The proposed function to lay the foundation stone for the grand Ambedkar Memorial on October 4 has been postponed again, official sources said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to perform the ceremony at Dadar during his upcoming daylong visit to Mumbai on October 4, along with the foundation stone ceremonies for two Mumbai Metro railway lines.

However, the Ambedkar Memorial function has been deferred though no reasons are cited officially.

The third postponement has evoked protest from the state Congress which demanded to know “what was more important than this function” for the PM.

“The foundation stone for a world-class memorial for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has been postponed due to the tight schedule of the PM. Even earlier, the PM was reportedly expected to perform the foundation stone laying ceremony on April 14 which was postponed due to his foreign tour,” said state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.

He said in a statement that Mumbai Congress president Sanjay Nirupam had carried out a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony at the Indu Mills Complex where the memorial is due to come up.

However, Sawant said it was regrettable that again the October 4 date has been postponed.

“Whether it is the ceremony for the Ambedkar Memorial or finalizing the purchase of the house where Ambedkar lived in London, the government continues to be lax. It was only after public anger that the government finally completed the London house purchase recently,” he said.

The Maharashtra government has planned a grand memorial to Ambedkar, the chief architect of Indian Constitution, on 12.5 acres of prime land at Dadar.

Eid was celebrated here and in other parts of Maharashtra on Friday with subdued fervour and enthusiasm in the wake of the Haj stampede tragedy in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, in which over 700 people were killed on Thursday.

Special prayers were offered by men, women and youth at various mosques in Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Nashik, Aurangabad, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Pune and other cities and in important pockets of Muslim populations.

Later, goats were sacrificed to commemorate the readiness of Ibrahim, the apostle of God, to sacrifice his son and honour the Almighty’s command, effectively signifiying renunciation. By a miracle, at the last minute Irahim’s child was replaced by a goat.

Goat meat, considered auspicious, was offered to friends, relatives and poor people, and people exchanged greetings.

The celebrations were low-key on account of the Makkah tragedy which left 717 Hajis dead, including one pilgrim from Maharashtra, besides 13 others from elsewhere in India.

The ongoing severe drought conditions in many parts of the state and the state-wide ban on beef, enforced strictly since last May, also added to the no-frills celebrations of the Eid.

The Social Education and Welfare Association launched a drive to help farmers in distress in the worst-hit districts of Beed, Latur and Osmanabad, as part of the Eid festival.

Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, spiritual head of the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, has been awarded the ‘Global Peace Award’ for 2015 in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the promotion of human rights and social justice.

The award was presented by Joginder Singh Bhadoriya, Chairman of the All India Council of Human Rights, Liberties and Social Justice (AICHLS) on September 23 here, according to a release.

Acknowledging the multi-faceted human rights values that are promoted by Saifuddin, Bhadoriya lauded the spiritual leader’s global food distribution program and his efforts in the social upliftment of thousands of families and in empowerment of women across the world.

Referring the 53rd ‘dai-al-mutlaq’ of Bohra community as an ambassador of peace and goodwill, Bhadoriya praised the Syedna’s propagation of international peace and harmony during his extensive travels to different parts of the world.

The award is recognised in 144 countries and is presented to only one single person every year. The year 2015 was the 50th award of the AICHRLS.

Neel M Karia, a student from Mumbai, bagged a gold medal at International Earth Science Olympiad, which was recently held in Brazil.

Karia, student of Bhavani Shankar Junior College, was one of the nine gold medallists at the international competition held between September 13 to 20 in the South American country.

The competition saw participants from 28 countries.

Besides Karia, Khushgra Jain, a student of Rajasthan’s S R Senior Secondary Public School, won two bronze medals and Tarun Yadav from Delhi Public School in Dwarka won a bronze.

The Geological Society of India had selected the students for IESO competitions.

Maharashtra government is set to revive rivers in rural areas as part of its efforts to save the state reeling under drought.

Water Conservation Minister Pankaja Munde said the river revival plan will be prepared by the Maharashtra Water Conservation Corporation and the focus will be to revive the rivers in drought and farmer-suicide prone areas.

“Maharashtra Water Conservation Corporation has been asked to prepare the master plan,” she said.

The Minister said after the Jalyukt Shivar yogana, revival of rivers in rural areas will be a major campaign of the department.

“In the last few days, rains have created good water storage in the Jalyukt shivars,” she said.

Munde noted that water conservation works should be taken up in areas on priority basis, i.e. where there is water scarcity, low human development index, decreasing water table and areas that are perennially drought prone.

“Water conservation department should focus on areas where water from irrigation dams cannot be reached,” she added.

A police sub-inspector was allegedly roughed up by a group of five persons who also tried to mow him down after he intercepted their truck at a check-post during a drive for checking the illegal smuggling of sand.

Inspector Ghanshyam Adhav of Talasari police station said that sub-inspector Ali Mohammad was on duty at Talasari check- post on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway when he was attacked.

The accused allegedly got annoyed that the officer was checking only heavy vehicles, he said.

They are alleged to have tried to mow Mohammad down with their truck and also attempted to attack him with a knife. The sub-inspector was left injured and unconscious in the attack.

The sub-inspector was subsequently admitted to a local hospital.

Of the five assailants, three have been identified as Afzal, Pappu and Allarakha, police, meanwhile, said, adding that no arrests have been made so far.

A case has been registered against them under various sections of IPC, including attempt to murder, assault, rioting and preventing a government servant from discharging his duty.

Linking RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s call for a review of the reservation policy with the Patel quota stir, Shiv Sena on Friday said the BJP government in Gujarat as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have to face “consequences” if a solution is not found to the issue by having a re-look at the quota system.

The Sena, a long-time ally of the BJP with a penchant to take digs at its bigger partner, suggested a dialogue with the Patel leaders to restore peace in the state.

“RSS chief has asked the BJP to revisit the reservation policy. A review will pacify the agitation in the state. Hardik Patel (who spearheads the stir) needs to take care of his life and the government should also take care. Otherwise, if something untoward happens, Modi will have to bear the consequences,” the Sena said in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana.’

“If talks are held with Hardik Patel in a congenial environment, a solution can be sought (over the reservation issue). If what Hardik claimed about his abduction and the subsequent threats to his life are true, it will make matters only worse,” the party said.

The Sena noted that Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel’s claim that her state is peaceful and is an attractive destination for investments has fallen flat on its face.

“Gujarat is in the midst of industrial development and is also the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The most important fact is that Gujarat is a political laboratory for the BJP where it cannot afford a chemical problem,” it said.

“Such turmoil has happened in states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. But now Gujarat has been battered by a bomb called Hardik. Maharashtra has an emotional bonding with Gujarat, we are thus concerned,” the editorial added.