Anjali Damania Refutes Property Encroachment Allegations, Hits Out At Politicians Who Are Sheltering The Corrupt Firm

By

-

February 25, 2021

Social activist Anjali Damania, who posed a threat to many corrupt politicians, has now landed in trouble with a false case against her. Many are of the belief that the recent probe against her as directed by a Mumbai magistrate court in the Azalea Holiday Inn case is politically motivated.

Azalea Holiday Inn Private Limited, in its complaint before the court, has alleged that former Aam Aadmi Party leader Anjali Damania and her associates had illegally entered a hotel property it owns in Santacruz and were operating a vegetable shop and office from the premises. A magistrate court in Mumbai, earlier this month, has directed police to probe the complaint against Damania and her associates.

anjali damania, anjaali, azalea holiday inn, azalea, Sanjeev Chadda, vakola police, vakola police station, bjp, aam aadmi party, mumbai police, ashish shelar — Image Shared by Anjali Damania

Speaking exclusively with Afternoon Voice, Anjali Damania refuted all the allegations labelled against her. Highlighting that the complainant firm itself is falsely occupying the premises without legal papers, the now social activist said, “As right now I am not in India, such tactics are played against me. Azalea Holiday Inn has falsely occupied the building and turned it into a hotel whereas they have no legal authority to do so, I hold power of attorney for said premises.”

Also read: Wall Of Armed Cops With Politicians, A Status Symbol

Hitting out at Sanjeev Chadda, who is one of the sponsors for local political rallies, Damania raised, “All those politicians whom I once exposed are now sheltering the corrupt firm and safeguarding its amoral interest. Chadda is a builder by profession; he is involved in encroaching lands and harassing people is not new to him.”

Damania further lashed out at Chadda and accused him of harassing her. She recalled an incident when Chadda allegedly with his goons reached her residence, disrupted the water supply, and attempted to damage the premises. “He tried all the ways to make me leave the place but never succeeded,” she added.

Metropolitan Magistrate Jaydeo Y Ghule passed the probe order against Anjali Damania earlier this month but a detailed copy was made available on Monday. The complaint also alleged that Damania was intimidating the firm’s employees and was using offensive language with them. After perusal of the complaint, the court said, prima facie, a cognizable offence has been committed by the accused. There should be some collection of documentary evidence or thorough investigation is necessary, the court said and directed the local police station to take necessary action and investigation under section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). Later, the Vakola police registered an FIR under sections 341, 427, 506, and 34 of IPC, officials said.

Also read: No Exemption From Paying Property Tax; There Are Around 4.20 Lakh Property Tax Payers In Mumbai

Throwing light on the happenings around the intimidation she faced, Damania said, “The harassment from the illegal encroachers existed since a long time and in 2013, to keep myself away from this dispute, I requested the owner of the said property to get actively involved in the matter and promised to help him in his fight. In the meantime, Chadda sent BMC corporator (Santa Cruz West) Hettal Gala to me who started to force me to sell the garage area to them. Chadda, later, contacted me on WhatsApp and expressed that he wants to meet me about the said hotel property, while I strictly instructed him to speak to the owner regarding this and provided him with the contact number; he instead continued with his monkey tricks and never came to the point face to face with the property owner.”

Reacting to the allegations against Damania, Mahesh Bharat Tapase, Chief Spokesperson of NCP said, “Anjali Damania, who emerged as a crusader against corrupt politicians, later joined the Aam Aadmi Party to fulfill her own political ambitions. Then she left politics and again continued her attacks on government and politicians, but finally landed in controversy for illegally occupying hotel premises. Now the court has ordered a probe, let’s wait for the honourable court’s verdict.”

“When someone is agitatedly attacking power holders, such a reaction is not surprising, let us wait and see what investigations will reveal. I am not surprised with this news, meanwhile, ED, CBI, and many such organizations are here to take care of those who expose government time and again,” said Journalist Pramesh Jain.

Under the condition of anonymity, a veteran politician of Maharashtra asserted, “Anjali Damania, when emerged strongly as a voice against irrigation cases, we all thought she is very tough to deal with, there was fear in political corridors. But later on, she showed her very immature side and lost it, there are also allegations that she used RTI to blackmail people to her advantage. Her constant act of chasing politicians was translated as blackmailing tactics thereafter.”

Adv Madhav Suryavanshi said, “Anjali Damania was a social worker till 2017 but nowadays she is playing on the direction of political leaders like Devendra Fadnavis. Her movement is tainted with political bias. She is taking disadvantage of her own wrongs, like illegally occupied hotel premises in Mumbai. Metropolitan Magistrate ordered Mumbai police to investigate the matter u/s 156 (3). In the language of PM Modi, Anjali Damania has become ‘Andolanjivi’, the whistleblower in her compromise to her greed and arrogance.”

Read the whole background of this story narrated by Anjali Damania to our Editor-in-Chief Dr. Vaidehi

Anjali Damania Vs Sanjeev Chadda – The Ongoing Saga As Explained By Anjali Damania

Travelling To Delhi From Maharashtra? You Will Have To Show A Negative RT-PCR Test

By

Afternoon Voice

-

February 24, 2021

In Maharashtra, cases have been on the rise in Mumbai’s suburbs and Nagpur, Amravati, Nashik, Akola, and Yavatmal. With a spread in coronavirus cases in five states including Maharashtra, Delhi has made it essential for those arriving from those states to carry a negative Covid test report from Friday.

People travelling to Delhi from Maharashtra, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab by flights, trains, or buses will have to show a negative RT-PCR test from Saturday to March 15. Those entering Delhi by road have been exempted. States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand have announced similar restrictions on people travelling from these states.

