Ajit absent as Shinde and Fadnavis visit RSS founder's memorial; 'optics' won't work, says NCP (SP)
Mumbai, Sep 01: NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday didn't join his Cabinet colleagues Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in visiting the Nagpur-based memorial of the RSS founder.
Taking a swipe, NCP (SP) leader and MLA Jitendra Awhad said people will not be fooled by Ajit Pawar's optics given that he shares power with the BJP, backed by the Sangh.
Shinde and Fadnavis visited Hedgewar's memorial in Nagpur ahead of a "Mazi Ladki Bahin" scheme function in Nagpur.
"Ajit Pawar is playing a game at a different level. He is politically sharing power with the BJP but has also been trying to project himself as a leader who will not visit the memorial (of the RSS founder). He (Ajit Pawar) acts differently in public as a politician and practices different politics behind curtains," Awhad alleged.
He rejected PM Narendra Modi's apology over the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's statue in Sindhudurg district.
"Why did Modi raise the Veer Savarkar issue and demand an apology (for those who insulted) Savarkar while speaking about the statue incident? The Savarkar issue was over before the Lok Sabha elections. It means he (Modi) did not want to apologise. Why bring up an issue nobody was discussing?" Awhad stated.
He alleged the government's laxity in arresting the accused sculptor of the Shivaji Maharaj statue that crashed; suspects involved in Vishalgad fort vandalism, and the principal of the Badlapur school where two girls were allegedly sexually assaulted by an attendant.
The MLA from Mumbra-Kalwa in Thane district also alleged that the state government had promised to increase the monthly wages of ASHA workers by Rs 5,000 last December, but the payment has not been revised yet.
"Additionally, the portion of their payment that used to come from local governing bodies has now been completely stopped. As a result, the approximately 72,000 ASHA workers in the state are being exploited by the state government," the former minister claimed.
Awhad alleged that Shiv Sena leader and state health minister Tanaji Sawant's "nausea" remarks on the association with NCP was a fallout of Pawar- who holds the finance ministry- objecting to clearing Sawant's file.
"Sawant intended to purchase a vehicle for Rs 30 lakh despite its actual price being only Rs 3 lakh. This caused a stormy discussion at the last Cabinet meeting where Ajit Pawar objected to the inflated price. It was revealed that Sawant had already taken a 50 per cent commission, but, the file regarding the purchase is now stuck." he alleged.
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TN govt reaffirms 21-yr age limit for liquor sales
Chennai (PTI): Seeking to curb rising alcohol consumption among minors in the state, the Tamil Nadu government has reinforced the legal age requirement of 21 for all liquor purchases and consumption.
The government has also ordered the closure of 717 liquor outlets across the state and warned of strict action against those who violate the new directives.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC), the agency which holds a monopoly on sales of liquor, will be shutting 276 outlets near places of worship, 186 near educational institutions and 255 outlets near bus stations.
A senior TASMAC official on Thursday said that the staff at liquor shops have been instructed to check identity proof, including Aadhaar card, for all customers whose age is in question.
The official also said that the state government is considering a reduction in operational hours.
Currently, the liquor shops across the state operate from 12 noon to 10 pm.
"They are weighing a proposal to move the closing time to 8 pm," he added.
At present, the TASMAC operates a total of 4,765 liquor shops across the state. After the closure of 717 shops, it would come down to 4,048 outlets.
In 2025, the revenue from liquor sales stood at Rs 48,344 crore, which is the second highest after the registration department.
