Athawale urges state to enact law to stop diversion of social justice department funds
Ramdas Athawale
on Thursday said the Maharashtra govt must enact a law to prohibit diversion of funds from the
social justice department
to other departments.
"The Karnataka govt has already framed such a law, and the Maharashtra govt must follow suit," he said while reacting to claims of the state govt diverting social justice department funds for smooth running of 'Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin' and other schemes.
Addressing media persons at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Athawale said he understood the anger voiced by Maharashtra social justice minister
Sanjay Shirsat
over diversion of funds from his department.
"There is no need to close the social justice department as sought by an agitated Shirsat. I will speak with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis and the two deputy CMs on the issue," he said.
Shirsat had, in the recent past, made multiple public statements that funds worth Rs 6,900 crore from his department were diverted for Mukhyamantri Ladki Bahin scheme, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and also for the energy department.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Living perfectly well without American goods': Why more Chinese shoppers support local brands
CNA
Read More
Undo
Meanwhile, Athawale once again appealed to VBA founder Prakash Ambedkar to bury differences and join hands with him for Dalit unity. "He is the grandson of Dr BR Ambedkar, and I will be happy to work under his leadership. I don't eye any post, not even that of a minister. For me, unity in the larger interest of the community is important," Athawale said.
Athawale had publicly appealed to VBA chief for forging an alliance, but the latter showed no response.
Earlier in Jalna, Athawale said that NCP (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar would have become the President of the country had he joined NDA. "I don't think Ajit Pawar and Sharad Pawar are separated per se as they were together in the past and continue to be so now. Ajit Pawar's only argument is that if Pawar can join hands with Shiv Sena, then why not BJP. Pawar can still be with NDA and become the President of India," he said.
Regarding talks of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS chief Raj Thackeray coming together, Athawale said he does not see such a reunion taking place in reality, considering the differences between the two and the overall political scenario.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
18 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump's labour chief pick suggests suspension of monthly jobs report
US President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), EJ Antoni, has called for suspending the agency's monthly employment report, a critical gauge of the US economy used by the Federal Reserve, businesses, and investors. According to a CBS News report, Antoni criticised the monthly report as 'flawed' and suggested it should be replaced with 'more accurate, though less timely, quarterly data". 'How on earth are businesses supposed to plan — or how is the Fed supposed to conduct monetary policy — when they don't know how many jobs are being added or lost in our economy? It's a serious problem that needs to be fixed immediately,' Antoni told Fox News Digital. Trump's dissatisfaction with BLS data revisions Antoni, a fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, will need Senate confirmation before taking over the agency, which employed about 2,300 people as of September 2024. Role of the BLS in global markets The BLS releases monthly data on the US labour market and inflation that is closely watched by economists, policymakers, and global markets. The figures often trigger immediate movements in stocks, bonds, and currency markets worldwide, Reuters reported. White House response White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the expectation was that the BLS would continue publishing its monthly reports. 'I believe that is the plan and that's the hope, and that these monthly reports will be data that the American people can trust,' she said. Leavitt added, 'We need to restore new leadership that we trust at the BLS. We need to look at the means and the methods of how the United States is acquiring this very important data. The goal, of course, is to provide honest and good data for the American people to make very important economic decisions on.'
