Latest news with #Banthia
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Pawar family and Thackeray family should reunite, says Maharashtra Cabinet Minister
Batting for the re-unification of the Thackeray cousins and the Pawar uncle-nephew duo, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said that he would want the Thackeray family and the Pawar family to come together. 'Who likes to see the families being split like this? I would want them to come together. But I also know that it is not going to happen,' he told The Hindu in an exclusive interview for 'Pulse Maharashtra', a show on The Hindu's YouTube channel. The statement is significant on the background of the speculations in Maharashtra politics about the re-unification of Thackeray cousins – Raj Thackeray and Uddhav Thackeray. There have been speculations about Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar too coming together. Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar split ways after Ajit Pawar, in 2023, staked a claim to the party formed by Sharad Pawar. Also Read | Chhagan Bhujbal slams Banthia panel report on OBCs 'I have seen them together. I have seen the kind of love that the Thackeray family had for Raj Thackeray. During each vacation or holiday, Balasaheb Thackeray would call Raj over to his residence. The family would not have lunch till Raj arrived. Such was the love the family shared towards him. Then, the family split. It does not feel nice for the families to be separated. Similarly, about Ajit Pawar. I have seen him since very young days. He was groomed under the tutelage of Sharad Pawar. Who likes to see them apart? Even I want the families to be together. But I know, it will not happen. They will not come together,' he said. Recently, Raj Thackeray had said that it will not be easy to wipe off the legacies of the Thackeray and Pawar families. He had said that the families have left their mark not just in regional politics, but also in national politics, and that there was an effort to 'finish off' their names from politics. Chhagan Bhujbal was recently inducted in the Maharashtra cabinet, days after he had publicly expressed strong reservations against his party leader Ajit Pawar's decision to exclude him earlier. From OBC reservation to the State politics, from Maratha quota demand to slamming Manoj Jarange-Patil, and from Thackerays to the Pawars, he spoke on a range of topics in a free-wheeling conversation. To watch the entire interview, please visit The Hindu's YouTube channel for 'Pulse Maharashtra'.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi woman held for impersonating, stalking husband's ‘acquaintance'
New Delhi A 26-year-old woman was apprehended by the Delhi Police on Wednesday for allegedly impersonating and stalking another woman on social media, to stop her from conversing with her husband, police said. According to police, the accused and the man married in 2023, and upon spotting her husband and the victim in a photo, she allegedly used her husband's mobile phone without his knowledge and sent her inappropriate messages on Instagram. Following this, the woman blocked the man's account. DCP (north) Raja Banthia said, 'The victim, who's aged around 30, and works at a private firm, had blocked the man's account (husband of the accused) after seeing the messages. However, the accused was still not relieved. She then created a fake account of the victim and messaged her friends and colleagues to get details about her, stalk her and also collect her photos. She then tried to impersonate the victim to check if her husband sent a friend request…' Police said the accused created the fake profile over the past six months, and that they zeroed in on her by tracing her SIM. She was arrested from her residence in Ghazipur. During questioning, the accused allegedly told police that she wanted to 'ensure' that her husband did not talk to the victim. 'She also took pictures of the complainant from her friends' Instagram accounts and uploaded edited pictures on her fake account. We found her husband was not aware of all this,' said Banthia. The accused is a postgraduate in arts and is a homemaker, police said.