Maharashtra has announced a state-wide ban on social, political, and religious gatherings, besides imposing fresh local lockdowns or curbs in districts like Pune and Amravati. Punjab has also seen a rise in the weekly positivity rate and the number of cases

Delhi government took the decision because, in the past week, 86 per cent of the new virus cases have emerged from these states. Officers in these states will be asked to verify Covid negative reports from tests taken up to 72 hours before the flight before allowing passengers to leave for Delhi. The new rule will be in place from Friday midnight to March 15, 12 noon. Maharashtra and Kerala alone account for 75% of the country’s current active cases after a sudden rise in new infections in recent days.

On Tuesday, Maharashtra recorded the highest number of 5,210 new cases, followed by Kerala (2,212) and Tamil Nadu (449). Maharashtra reported 18 deaths, followed by Kerala with 16 and Punjab 15, said the health ministry.

Dr Om Srivastava, a member of Covid-19 task force and the director of the infectious diseases department at Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, said that vaccinating as many as possible was the apt strategy.

Meanwhile, for the second consecutive day, more than 11,000 beneficiaries were targeted for the vaccinations. According to the data, 10,257 of the targeted 11,600 were inoculated in the last 24 hours, which indicates an 88 per cent turnout which is less than 93 per cent which was done just a day before. Moreover, the civic body has increased the vaccine centers to 34 from 31. 2,566 first-time beneficiaries were given a second dose of the vaccine on Tuesday.

However, so far, 1,79,697 HCWs and FLWs have been given the first dose and 10,385 have given the second dose of vaccines. Civic officials said they will be adding more vaccine centres in the next few days and they are expecting beneficiaries to increase. “We will be adding two new private hospitals where vaccine centres will be set up for their HCWs and FLWs. In the last seven days we have added 7 hospitals to the list,” he said.

40 Crore ‘iPhone Scam’ – That Will Make You Laugh

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 23, 2021

I am really amused and surprised to see how staunch Modi supporters got fooled by Neel Patel who overnight became a blue eyed boy for right wingers. Since Tuesday night, the hashtag ‘iPhoneScam’ has been trending on Twitter with many users alleging a racket has been carried out by a person seemingly conning others by selling them iPhones at cheaper rates. This scam came to light when a Twitter user Nishant Kumar Singh released a video on YouTube accusing Neel Patel of multiple scams. In a Twitter thread, Nishant has also listed several other alleged scams by Neel Patel. Hitesh Patel, aka Neel Patel, who is a serial scammer with a record of numerous frauds across India and abroad. Of his latest initiatives was an iPhone scam ruse online as the “biggest sale” on pre-order of devices such as the Apple iPhone 11 (sold at Rs 26,949 against retail price of Rs 51,990) and the iPhone 12 Pro (sold at Rs 67,449 against retail price of Rs 1,19,990). The deals have been promoted via an app called Squeaks Media, which too is founded by Patel. With the help of Twitter influencers, he then improved his reliability on the internet and that’s how he overnight became famous.

The latter has been billed as a ‘Swadeshi’ social media platform that offers a voice for the traditionalists. Consumers fell in trap when the deals were asked to pay through NaaradPay – a service that was also built as a nationalist alternative to other payment apps. Patel received over 8,000 orders, amounting to over Rs 40 crore. Later on the IT cell public on Twitter have realised that the one who installed NaaradPay or Squeaks Media have, by default, given access to their personal photo gallery and SMS inbox to Patel, who in turn has exploited such data. Patel was allegedly answering customer queries via Twitter DMs reveal him claiming that if an order for 100 iPhones is placed with “any Apple store in India”, they will ask for three to four weeks to deliver on the order. Given that he has received over 8,000 orders, customers should hold tolerance on receiving their units. Needless to say, the entire operation appears to be a scam racket, taking the iPhone scam occurrences to a whole new level.

Also read: Hilarious ‘iPhone Scam’ – That Has Left Right-Wingers Sleepless; Anil Deshmukh Orders Probe

However, upon receiving the payments from customers, he allegedly didn’t deliver iPhones to anyone. Few customers received iPhones to make people believe in his iPhone offer. He delivered iPhones to those influencers who can make people believe that the offer is genuine. Somehow these influences also got trapped by spreading the word and fetching booking for him. There are people who have ordered four phones; some even ordered 18- 20 phones. They thought they would cash in on this tremendous offer, even sell a couple of phones at normal rates. The greedy public thought of making money out of this deal but no one cross verified the claims just because he pretended to be Modi supporter and right winger who is nationalist Hindu. This was a license to influence people.

When the phones did not arrive, people began applying for refunds. Obviously, even that took weeks. He was intimidating people left, right and centre. He told people that he was the son of a BJP MLA and that Prime Minister Modi visited his home. This was another advantage he added to his successful scam. Finally some people went on to verify Patel’s company address in a Gujarat village filed with the Registrar of Companies. The one who went to trace Patel found out that the address didn’t exist. No one knew this man there.

Suddenly all the investors realised that they got fooled, now all eyes were on businessman Hiteshkumar Gordhanbhai Patel alias Neel Patel. Users soon discovered that the Squeaks and its sister venture, Naarad Pay, an online payment company, had swindled users of crores of rupees. By getting influenced by a famous right winger’s twitter account, many educated people, lawyers, cops, businessmen and government employees in Maharashtra placed an order for an iPhone.