Time of India
23 minutes ago
- Time of India
Oil, crypto or rare earths? What's behind Donald Trump's new-found love for Pakistan
Donald Trump and Shehbaz Sharif US President Donald Trump's increasingly warm ties with Pakistan are raising eyebrows in New Delhi, with moves ranging from crypto partnerships and oil shipments to rare earths cooperation. The shift comes amid tensions between India and Pakistan following New Delhi's retaliation to Pakistan-backed terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam. Trump has credited himself, repeatedly, with defusing potential conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, praised Pakistan's military leadership, and even backed trade deals that mark Islamabad's first US crude oil imports. While Pakistan lauds his diplomacy, critics in India see strategic, economic and political motives — from cryptocurrency ventures and mineral access to countering Chinese influence. According to The Washington Post, some analysts believe this rekindled interest is 'less about oil than access to minerals and rare earths,' vital to the US economy and defence technology. Yet the timing — alongside deepening military cooperation and public praise for Pakistan's generals — suggests multiple drivers behind Trump's policy shift. Energy, crypto or something deeper? First-ever US crude heads to Pakistan Pakistan is set to receive its first-ever crude oil shipment from the United States later this year after US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Islamabad. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like We Have No Words For Dog The Bounty Hunter's Transformation Reportingly Undo Trump also pledged that Washington would help Pakistan develop what he called 'massive oil reserves'. The agreement followed several rounds of discussions that began in April, after Trump revealed plans to impose a 29% tariff on Pakistani imports. Under the deal, Pakistan's biggest refinery, Cnergyico, has finalised a contract with Vitol to import one million barrels of American crude — marking the country's first acquisition of US oil. Vice chairman Usama Qureshi confirmed the arrangement to Reuters on Friday, noting that oil is Pakistan's largest import commodity, worth $11.3 billion in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, or roughly one-fifth of total imports. Crypto pact with Trump-linked firm In April, amid heightened India–Pakistan tensions, Pakistan courted World Liberty Financial, a decentralised finance platform with 60% Trump family ownership, according to an Economic Times report. The company signed a preliminary agreement with the Pakistan Crypto Council to boost blockchain technology in the country just five days after a terror attack in Pahalgam killed 26 tourists. The Dawn newspaper reported that a World Liberty delegation met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and army chief General Asim Munir, formalising a 'Letter of Intent… to accelerate blockchain innovation, stablecoin adoption and decentralised finance integration across Pakistan.' DT Marks DEFI LLC — linked to the Trump family — holds a 60% stake in World Liberty's parent company and claims 75% of specified crypto revenue streams. Trump serves as 'Chief Crypto Advocate', with Eric and Donald Jr as 'Web3 Ambassadors' and Barron Trump as 'DeFi Visionary'. Islamabad's Nobel push for Trump Islamabad has nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, crediting his 'decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership' in easing tensions with India. Trump claimed: 'I should have gotten it four or five times. They won't give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.' India rejects the notion he was responsible for the ceasefire after the Pahalgam attack, but Trump insists: 'Well, I stopped a war… I love Pakistan. I think Modi is a fantastic man… But I stopped the war between Pakistan and India.' Pakistan's army chief will attend a White House lunch with Trump, following his endorsement of the nomination. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration over being overlooked for the award, often contrasting his record with Barack Obama's 2009 win. Minerals, rare earths and strategic stakes The Washington Post reports that some US officials are eyeing Pakistan's untapped reserves of rare earth minerals critical to electronics and defence technology. Rising tensions with China — the main supplier — have increased Washington's interest in alternative sources. US officials even attended the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in April. China is already developing a 2,000-mile transport network linking northern Pakistan to a deep-sea port in the south, but insurgent violence in Baluchistan and Taliban militancy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa threaten projects. Baluch separatists recently attacked mining trucks, warning that anyone 'involved in the looting of Baloch national resources' would be targeted. Targeting the Baloch insurgency On Monday, the US designated the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majeed Brigade armed wing as Foreign Terrorist Organisations. The BLA has claimed multiple attacks, including the March 2025 hijacking of the Jaffar Express train, killing 31. The designation reflects what the Trump administration calls a commitment to 'countering terrorism'. It follows Munir's high-profile White House lunch in June — a rare honour for a Pakistani military chief — without any civilian leaders present. Trump's tango with Islamabad Kurilla's glowing praise In testimony to a US congressional panel, General Michael