Breaking News Maharashtra Deputy Cm Eknath Shinde Meets BJP Leaders In Delhi Amit Shah
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| Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde meets BJP leaders in DelhiIn a major political development that could reshape Maharashtra's political landscape, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has held a high-level meeting with top BJP leaders in Delhi, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. n18oc_breaking-newsNews18 Mobile App - https://onelink.to/desc-youtube
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India Today
a few seconds ago
- India Today
Thackeray brothers to join forces for Maharashtra municipal polls: Sanjay Raut
In a significant political development, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), led by Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray respectively, have decided to join forces for the upcoming municipal elections in Sena MP Sanjay Raut announced that the alliance will contest elections not only in Mumbai but also in Nashik, Thane, and Kalyan-Dombivli, with the aim of uniting Marathi voters. Raut emphasised that the combined strength of the Thackeray brothers represents the unity of the Marathi people and asserted that no 'malevolent force' could break it. His remark was aimed at the BJP and Eknath Shinde's said the alliance would fight together in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections and expressed confidence in their victory. 'We will also contest together in Nashik, Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli, and other municipal corporations. Discussions are ongoing,' he stated. MNS has already signalled the alliance by displaying banners in Mumbai reading, 'Only the Thackeray brand will break the BMC dahi handi,' referring to a festive metaphor to express their goal of winning the parties hold significant influence in key municipal corporations. In the BMC (227 seats), Shiv Sena holds 90 seats, while MNS has 1 seat but is reportedly leading in 3. In Thane (131 seats), Shiv Sena has 67 seats, with MNS at zero. In Kalyan-Dombivli (122 seats), Shiv Sena holds 52 seats, and MNS has 9. In Nashik (122 seats), Shiv Sena has 35 seats, and MNS has Disaster Management and Irrigation Minister Girish Mahajan of the BJP challenged Raut to prove their strength by winning in these areas. Dismissing Raut's claims, Mahajan said, 'I don't think Sanjay Raut should be taken seriously.'The alliance's performance will depend on its ability to consolidate Marathi votes and counter the BJP-Shinde faction's influence in these urban strongholds. - Ends
The Hindu
a few seconds ago
- The Hindu
The politics of insurgency, the decline of Naxalism
Across history, making predictions has been a hazardous task. Nevertheless, leaders of all types continue to make predictions, only a few of which turn out to be true. In today's world, where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is leading to more uncertainty, making predictions has become still more hazardous. For most of history, the safest prediction has been that things will continue to be much as they are. Political leaders should heed this. A case of contrasts A concern across the world is that a quarter of century after the September 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers in New York, the threat of terrorism, far from receding or abating, still remains alive. Many instances of 'copycat killings' continue to take place. There has also been a spurt in Islamic State (IS)- inspired vehicle rammings of late, the most publicised case being the one which took place in New Orleans, U.S. on January 1 this year. Well before the New Orleans attack, the IS had orchestrated and inspired several other attacks of a similar nature across Europe. Counter-terrorism experts believe that Jihadist groups were only beginning to intensify their terror attacks in several countries. Online campaigns were, meanwhile, inciting more 'lone wolf' attacks. Alongside this, anti-Israel protests in many parts of the world, seemed to provide more grist to IS and al -Qaeda-sponsored terror campaigns. Doomsday predictions that tomorrow's terrorists will be even involved in more sanguinary campaigns than earlier ones are emerging. This is thanks to the advent of AI. The warnings are that AI-enabled terrorists, together with terrorists, are gaining access to 'bio weapons', which could lead to the killing of thousands. Another given prediction is that misaligned AI could break free of all human control to unleash unthinkable harm on society and the world at large. The scenario above is, however, very different from what is being seen in India of late, which features a declining curve in militancy, at least of ideologically-oriented terrorism. The accepted wisdom is that the current declining curve of Naxalite or Maoist violence heralds an end to ideological terrorism in the country. A normally taciturn Union Home Minister himself indicated that the end of Naxalism is near, and that mid-2026 would mark the final demise of Naxalite violence. If so, it would spell the end of what was once perceived to be a vibrant, ideologically-driven, militant movement which, in its heyday, had captured the imagination of youth and intellectuals, and also energised what philosopher Frantz Fanon had referred to as the 'wretched of the earth', viz., tribals in the deepest forests and the 'urban poor' in the cities. Till now, however, what had been witnessed were several 'false dawns' (as for instance towards the end of 1970s and at least twice thereafter prior to the end of 20th century). The elimination of Naxalite violence had, however, never been officially pronounced till date. The revolutionary fervour seemed to evaporate all too soon. Even while revolutionary leaders such as Charu Mazumdar, Kanu Sanyal, Satyanarayan Singh, and Kondapalli Seetharamaiah were being extolled, the movement had slowly started losing much of its sheen, degenerating into mindless violence — initially in the urban areas, but soon thereafter even in the interior jungles of the country. A once integrated revolutionary movement soon split into separate regional entities, though the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) remained for quite some time, the leading light of the movement. An all-India fervour was markedly absent, and the movement became centered around the hilly and forested regions of central India, especially in States such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. The promise of a 'Spring Thunder Over India' in the early 1960s, had, no doubt, attracted some of the best and the brightest of the generation at the time, who were fired by a revolutionary zeal (following the successful