Also read: Koo – An Indian Alternative To Twitter, Promoted By The Government Officials

This is not the first phone scam in India, remember freedom 251 scam? Six crore bookings were made for the phone and even at the rate of Rs 251 each; the mobile company collected hundreds of crores of rupees. This Noida based start-up, which launched the mobile, had said they had developed it with support from the government. Soon after the launch ceremony where a veteran BJP leader was present, doubts were raised about the genuineness of the company’s claim to provide phones at the rate of Rs 251. The face-off turned one right-winger against another, dividing them by their allegiance, or lack of it, to both the scams now iPhone scheme then the smart phone scam. These days, if you just keep whisper Hindu, Hindutva, saffron, armed forces and Atmanirbhar, rightwing, Modi and Beef Twitter users will upright a business for conmen. In smartphone scam nothing is the outcome and no follow up similarly, in the iPhone scam the Twitter handles of Squeaks and NaaradPay were suspended on February 17. Patel’s tweets from 2020 cannot be viewed but no one has the ability to reach this guy. However, as Twitter now plumbs the depths of this alleged fraud, and users make desperate pleas about the loss they have incurred, the endorsers have disassociated themselves from Patel through tiny tweets. Finally, the Maharashtra government has ordered the probe.

Hilarious ‘iPhone Scam’ – That Has Left Right-Wingers Sleepless; Anil Deshmukh Orders Probe

By

Afternoon Voice

-

February 23, 2021

This is one very interesting scam that has snatched the iPhone dreams of right-wingers on Twitter. One guy named Neel Patel emerged on Twitter in December 2019, Hindutva dogma in one hand and attractive schemes in the other. This was an exciting cocktail of Hindutva and hoax. All the blind rightwing influencers on Twitter took to Patel as demi god because some of them received the iPhone from him, one of them even asked for iPad and got fulfilled his wish, bargain was very money-spinning for Patel. Few influencers were trapped by few iPhones and he used them for advertising his offers, with in no time he could accumulate huge money. All eyes were on businessman Hiteshkumar Gordhanbhai Patel, alias Neel Patel, the founder of Squeaks, a social media platform apparently conceived for rightwing voices. Users alleged that Squeaks and its sister venture, NaaradPay, an online payment company, had swindled users of crores of rupees through a supposed scheme providing Apple iPhones for cheap.

Overnight he became a blue eyed boy of the Modi-loving clan, and Patel was declared as Hindu-nationalist digital personality. He was followed by film director Vivek Agnihotri, IPL founder and escapee Lalit Modi, and BJP national spokesperson Syed Shahnawaz Hussain. His followers are so-called buyers of iPhone and did not check the credentials of Patel because he was Hindu nationalist and Modi supporter. When this man made tall claims those claims were rewetted and endorsed by many that made many gullible to such offers.

Patel had a beautiful script in the background to influence and fool his prey and his worshipers that he was a Kentucky-based entrepreneur who drove cabs in the US until 2012. His life changed, when he won a lottery worth $350 million that year. He began dealing in Bitcoin and Ethereum and operating on a forex trading website called Penny Robot. He had 300 employees in his companies.

Patel had claimed to have received orders for 8,000 iPhones. When the phones did not arrive, people began applying for refunds. Naturally, even that took weeks. Finally FIR was registered against him.

Twitter has reportedly suspended account of Neel Patel (@nto1927) and his associated handles @SqueaksMedia and @NaaradPay.

Journalist Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) tweeted, “.@MumbaiPolice that they should investigate IT cell “influencers”, @BJP4India members, so called RW journalists all begging for cash & freebies in the #IPhoneScam What’s app chats are proof the same lot part of the celebrity tweets @AnilDeshmukhNCP.”

The iphone scam is being perpetrated by scamsters in foreign countries & most of the beneficiaries are right wing influencers.@bainjal we have ordered a comprehensive enquiry & entrusted it to IGP Maharashtra Cyber for further lawful action. https://t.co/cc6qQGLjut

— ANIL DESHMUKH (@AnilDeshmukhNCP) February 21, 2021

In reply Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh tweeted that, “The iPhone scam is being perpetrated by scamsters in foreign countries & most of the beneficiaries are right wing influencers. We have ordered a comprehensive enquiry & entrusted it to IGP Maharashtra Cyber for further lawful action.”

Nishant Singh (@nishant_india) tweeted, “Understand the methodology: If he collects money for 100 iPhones, he delivers iPhone to 20-30 people while prioritizing deliveries to Twitter influencers. The remaining 70 folks – who are probably not influencers – would get completely duped. Nothing ever reaches to them.”

He would later ask the influencers to make a tweet that they have received their gifts (iPhones) to bring in more victims.

That way some keep singing praises of him while others cuss him.

— Nishant (@nishant_india) February 16, 2021

Nishant Singh has uploaded a video on YouTube and made a detailed explainer on this whole scam and what he has dug on Neel Patel, a US-based businessman.

BJP Should Take Advantage Of Lacking Successor To Jayalalitha And Karunanidhi

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 23, 2021

With the demise of M. Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha, BJP got some upper hand in Tamil Nadu, above all Shashikala may split DMK votes. Meanwhile, this is one state where people do not vote for issues, but for the people. People who vote AIADMK earlier voted for MGR and Jaya, while people who vote for DMK voted for Karunanidhi. Modi is the most popular face in BJP but he is a North Indian, that disqualifies him at the outset. Besides, both Karunanidhi and Jaya were experts in developing a cult of personality. These people are revered as Gods but BJP has no such personality in state-level politics. Even as Tamil Nadu continues to be tough terrain for the BJP with the party struggling to mark its presence at the grassroots, the party’s visibility in the media has increased manifold in the past few years. There is no single popular political Tamil TV debate show that goes without a BJP representative these days. Also, several big controversies in the recent past either revolved around BJP or it was the party itself that created it. The national party has also started investing more resources in their campaigns, which may be much more than what DMK and AIADMK have done on social media. BJP has been on a recruitment spree in the state since 2014. In the past years, it has brought to its fold celebrities, bureaucrats, politicians from other parties, and even some individuals with criminal backgrounds. The actor-turned-politician Khushbu’s joining BJP was a significant event. BJP has created some space for themselves and mainly all the veteran politicians are dead so there is no one as strong as them to give a tough fight to BJP in the present time.