Kurilla, head of US Central Command, described Pakistan as a 'phenomenal partner' in counter-terrorism, citing its willingness to extradite terrorists who attacked US interests. Kurilla praised army chief Munir for capturing and offering to extradite Mohammad Sharifullah, mastermind of the 2021 Kabul airport attack that killed 13 US troops. He also confirmed a Pakistani national's extradition for plotting a 2024 terror attack on a Jewish centre in New York. However, Kurilla's remarks highlighted Pakistan's selective cooperation — handing over terrorists to Washington but rejecting India's similar requests. Indian MPs visiting Washington underscored that major terrorists targeting the US, from Osama bin Laden to Ramzi Yousef, were captured in Pakistan. Munir's double US visits Munir visited the US for the second time in two months, this time to attend Kurilla's retirement ceremony. His previous visit in June included an unprecedented private White House lunch with Trump, where the US president credited him with averting a 'nuclear war' with India. But Munir's visits have sparked protests by supporters of jailed former PM Imran Khan, who accuse the military of suppressing democracy. Demonstrations outside venues in Washington and New York branded Munir a 'dictator' and 'fraud'. Despite criticism, the Trump administration continues to court Pakistan's military, discussing cooperation on rare earths, tech regulation, and expanded trade ties. Critics say bypassing civilian leaders reinforces the army's dominance in Pakistan's politics.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Migrants apprehended in marijuana farm raids recount living nightmare
* Migrants apprehended in marijuana farm raids recount living nightmare Raids at farms ensnare migrants who lived in the U.S. for decades * One detained migrant said an agent in military garb hit him on the head, threatened him with gun * DHS said 185,000 people have been deported from the U.S. this year By Lizbeth Diaz Aug 12 - Yahir remembers growing up in Mexico without a bed or a stove. He didn't own a pair of shoes until he was 10, and in the mid-1990s — when he was 13 — he crossed with a group illegally into the U.S. in search of work. He settled in California and worked on farms across the state. He met his wife and had six children, the eldest of whom is now 15. Then, on July 10, Yahir, 43, was apprehended while working at a marijuana farm in southern California, in one of the largest immigration raids since U.S. President Donald Trump took office. 'It was like a nightmare, but I was awake,' said Yahir, his skin dotted by sun stains from working in the fields, just hours after being deported to Tijuana. Yahir asked to withhold his last name to protect his family in the U.S.. As Trump ramps up his deportation efforts targeting immigrants in the country illegally, Mexicans - with the largest population of immigrants in the U.S. without status - are living in fear. They are being arrested at restaurants, farms, Home Depot outlets and 7-Eleven convenience stores. A remarkable 42% of Hispanic adults are worried they or someone close to them might be deported, according to a Pew Research Center survey from earlier this year. Last week, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to halt a court order restricting immigration stops on the basis of what language they speak or where they work. Yahir said he knew of other immigrants being deported. 'But I never thought it would happen to me,' he said, adding that he didn't have a criminal record. Reuters couldn't independently confirm his account. More than 360 alleged immigration offenders were apprehended during the July 10 marijuana farm raids in southern California. One immigrant worker died after he fell 30 feet from a greenhouse roof. The president of the United Farm Workers union criticized the raids, saying they "terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives and separate families." 'MY LIFE IS NO LONGER HERE' Manuel, 32, another worker at the Camarillo farm, said he hid among marijuana plants in a greenhouse for five hours until agents cut the locks on the door. An agent in military garb then hit him on the head and put a gun to his chest, he said. Manuel declined to share his last name because he hopes to one day return to the U.S. legally. He overstayed his tourist visa in 2023. The Department of Homeland Security said it could not comment on Manuel's allegations without further evidence. After his arrest, Manuel bounced between detention centers and eventually ended up in one in Adelanto, about 60 miles east of Los Angeles, where he said he slept on the floor of a freezing cell that reeked of urine. 'The torture was more mental but it was horrible,' he said. Democratic lawmakers who visited the nearly 2,000-bed center in June criticized its conditions, saying some detainees were unable to get fresh clothes or towels for more than a week. In a statement, the Department of Homeland Security said, "The allegations about the Adelanto detention center are FALSE. All detainees are provided with proper meals, medical treatment, and have opportunities to communicate with their family members and lawyers." The DHS added 185,000 people have been deported from the U.S. during the second Trump administration. Manuel and Yahir were both deported to Tijuana. Manuel has returned to his hometown in the state of Oaxaca but Yahir remains in Tijuana, unsure of what to do next. He has never been away from his children for so long, he said. 'I am from Mexico but my life is no longer here.' This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
