All 65 Shiv Sena MLAs lodged in Mumbai hotel
Mumbai: Not willing to take any chances from potential poachers, the Shiv Sena has decided to shift all its 65 legislators to a private sea-facing hotel in suburban Bandra till the state political crisis is resolved, party sources said here on Thursday.
The legislators, who are from Mumbai and different parts of Maharashtra, are expected to be lodged at the Hotel Rangsharda near the Bandstand in Bandra West. Contrary to speculation in some quarters, the legislators would not be herded in a five-star hotel, but a modest and comfortable hotel at a convenient location.
The hotel is barely a couple of kms from Sena President Uddhav Thackeray's residence in Bandra East, around 4 km from Shiv Sena Bhavan, 16 km from Raj Bhavan and 19 km from the Vidhan Bhavan.
When questioned on the move, Sena MP Sanjay Raut denied that any of their legislators would be susceptible to poaching while BJP minister Sudhir Mungantiwar expressed similar sentiments over his party's elected representatives.
Meanwhile, adopting a firm stance against possible deserters, the Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party have unofficially reached an understanding that in case any legislator from their respective parties defects, he/she would be defeated by them unitedly in the next elections.
It is reliably learnt that groups of Shiv Sainiks and activists of the Congress-NCP are keeping 24x7 tabs on the movements, activities and visitors of their respective legislators in a bid to prevent anybody from crossing over to the BJP.
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Youth Congress demands Pradhan's resignation over NEET question paper leak
Bhubaneswar (PTI): Youth Congress activists on Friday staged a protest here demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET question paper leak.
Holding posters, banners and party flags, the Youth Congress activists took out a protest rally in Bhubaneswar from the state Congress office to Master Canteen Square and burnt effigies of Pradhan and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The education system has collapsed during the tenure of the BJP-led NDA government, Youth Congress leader Laxmipriya Nayak alleged.
During the past 12 years of Modi's rule, there have been 89 paper leaks and 48 examinations retested, she claimed.
"About 2 crore youths have been affected by the question paper leaks in the last 7-10 years. And, 24 lakh students have been affected by the recent NEET question paper leak incident," another protester, Shilpishree Harichandan, claimed.
"The Union government is playing with the future of the youths of the country. So, Pradhan has no moral right to continue in his position. He should step down," Harichandan said.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) had cancelled the NEET-UG exam, held on May 3, after a paper leak. The Union education minister on Friday announced that the NEET-UG re-exam will be conducted on June 21.
