Munde denied all allegations and stared down the opposition's calls to quit.


But the graph of Dhananjay Munde started declining in December last year. Walmik Karad, the prime accused in the torture and murder of the sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, is a confidante of Munde, and it was that closeness that gave the opposition enough ammunition to press for the NCP leader's sacking. As controversy over the sarpanch's murder grew, in January Munde said he would have no problem resigning if asked to, either by CM Fadnavis or Ajit Pawar. On Tuesday he got the categorical message through which he was relinquished from the coveted post and was shown the door.

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