The Tamils consider Sri Lanka to be their existential enemy. It doesn’t matter what government is present in Sri Lanka, any friendly overture to Sri Lanka will be seen as anti-Tamil. BJP being a national party cannot afford not to engage with Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka expertly plays the China card whenever the Central government tries to get tough on its human rights violations or on the issue of Tamil fishermen being harassed by the SL Navy. Meanwhile, we cannot ignore the fact that the Dravidian movement has four major qualms. One is atheism, the second one is Socialism, the third is resistance to Hindi, fourth opposition to Brahmins. The BJP is a party that represents the exact antithesis of the politics the state is used to since the Congress party lost power half a century ago in TN. In the Northern and Western parts of India, the Hindus tend to see Muslims and Christians as ‘outsiders’. This politics of ‘us and them’ works well in states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, MP, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, etc. but we can’t say this will work in Tamil Nadu too. Historically the south has not faced much religious violence except during the age of Tipu Sultan. Issues like Ram Temple, Conversions, Beef politics, etc will not work here.

Also read: Why Indian mainstream Media divided into pro-Modi and anti-Modi groups?

In the Cauvery issue, there was a biased stand favouring Karnataka because they had an opportunity to win in the Karnataka Assembly polls. They filed affidavits in Supreme Court hurting the lower riparian State’s rights. Moreover, the Central government is expected to be neutral to the States. But it is practical that they support Karnataka, hence TN opposes BJP. Brilliant anti-BJP propaganda by all parties in TN both in mainstream and social media (it includes false narratives and half baked facts with no counter-strategy from BJP. Some facts are valid as in case of NEET issue). TN media is also ideologically Left and Dravidian school. Media is not professional and ethical in Tamil Nadu.

The most famous Tamil-speaking BJP Leaders in Tamil Nadu are Subramanian Swamy and that is not entirely for good reasons. After him, there are Radhakrishnan and Tamilisai Soundararajan. Above all Nirmala Sitharaman is one of the senior-most Tamil speaking leaders. But I don’t think she will enter state politics in Tamil Nadu. The leaders like Pon Radhakrishnan who was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Shipping between May 2014 and May 2019. Earlier, he served in the Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways in the NDA government. Tamilisai Soundararajan current Governor of Telangana and Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry. She was the National Secretary and Tamil Nadu State Unit President of the BJP prior to this appointment. Both these leaders made a mockery of themselves in the media. The interviews they give are just horrible. They bring down the already bad image of the BJP in Tamil Nadu. I believe state Politicians of BJP should be as much representative of Tamil Nadu as they are representative of BJP. For now, they are just representatives of the BJP in Tamil Nadu.

Officially BJP is not a Hindutva party, they are a secular party. But there is no denying the fact that the policies of BJP are pro Hindu / Hindutva. At the grassroots level, BJP is still portrayed as a Hindutva Party. Tamil Nadu in-spite of being a Hindu majority, doesn’t support Hindutva Ideologies. There is no way Hindutva BJP would come to power in Tamil Nadu. Since there is no prominent communal tension, there have been a few, but they are way too far between that did not cause the Hindus to unite with a Hindu Identity in Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu voters don’t believe in a political party that seemingly divides people based on religion.

Also read: A Fan Gives Divine Status To Politicians In India

A single statement made regarding the language issue will make or break BJP’s political ambition in the state. Tamil Identity of Tamil people is one that has the power to bring all Tamils together, a single mistake here will prove to be fatal for BJP. We live in a country where our language (Tamil) is not the majority. Tamil people believe that any move to impose another Language (Hindi in this context) will affect the local language. BJP has to come out and make a statement about why Hindi is recently slowly creeping and finding its way into Central government establishments and Banks in Tamil Nadu. It is believed that removing Tamil in the above-mentioned areas is the first step towards the forceful imposition of Tamil. Tamil people expect BJP to clearly mention that Hindi is not the National Language, not in Tamil Nadu, but in states where Hindi is the major Language. Getting politics at the grassroots level is more important than writing an impressive election manifesto. BJP must capitalize on the ‘Corrupt party’ image of DMK and AIADMK. DMK’s involvement in the 2G scam and the AIADMK’s ex-leaders asset case is to be taken advantage of. If BJP is not involved in any major corruption scams in the current tenure in Centre, it will help BJP a lot in this strategy. BJP should take advantage of the lack of a good political heir to Jayalalitha and Karunanidhi in AIADMK and DMK respectively. One major similarity among almost all Major Political Leaders in Tamil Nadu is that almost all of them were great orators, Annadurai, Karunanidhi was exceptional orators Jayalalitha was not as good as these two but was good in her own right. What MGR lacked in his oratory skills made for with his popularity. One thing none of the four lacked was an unmatched charisma. Such a personality is missing in both the Dravidian Parties. With nepotism running in DMK I don’t see them roping in a new politician to become the face of DMK. But AIADMK might do it. But BJP must act fast to make sure that they find such a person. If BJP succeeds in touching the pulse of TN State, there are definite chances to grab a lot of seats.