revolutions in China and other parts of the world, including South America). The heroes of the time were revolutionaries such as China's Chairman Mao, Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh, and South America's Che Guevara and the like. Even as Charu Mazumdar of Bengal was being hailed as 'the new Messiah', the resounding slogan was 'China's Chairman is our Chairman'. Yet, the early promise has begun to be dispelled. The campaign against Naxalism Beginning in 2024, and under directions from the Union Home Minister, a sustained offensive was launched against militant Naxalite groups in different States. The data on Naxalites killed in encounters vary, but it is generally accepted that a few thousands were eliminated. Police chiefs in the worst Naxalite-affected areas have provided their own counts of the numbers of Naxalites eliminated or killed. But perhaps, the most authentic figure on the numbers could be found in a booklet released by the once banned CPI (Maoist), which admitted that during the past year alone, 357 Naxalites had been killed in encounters with security forces across the country. Among the killed, according to this report, more than a third belonged to the women's cadre. The epicentre of violence was the Dandakaranya region which spans parts of Bastar district in Chhattisgarh, Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and several areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. The shrinkage of territory was compounded by internal bickerings and a series of leadership crises since the removal of M. Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathi in 2018. On the surface, the war on Naxalism might seem to parallel United States President Donald Trump's 'war on terror', launched soon after he took over as President for a second term. Yet, there are marked differences. The U.S. President's offensive was launched not so much against ideologically inspired militants or terrorists, but against those elements who did not believe in any ideology other than that of attacking the 'great Satan'. The offensive launched by the U.S. was, hence, markedly different from that employed in India, where Naxalites lived and identified closely with villagers and their ilk. The use of brute force was not seen till recently as the answer, except in exceptional circumstances. To compare the U.S. President's attacks against Jihadists in Somalia and Yemen — based on the logic that Jihadist groups were plotting against the U.S. — with the tactics employed by the Indian security forces against Naxalites would, hence, be an error. There were, and still exist, many checks and balances in the Indian context on the use of deadly force, even against adversaries who believe in overthrowing the established order through violence. The campaign against Naxalites and Naxalite violence, has, by and large, been conducted along certain well-defined lines. Preventing revolutionary groups, however high-minded they may proclaim to be, and irrespective of the grievances they have, from disturbing the established order has, however, been the set objective of whichever government has/governments have been in power in Delhi or in the States. Admittedly, the original Naxalites were filled with revolutionary fervour and were intent on putting in place a more democratic order. However, having failed to achieve their objective, they soon began to resort to indiscriminate violence. Having said this, it is also true that even while they resorted to indiscriminate violence, most groups retained a veneer of ideology. A new term The distinction is important and vital. Currently, the misuse of the term 'urban naxals' has given a distorted view of the original Naxalite movement. The origin of the 'Spring Thunder Over India' initiated in the late 1960s, was based on certain principles, however misdirected these might have been. The Marxist-Leninist Movement also had a well-defined structure and a robust philosophy. While not denigrating today's 'urban naxals', the latter seem, at least for the present, to be a loose-knit group of intellectuals who are opposed to the actions of the administration and the government on several policy aspects. Today's 'urban naxals' have little in common with the original Naxalites. Wrong classification could and would have unintended consequences. Inability to identify, comprehend and implement policies to address such matters can again magnify the risk they pose. Better understanding of the factors involved is needed to avoid incurring high latent costs. It is vital to avoid blind spots that arise due to cognitive bias or short-sightedness. M.K. Narayanan is a former Director, Intelligence Bureau, a former National Security Adviser, and a former Governor of West Bengal
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Revanth briefs guv on BC ordinance & polls
1 2 Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy reportedly briefed governor Jishnu Dev Varma on the pending Backward Classes (BC) reservations ordinance, as well as key issues such as local body elections and the upcoming monsoon session of the assembly, during a meeting at Raj Bhavan on Friday. The CM attended the 'At Home' programme hosted by the governor, accompanied by deputy CM Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other cabinet colleagues. The state govt had earlier passed the BC Bill in the assembly and subsequently sent a proposal recommending 42% reservations for BCs to Centre, which is pending. While the governor has yet to take a decision on the ordinance, the Bill has been forwarded to President for approval. During the interaction, the CM is said to have apprised the governor of the impending local body elections, which are likely to be held next month following a Telangana high court directive setting a deadline of September 30. The govt is also planning to convene the monsoon session of the assembly in the third or fourth week of August. Ahead of the meeting, the CM introduced all his ministerial colleagues to the governor. He also congratulated BJP leader and newly appointed state president N Ramchander Rao, and held informal discussions with BJP MPs Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, K. Laxman, and others. Meanwhile, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chose to stay away from the event. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Gold Rates Today in Hyderabad | Silver Rates Today in Hyderabad CM Revanth Reddy briefed governor on pending BC reservations, upcoming local body polls, and monsoon assembly session. He attended the governor's event with ministers, while BRS skipped it Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Happy Krishna Janmashtami Wishes ,, messages , and quotes !
