Sarnaik faces Oppn fire over Rapido link to family sport event after exposing its illegal services
Mumbai (PTI): A month after exposing the illegal plying of bike taxis by Rapido in Mumbai, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik is now facing Opposition criticism after it emerged the aggregator is the lead sponsor for a 'Dahi Handi' event organised by his family.
Talking to reporters on Thursday, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar accused Sarnaik, an influential Shiv Sean leader from adjoining Thane district, of misusing his ministerial post.
In a much publicised expose on July 2, the Transport Minister booked a ride using Rapido app to verify a senior government official’s claim that illegal bike taxi services were not functional. Pratap Sarnaik booked a ride from Mantralaya in south Mumbai to Dadar in central Mumbai using the app.
When the biker arrived outside Mantralaya, the minister handed him over Rs 500 and counselled him about the illegal service.
Referring to the incident, Pawar noted the Maharashtra government had then said it has still not permitted such services in the state, but Rapido is the main sponsor of the 'Dahi Handi' event, Pro Govinda League (PGL).
"The same Rapido company is the lead sponsor for the Pro Govinda event organised by the minister's family. You used your post to pressurise (the company) to (sponsor) your programme. This is unethical," the Opposition legislator maintained.
The NCP (SP) state general secretary demanded clarification from the BJP-led Mahayuti government on the issue.
Purvesh Sarnaik, son of Pratap Sarnaik, defended the move to seek sponsorship from the bike aggregator, saying Rapido has been associated with the Pro Govinda League even before the July 2 action by the minister.
The game ('Dahi Handi') should not be linked with politics, Purvesh Sarnaik opined.
Dahi Handi is a traditional game and PGL is played on a mat for safety purpose. This should be a matter of happiness for the state, he said.
Pro Govinda is a professional league dedicated to the sport of human pyramid formation, traditionally known as Dahi Handi, which is an integral part of Janmashtami celebrations.
The third season of the PGL began on August 7 at Dome SVP Stadium, Worli, and will conclude on August 9.
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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