Illegal Immigrants – Not Feeling Safe In Mumbai Since Bangladeshi Office-Bearer Of BJP Got Arrested

By

Akshay Redij

-

February 21, 2021

Rubel Jonu Sheikh, head of the BJP’s North Mumbai minority cell is arrested, the Mumbai police found that the 24 North Parganas address and school details in West Bengal furnished by him were fake. He had been living in Mumbai illegally since 2011 and had procured fake identity cards such as PAN and Aadhaar card with the help of his fake documents. He has also obtained Indian citizenship by using fake documents, and not only that he made his space in Indian politics by joining Bharatiya Janata Party. With his arrest, many illegal migrants left Mumbai and headed towards north India and Delhi.

Rubina Pasha, a migrant domestic worker said, “Many people from my basti are silently going to Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, as we fear arrest while cops are doing combing operation.”

Sheikh, in his documents, had claimed to be a resident of Malapota gram panchayat in West Bengal’s 24 North Parganas district, and his school’s name was shown as Bolganda Adarsh High School in Nadia district. However, when a team from Mumbai Police went to Malapota gram panchayat to inquire about him they found that panchayat does not have any resident named Rubel Jonu Sheikh. The verification of his documents at the Nadia district collector’s office revealed that the school-leaving certificate which Sheikh called his own was issued in the name of some other person.

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh broke the news to the media stating that the office-bearer of the BJP is a Bangladeshi and had been staying in the country with fake documents. Taking a dig at the BJP, Deshmukh wondered how the party made him an office-bearer without checking his documents or verifying his credentials. Deshmukh had ordered an investigation into the matter.

In reply, BJP asked the MVA government to find out similar cases in the NCP, Congress. BJP vice president Chitra Wagh said her party would not defend any wrongdoing, if any, on the part of Shaikh but added the MVA government must show “similar enthusiasm” to find out similar cases in the NCP, Congress, and other parties. The 24-year-old Sheikh was arrested by Mumbai Police in a crackdown on illegal immigrants and was booked under sections of the Indian Penal Code, the Passport Act, and the Foreigners Act.

Uddhav Thackeray – Most Efficient Working CM Of Maharashtra

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 21, 2021

Uddhav being the first time Chief Minister of Maharashtra looks enthusiastic and very active in his role. However, controversies kept cropping up every now and then but he maintained his demure. Maharashtra is one of the most advanced and progressive states in India, it has its challenging vision for its development. Uddhav is here to bring that change, his Government has appointed a panel to extend relief to farmers with loans amounting to Rs 2 lakh. The second tunnel boring machine (TBM) for the underground metro stretch is flagged off. Uddhav has announced an allotment of Rs 20 crore for Raigad – the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the development work has already begun. Metro projects are launched in Nashik, Thane after they were launched in Pune and Nagpur. A special grant of Rs 100 crore for the development of Pathri (birthplace of Sai Baba) was announced, but a controversy erupted over CM Uddhav’s reported comment calling it Sai Baba’s birthplace, still he ignored the unnecessary attacks and carried out his mission. ‘Shiv Bhojan’ scheme is providing subsidized meals at Rs 10 in various parts of the state. The Maharashtra government also announced lots of funding towards the growth and advancement works of state municipal hospitals. One of the straight examples is Wadia Maternity and Children’s hospital that could resume its operations and also directed the BMC to release its share of Rs 22 crore.

Also read: “CM Clearly Says, Aurangabad Is Sambhajinagar And Will Remain So”: Sanjay Raut

Works worth Rs 2,031 crore in Aurangabad will be completed in one to three years. The development projects include an ambitious water supply scheme of Rs 1,680 crore, the Balasaheb Thackeray memorial worth Rs 25 crore, a safari park worth Rs 174 crore, and the construction of 23 roads worth Rs 152 crore. He assured the citizens that all the promises related to water supply, road works would be fulfilled. For several years, people have been assured that the water woes of Aurangabad will be resolved but nothing much was done. The Thackeray government is making every effort to generate employment. Maharashtra with a geographical area of 9.4% of India constitutes about 10.2% of the total workers of the country. Employment in the state has changed remarkably since Maha Vikas Aghadi took over to govern the state. Greater employment being generated by various training and skilled programs. The employment scenario of Maharashtra with respect to the classification of the workforce according to location, employment in different activities, gender, and levels of education suggests that employment generation in non-agricultural activities especially in rural areas will provide a lot of respite to the rural population and lead to exclusive progress of the state. Maharashtra is the third largest state with a total geographical area of 308’000 sq. km. which is 9.4% of India and the second largest in terms of population. The state has 35 districts with 535 towns and 43,663 villages. It is divided into six revenue divisions, first one is Amravati Division, Aurangabad and the second division is Konkan Division, Nashik Division, Nagpur Division, and Pune Division. The total population of the state in 2010-11 is 11,23,72,972 with 6,15,45,441 as rural population and 5,08,27,531 as urban population. Population density is 365 persons per sq. km. Such a huge state needs a steady pace for overall development.

