Non-Hindus must not be allowed to set up shops at Nashik Kumbh Mela: Maha minister Nitesh Rane
Nashik: Stoking another controversy, Maharashtra minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nitesh Rane on Thursday demanded that non-Hindus should not be allowed to set up shops at the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in Nashik.
Speaking to reporters, Rane, who is also the state fisheries minister, said the Kumbh Mela is a "festival of faith" and asserted that those who do not follow Hindu beliefs should not profit from the mela. He added that the seers and the general public should be cautious and avoid entertaining such people during the fair.
"For those who consider us 'Kaafir,' why should we buy puja items from them? Only Hindu shops should be set up. This is our sentiment, and it reflects the sentiment of every Hindu community. There’s nothing wrong with that. During Eid and other such festivals, no one buys from Hindus because they consider us 'Kaafir [unbelievers]'..." the BJP leader remarked.
Rane, known for his anti-Muslim statements, also urged Hindus to be vigilant and prevent outsiders from setting up shops or businesses using "Hindu-sounding names."
The Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha, a Hindu religious congregation held every 12 years, will next be celebrated in October 2026. It is one of the four Kumbh Melas held across India.
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MP Raghav Chadha's Z-plus security cover withdrawn by Punjab govt
Chandigarh (PTI): Days after a verbal spat between MP Raghav Chadha and the AAP over his removal from the post of deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, the Punjab government has withdrawn his Z-plus category security cover, it has been learnt.
Chadha is a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and was accorded by the state government a Z-plus category security cover.
The cover was withdrawn a few days ago, sources said.
The Aam Aadmi Party on April 2 announced the replacement of Chadha with MP Ashok Mittal for the post of deputy leader in Rajya Sabha.
Chadha said he had been "silenced, not defeated", attracting a retort by his party, which accused him of engaging in "soft PR" and restraining himself from raising his voice against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre in Parliament.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said he believed Chadha was "compromised" for denying the party whip.
"If Chadha is unwilling to speak on issues like the 'deletion' of votes in West Bengal, stage a walkout from Parliament on important issues or raise a voice against the arrest of several AAP volunteers and leaders in Gujarat, then it is breaking the party line and going against the party whip," Mann earlier said.
Punjab AAP leaders, including Cabinet minister Harpal Singh Cheema, too attacked Chadha, accusing him of failing to raise the state's issues in Parliament.
Responding earlier, Chadha shared a video showing his interventions on key issues affecting Punjab.
Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and Congress criticised the AAP government over the withdrawal of Chadha's Z-plus security cover.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that a government which claims to represent ordinary households has completely "politicised" the Punjab Police.
He demanded that the DGP explain the grounds Chadha was earlier granted security and now its withdrawal.
"Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal are misusing the Punjab Police on a large scale for political interests. While police and vigilance agencies are being used against political opponents, the force is not being deployed adequately for the safety of Punjab's people," Majithia alleged in a statement.
He claimed that Chadha was also given a residence in Chandigarh.
Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said the BJP and AAP may pretend to be at loggerheads, but they are two sides of the same coin, "misusing agencies" to settle political scores.
"When it suits them, they scratch each other's back, the security cover to Raghav Chadha exposes this convenient nexus," he said.
"Both have conveniently buried cases like DIG Harcharan Singh Bhullar and (former minister) Laljit Singh Bhullar, where no real action has been taken. People can see through this charade, this isn't law taking its course , it's pure 'noora kushti'. Punjabis know that it is collusive politics," Bajwa said on X.
