No resentment, says Shiv Sena MP as son denied ticket for Thane civic polls
Thane (PTI): After the Shiv Sena, led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, denied ticket to his son for the upcoming civic polls in Thane, local MP Naresh Mhaske said he was not upset over the move.
In a Facebook post, Mhaske said his family would continue to work for the Shiv Sena with full commitment, as he had never questioned the decisions taken under the leadership of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who heads the party.
Mhaske said his son Ashutosh had worked sincerely and quietly to resolve citizens’ grievances. “He worked not for any post, but purely as a Shiv Sainik. Naturally, citizens were keen that my son should continue working in the same area where I served,” he said, adding that people’s disappointment was understandable.
The Lok Sabha member said Ashutosh remains fully committed to the party. “Positions may come or go, but our dedication to the party will never diminish,” he said.
Though the filing of nominations ended on Tuesday, the Shiv Sena is yet to release the names of its candidates for the 137-member Thane Municipal Corporation. The BJP, Shiv Sena’s ally in Thane for the January 15 elections, shared its list of 40 candidates on Tuesday night.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena office-bearers from the Yeoor region in Thane resigned en masse on Tuesday, alleging that local candidates had been neglected in the elections. Earlier, youth leaders Swapnil Landge and Nikhil Budjade had distanced themselves from the party over ticket denials.
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Protests over rising prices spread across Iran as students join demonstrations
Tehran: Protests triggered by Iran’s worsening economic conditions spread to universities and commercial centres on Tuesday. Students joined shopkeepers and traders in demonstrations against soaring prices and the sharp fall of the national currency, according to semi-official media reports.
The unrest comes as the Iranian rial hit a record low, sliding to around 1.4 million against the US dollar on the open market, according to a Reuters. The currency has lost nearly half its value this year, while inflation reached 42.5 per cent in December, official data showed.
Semi-official Fars News Agency reported that hundreds of students staged protests at four universities in Tehran. Footage verified by Reuters showed groups of demonstrators marching through streets in the capital, chanting slogans, while state television broadcast images of gatherings in central areas of the city.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said late on Monday that he had instructed the interior minister to engage with protesters and listen to what he described as their legitimate demands. Government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said authorities would set up a dialogue mechanism that could include talks with protest leaders.
“We officially recognise the protests. We hear the voices of the people and understand that these demonstrations stem from pressure on livelihoods,” Mohajerani said in remarks carried by state media.
On social media platforms, several Iranians expressed support for the protests, warning that public anger over rising prices, corruption and economic inequality could spread further across the country.
Iran’s economy has been under strain for years following the reimposition of US sanctions in 2018 after Washington withdrew from the international nuclear agreement. United Nations sanctions were reinstated in September, and Reuters reported in October that senior officials had held multiple meetings to discuss ways to prevent economic collapse and manage public discontent.
President Pezeshkian, speaking at a meeting with trade unions and market representatives on Tuesday, said the government would make efforts to address economic grievances and ease concerns faced by workers and traders, according to state media.
On Monday, Iran’s central bank chief resigned, with local media linking the move to pressure on the currency market following recent economic liberalisation policies.
