Maharashtra minister inaugurates 'Call Hindu Jobs' portal, faces criticism over communal focus
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Mumbai: Maharashtra Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, has inaugurated a digital employment portal titled Call Hindu Jobs, sparking debate over its exclusive community focus.
Developed by Vishal Durafe, a member of the Hindu Jagran Manch and former leader of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, the portal is yet to become operational. The Hindu Jagran Manch is affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
During the inauguration, Lodha stated that the platform aims to assist youth in securing employment and learning self-employment skills, including marketing training. “Durafe has done good work. Maharashtra needs employment on a large scale. I inaugurated this as I hold the employment portfolio,” Lodha said.
When questioned about the appropriateness of a government minister endorsing a community-specific initiative, Lodha defended the move. “There is nothing wrong if someone decides to do some constructive work only for the Hindu community,” he said, according to Deccan Herald. He further added that the government would support similar initiatives by other communities as well.
In remarks reported by The Print, Lodha clarified that the portal is open to all. “Out of their own sentiment, they have named the portal for Hindus, but if anyone in Maharashtra uses it, nobody is going to say no.”
Vishal Durafe stated that the portal’s main objective is to connect Hindu job seekers with business owners from the community. He also mentioned plans to expand the portal's features to include self-employment, e-commerce, and matrimonial services. However, when asked whether participation would be restricted to Hindus, Durafe responded, “It is not necessary.”
The initiative has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition. Mahesh Tapase, spokesperson for the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar faction), said, “Any minister has to work as per what is defined by the Constitution, which clearly spells out equal opportunity for everyone. Once a minister endorses a communal jobs portal, it raises the question on whether he understands the role he has to play as a minister.”
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Double-decker electric bus gutted in fire at Kurla BEST depot
Mumbai (PTI): An empty double-decker electric bus was gutted in a fire during servicing at a BEST depot in Mumbai's Kurla area on Sunday, officials said, adding that nobody was injured.
The blaze broke out inside the Kurla BEST bus depot near Kanakia Building at 4.14 pm, according to preliminary information from the Mumbai Fire Brigade.
The parked bus was unoccupied at the time of the incident.
Fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and brought the blaze under control. The exact cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained, they said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, officials added.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking has hired 50 electric double-decker buses from Switch Mobility in its fleet of around 2,700 buses.