Also read: Train the youth as per the demand of employment: CM Thackeray

Mumbai roads were one of the most challenging issues; there was a lot of criticism about potholes and road repair work. Since last year the roads are getting better, the potholes are getting filled, the bridges are getting repaired, the greenery is getting restored. From health care to transportation and infrastructure, BMC has shown its remarkable speed under the Thackeray government. As an opposition, BJP plays a repulsive game, its only objective is to disrupt the government. Their leaders are pressurized by ED, there are raids and summons. Some BJP loyal influencers and TV channels were assigned to humiliate and attack CM Thackeray and his Maha Vikas Aghadi government. All that was not easy for CM, he had to walk his path against all the odds thrown at him. But still, he believes that there should be healthy competition between states in offering facilities and not in competition between states in concessions inland or electricity rates to attract investment. From major infrastructure projects such as the Metro network to growth incentives in overall areas, Mumbai’s Development Plan to policy initiatives, to rural development Chief Minister of Maharashtra is doing his best. Soon after taking over as the Chief Minister, Uddhav was faced with the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mumbai being one of the most thickly inhabited cities in the world was the hardest hit due to an overnight knee-jerk lockdown by PM Narendra Modi. Uddhav has managed the lockdown very well considering his inexperience at state-level administration. Making available the necessities, facilitating the orderly exit of migrants from the state, and allowing people to move out to villages from cities have been excellent moves. This was followed by rigorous testing unmindful of the criticism of Maharashtra having the highest number of cases in India. Even the BJP couldn’t find much fault except blaming Uddhav for not opening temples when bars are already open which does not carry much weight as the temples are already accessible throughout the state except in some pockets. The BJP and its notorious IT cell have misjudged the capabilities of CM Thackeray but those attacks just boomeranged and continue to do so. One cannot ignore the fact that he has proven himself to be the most efficient CM of the state.

Municipal Commissioner Issues Strict Directives; Citizens Flouting Rules For Home Isolation, Weddings And Public Gatherings Will Be Prosecuted

By

Afternoon Voice

-

February 19, 2021

Although the spread of COVID-19 in Mumbai is under control, there has been a surge in the number of cases over the past few days. Hence all MCGM machineries need to be extra vigilant. In view of the rising number of cases in the city, the hands of those who are advised for home quarantine shall be stamped while those breaking rules shall be prosecuted.

An action shall also be initiated against organisers and managements/establishments flouting rules laid down for organising weddings, 300 marshals to be deployed in suburban trains to take action against citizens travelling without masks. The number of marshals to be deployed across Mumbai will be doubled. Buildings with more than 5 COVID-19 patients to be sealed and more such directives were issued today by Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal.

The threat of COVID-19 is still not over yet with the new strain of the virus spreading in some parts of the World. While the vaccination drive is in full swing across Mumbai and Maharashtra, and since the number of COVID-19 cases has been on the rise for the past few days, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has instructed all to take precautions.

Looking at the rise in COVID19 cases, BMC has issued guidelines for citizens
Buildings with more than 5 COVID-19 patients will be sealed
Stamping of Hands for positive patients advised Home Quarantine
300 marshals will be appointed to take action against passengers travelling without a mask in suburban railways
The number of marshals will be doubled to take action against citizens without masks, with an aim to catch 25,000 offenders every day
Orders to raid marriage halls, clubs, restaurants, etc. to check COVID appropriate behaviour
Passengers coming to Mumbai from Brazil will be put in compulsory Institutional Quarantine
The number of tests will be increased in wards having a rising number of cases

In this regard, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal dated 18th February 2021 held a meeting with all Additional Municipal Commissioners, Zonal Joint Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners of all Ward Offices along with concerned officers via video conferencing. Municipal Commissioner Chahal reviewed the situation and gave necessary directives to all concerned.

Municipal Commissioner Chahal said that in comparison to June-July 2020, the spread of coronavirus in the city is still under control. However, with the number of cases on the rise, the system needs to be vigilant. As public life returns to normalcy, it becomes all the more important for citizens to follow all COVID-prevention norms; especially since the threat of coronavirus is not over yet. It is pertinent to take stringent action against offenders to limit the spread of the virus. In line with the above, Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal has given the following directives:

1. All asymptomatic patients being treated at home (home quarantine) to be stamped as earlier. Also, their information should be communicated to their respective societies. Ward War Rooms are instructed to closely monitor the patients. They should be contacted via landline telephone 5 to 6 times a day to ensure that they are at home. Close contacts should be isolated after taking complete information of the patient. If the asymptomatic patient steps out of the house or walks around in any public space before their Home Quarantine period is over, societies are requested to cooperate with MCGM and inform their respective Ward War Rooms. Ward War Rooms are instructed to take legal action against such patients. In addition, these patients will then be subjected to compulsory institutional quarantine.

2. Residential buildings with more than 5 COVID-19 patients will be sealed.

3. Use of mask is mandatory in wedding ceremonies, gymkhanas/clubs, nightclubs, restaurants, cinema halls, all religious places, playgrounds and gardens, public places, shopping malls as well as all private offices. If it is found that masks are not being used and more than 50 people are found gathered at the same time, then the concerned persons will be fined. Establishments and managements will also be prosecuted.

4. Regular inspection of halls, marriage halls shall be done. At least 5 such places should be raided and inspected every day. If a violation of any rule is found, legal action should be taken against the organizers of the wedding/parents of the bridegroom as well as the concerned management.

5. In order to take action against those who do not use masks properly and spit in public places, the number of 2,400 marshals currently working in Mumbai should be doubled to 4,800. It is necessary to put up a deterrent on those who are roaming without a mask. In view of this, punitive action should be aimed against about 25,000 citizens every day against the current average of 12,500 citizens.

6. In order to take action against unmasked travellers on the Western, Central, and Harbour Suburban Railway services in Mumbai, a total of 300 marshals will be deployed (100 marshals on each line).

7. The Mumbai police are now being empowered to take action against unmasked citizens. The police can also act as marshals by imposing fines on the violators.