Hindustan Times
19-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Delhi: Ramjas College professor ‘bound by law,' probe on in Pocso case
Twelve days after Delhi Police registered a case against a Delhi University (DU) professor for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor student, investigators working on the case confirmed on Monday that the accused has been 'bound down by law' and the probe is nearing completion. Deputy commissioner of police (North) Raja Banthia confirmed the legal action, which requires the professor to appear before investigators or court whenever summoned. Banthia refrained from sharing further details as the investigation in the case in underway. The first information report (FIR) was lodged on May 7 under sections 10 (aggravated sexual assault) and 12 (sexual harassment) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, and sections 74 (outraging modesty of a woman) and 79 (words or gestures to outrage a woman's modesty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to a police officer aware of the case details. 'The professor complied with our notice to join the investigation and has been legally bound to participate in further proceedings,' the police officer cited above said. The officer, who asked not to be identified, added that investigators have recorded the victim's statement before a magistrate and are awaiting the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) report before filing a chargesheet. The case stems from a December 2023 complaint filed by a Ramjas College student alleging sexual harassment by the professor on December 2. Members of the college student union had said that this wasn't the first complaint against the teacher, with at least three prior allegations, including a major 2021 case that was withdrawn. Following student protests in January 2024, the professor resigned on January 8 and was suspended from teaching for six weeks. While unavailable for comment on recent developments, in December 2024, he had denied any wrongdoing and said that the case is a 'conspiracy' linked to disagreements with colleagues over academic issues. 'The Internal Complaints Committee has advised that the professor stay off campus and refrain from teaching while the inquiry is under way,' Ramjas College principal Ajay Kumar Arora told HT. 'The ICC will submit its final report once proceedings are complete,' Arora said, declining to comment on any police action.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Maharashtra extends deadline for caste validity certificates by 12 months
MUMBAI: If a person wants to contest elections on seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in Gram Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samiti, he/she must submit a caste certificate and a validity certificate from the verification committee. An extension of twelve months has been given for submission of these validity certificates and an ordinance in this regard has been issued by Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan (Maharashtra Government Gazette Extraordinary Part Four dated 30 April 2025). If a candidate wants to contest elections to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes in Gram Panchayats, Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samiti, they are required to submit a caste certificate and a validity certificate from the Verification Committee. However, often, even if candidates apply on time, it takes time to get the certificate due to the heavy workload of the Verification Committee. As a result, many elected members do not get the validity certificate on time and are declared ineligible (disqualified). Keeping this problem in mind , the Maharashtra (Gram Panchayat , Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti Elections) Temporary Extension of Time for Submission of Validity Certificate Act, 2023 (Maha.35 of 2023) was extended for 12 months. However, applications of more than 11,000 members are still pending with the committee, and they are likely to be removed from office simply because the verification committee has not issued the certificate in time. This situation is unjust and creates hindrance in the functioning of the local bodies. Therefore, such members should be given another 12 months to submit their validity certificates. Also, this ordinance has been issued to ensure that they are not deprived of holding such offices simply because the validity certificates have not been issued in time by the caste verification committee . The State Election Commission has taken the first step towards organizing the impending local body polls in the state including the BMC. It has directed the state government to begin the process of ward formation (delimitation). The process will begin in both urban and rural local bodies. This comes a week after the Supreme Court passed an order asking for the long-pending polls to be held within four months. On the issue of OBC reservations, the court had said that the quota should revert to the position which existed before the Banthia commission's report in July 2022.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
SEC tells urban, rural development departments to start delimitation process for local body polls
Pune: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday directed the urban and rural development departments to initiate the delimitation process, following the Supreme Court's order on local body elections in Maharashtra.A source in the SEC said they had started the process according to the court's order, updated late Tuesday evening. Subsequently, the departments were issued the delimitation process Supreme Court (SC) cleared the way for long-pending local body elections in the state, stalled because of litigation over the OBC quota. A senior SEC official said, "Delimitation process will commence for all pending elections — municipal corporations, nagar parishads, nagar panchayats, zilla parishads and panchayat samitis. The process is expected to take 40 days. Local bodies should issue notifications for ward formations without delay."The SEC will seek legal counsel on the issue of OBC reservation within this 40-day period. Consultations with a senior advocate are under way."The SC has upheld the July 2022 status quo on OBC reservations, but earlier judgments need to be factored in. Whether to implement a flat 27% quota, follow the 2021 ordinance (27% within a 50% cap) or apply the 'triple test' from the December 2021 SC order requires legal clarity," the source the delimitation process is complete, reservation roster and ward-wise voter lists would be drawn up. The SEC will then assess if elections can be conducted within the four-month window set by the court, based on the availability of voting machines, polling staff and weather conditions."We haven't decided yet on seeking more time. That call will be taken only after the delimitation process concludes," the source in the SEC said.A bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh reaffirmed the constitutional mandate for regular local elections, stating that the OBC reservation must be maintained as it existed before the Banthia Commission report . The commission had recommended a 27% OBC quota in local body state's local body polls are stalled since 2022 because of the ongoing legal disputes, including challenges to the Banthia report. The SC in its interim order directed the SEC to notify elections within four weeks and complete the process in four months, unless an extension was sought through the court.