8. MCGM teachers will be deployed at all buildings, offices, hospitals, etc. managed by MCGM with powers to take punitive action against those roaming without masks.

9. In order to monitor all places of worship, women marshals will also be deployed along with male marshals. Roaming without a mask, gathering of more than 50 people at a time or any such violation will lead to punitive action.

10. Action will also be taken against those found in playgrounds and parks without masks.

11. In Municipal wards with the rising number of COVID-19 cases, action should be taken on the lines of Mission Zero. Area mapping should be done in order to test a maximum number of people in such wards. In addition, at least 15 close contacts per COVID-positive patient should be tracked and kept in isolation.

12. In slums, narrow settlements, densely populated areas, health check-up camps should be organized with the help of NGOs to identify suspects. In addition, the patient search should be continued through mobile clinics with an emphasis on testing.

13. COVID Care Centre 1 (CCC1) for High-Risk Contacts and COVID Care Centre 2 (CCC2) for Asymptomatic patients – at least one of either centers shall be kept functional in each ward.

14. Municipal Commissioner also mentioned that there should be adequate availability of regular and oxygen beds at Jumbo COVID Centres.

15. Disaster Management Department should update information on COVID-19 patients, availability of beds, and other necessary information from all government and private hospitals within the MCGM jurisdiction by collecting it every hour through the dashboard.

16. As per guidelines issued by the Central Government, all passengers coming to India from Brazil will have to undergo mandatory Institutional Quarantine. In line with the Government of India directives, MCGM has decided to keep all passengers coming to Mumbai from Brazil under mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine. The implementation for the same has already begun.

Journalist Priya Ramani Released In Defamation Case, Shocked MJ Akbar

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 18, 2021

Noting that a woman has the right to put her grievance even after decades, the Delhi court Wednesday acquitted journalist Priya Ramani in the criminal defamation case filed by former union minister and journalist MJ Akbar. He shocked many people with his unpredictable approach first joining the BJP was a real shocker for some older people who have seen his firebrand secular writing in Sunday Magazine which was a sensation those days. After the Gujarat riots, he wrote in 2002: “In Hitler’s case, the enemy was the Jew; in Modi’s case the enemy is Muslim. Such a politician is not a fool; in fact, he may have a high degree of intellect. But it is intellect unleavened by reason, and untendered by humanism.” That MJ Akbar who wrote about the Moradabad riots in 1980 Eid the day of Death, lashing out fearlessly at congress party’s criminal neglect in providing protection to minorities. That was the time he was young and idealist now he is a highly seasoned influential journalist who acquired worldly wisdom along the way if you can’t beat them join them. Worldly conventional wisdom has paid off. He became an honourable Minister in BJP. Why would he spend his precious time below poverty line illiterate people, when he can shine among movers and shakers?

Another shocker came with the acquisition of sexual assault. Ramani, the first woman to accuse MJ Akbar of sexual harassment during the #MeToo campaign, in an article in 2017 and a tweet in 2018, had alleged that the former Minister of State for External Affairs had sexually harassed her during a job interview in 1994. Over 20 women accused Akbar of sexual harassment during the time they had worked with him as journalists. He has, however, termed the allegations “false, fabricated and deeply distressing” while stressing that he was taking appropriate legal action against them. Akbar, had told a Delhi court through his lawyers that Ramani “deliberately, intentionally, maliciously” destroyed evidence by deleting the Twitter account. There could be some truth in the allegations, against the Minister. He has been a celebrated editor, a well-known journalist, and is quite well regarded for his writing. He has written quite a few books. I have had an opportunity to read, Kashmir, Behind the Vale (1991), The Shades of Sword (1994), Blood Brothers (2006), and Nehru: The Making of India (1994), of the many books penned by MJ Akbar. These are really good books and written in well-crafted English.

Due to his writings, Akbar had and still has a huge fan following. The admiration and adulation, the writer has received, and the desire of the people in power, to cultivate an editor of such stature makes MJ Akbar, a man of power in his own right, even without being a central government minister. Many aspiring journalists would have come to him to learn the craft of good journalism, from a master. Slowly this power starts breeding a sense of entitlement, including expectations of sexual favors. So, I do believe there could be a strong possibility of some truth being there in the allegations being labelled against MJ Akbar.

Instead of resigning from the post and then clearing his name as a private citizen, he has chosen to brazen it out, by filing a defamation suit against Priya Ramani. It is a criminal defamation suit. That he has denied the allegations is understandable. But what beats common sense is the fact that the Modi government has bought Akbar’s theory of a conspiracy against the present government of labelling such allegations just before the forthcoming general elections. But then Modi is so much at loss to understand, that how could a people, who supported him that big in 2014, turn against his government so much in just a few years, that he is willing to buy the conspiracy theory.

There is some sensitivity still left and MJ resigned from the government and is to clear his name as a private citizen. Because both PM Narendra Modi and late Sushma Swaraj were just ready to make a scathing attack on the Congress party, that Congress Ministers are so corrupt, dishonest, and pervert, Congress party has no honourable people among them. But the accusations of sexual harassment and molestation against their own, BJP sitting Minister of State for External Affairs not gone well with the party. As soon as they realised this, that Akbar is one of our own they lost their voice, and they maintained silence. Well, there is a justice system and one has to pay for its Karma.

Reading out the order, the court said that there are social stigmas attached to the allegations. Society must understand the impact of sexual abuse and harassment on its victims, and added, “A woman has right to put her grievance even after decades”. The court further informed the parties that an appeal can be filed in case of any grievance and asked Ramani to furnish a bail bond in case an appeal is preferred. In its verdict, the Delhi court observed that even a man of social status can be a sexual harasser. “Sexual abuse takes away dignity and self-confidence,” it said, and asserted that the “right of reputation can’t be protected at the cost of the right to dignity.” The court also referred to ancient texts and Mahabharata while reading out its order. The court recorded that Ramani’s disclosure was in the interest of helping those facing sexual harassment at the workplace. The Delhi court, hearing the criminal defamation case, however, rejected the defense of the accused regarding a particular portion in the Vogue article. It contended that the allegations were malicious and defamatory publication by design. Reading out the order, the court stated that MJ Akbar was defamed after the publication of tweets. The court further stated that Akbar is a man of reputation and that the content is not disputed by Priya Ramani. The court noted the submissions made by Priya Ramani and reiterated the defense taken by her. It is further contended that the tweet on resignation was untrue. “On perusal and joint reading… the court is of the view that content is defamatory,” the court said. Let’s hope the other women who feel vulnerable and intimidated can rise too.

Chembur Once Again On BMC Radar; M West Ward Records 25 New COVID-19 Cases Daily

By

Hema Singh

-

February 16, 2021

Mumbai’s Chembur area is once again on the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) radar owing to the sudden spike in daily COVID-19 cases. Reportedly, at the start of the global pandemic, the M-West ward was one of the worst-affected wards in the city.

The civic body of the city on Monday stated Chembur is reporting the highest number of daily cases, which is a matter of concern, and there are chances that the BMC is likely to impose local lockdown measures.

As per the BMC date, a week ago, the ward was recording less than 15 new cases daily, which has now increased to more than 25 cases. The daily Covid-19 growth rate of the ward is 0.28%, higher than the city’s average growth rate of 0.14%.

Also read: Are We Prepared For Another Lockdown?

To contain the spread of the virus the BMC has warned residents to either follow the guidelines or be ready to face yet another lockdown. The civic body has started issuing stringent guidelines to residential societies in the ward with the subject line— ‘Appeal/Instructions to all societies to follow strict covid guidelines’.

“Your society will restrict the entry of outsiders to a minimum including maids/milkman etc; measures like thermal screening to be strictly implemented; positive cases, if any in society, to follow strict quarantine guidelines by the family for 14 days; others in the family to get tested compulsorily as high-risk contacts and any other symptomatic person in society to get checked for Covid through MCGM,” read the BMC statement.

Afternoon Voice spoke to several residents of the Chembur area, and asked are they prepared for another lockdown? Here’s what they had to say:

Gaurav Singh an MBA student from Chembur told Afternoon Voice, “If the cases are rising then the government should impose another lockdown in the area. When asked is what kind of problem people will face if the lockdown will be reimposed.”

“I don’t think so people will face major problems because everyone is mentally prepared how to deal with the lockdown. Initially, it was a new concept (lockdown) for all of us but now It won’t be as stringent as it was imposed at the beginning of the pandemic,” added Singh.

Disha Goraksha a law student from Tilak Nagar said, “I think everyone is prepared for another lockdown if the government will impose. There is a surge in the number of cases in Chembur, and for our own safety lockdown is a must is what I feel. Now everything is available online from groceries to essentials so nothing much to worry about. And several people are working from home since the beginning of the pandemic. So, I think another lockdown may not hamper our life, as we all have been to this situation earlier.”

A local BJP worker of Chembur Bhanudas Yashwant Tulsulkar said, “Chembur area is divided into two parts. In the first part, you will find all the upper class and business people while the second part (Siddharth colony, Lal Dongar, P L Lokhande Marg) belongs to the people who earn on a daily basis (Laborer, vendors, drivers). The people from the second section of the area haven’t overcome the previous lockdown phase. And if the government is planning re-impose another lockdown then there are fewer chances that this section (second part) will survive in the coming future. So, I don’t think it’s a wise decision by the BMC.”

Doctor Ayesha Ramnani who is an owner of Gurunanak Dental Clinic, in Chembur said, “The thought of another lockdown gives a chill, the almost same time during the last year we got to know about this dreadful disease and just a month back the news of vaccine gave us all hope that covid is gone for good now but again COVID and Lockdown I really don’t think we are ready for it again on both grounds mentally and financially.”

“I am a dentist by profession and yes COVID has hampered my practice a lot during this last year, this new year gave me hope for my clinic would get back on track but again a lockdown I don’t know if I am prepared for that again. I feel rather than imposing a complete lockdown in Chembur the BMC should put restrictions on public gatherings, strict checking if people are not wearing masks. These are just a suggestion rest whatever is the decision we have to follow, irrespective of the fact that are we prepared or not,” added Ramnani.

Akshay Gupta an entrepreneur from the Deonar area told AV, “I think another lockdown will lead to nothing but the destruction of livelihoods. India has built up herd immunity at large and the number of spikes currently being questioned is not as substantial as it may sound. There is a sudden spike in cases because people have started to put their guard down considering covid is gone. However, instead of lockdowns, raising awareness, enforcing strict rules, and ensuring people adhere to the same would be the correct way forward. There is a lion in the house, locking down and hiding will be a temporary fix – Fencing the boundaries will ensure the lion doesn’t enter again.”

Meanwhile, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar on Tuesday said that a lockdown may have to be imposed in Mumbai in view of the rise in Covid-19 cases “if people don’t follow rules”.

On Monday, the city of Mumbai recorded 493 COVID-19 cases along with three deaths. The coronavirus caseload in Mumbai has now reached 3,14,569, while the overall death toll stands at 11,420.