BJP leaders trying to destabilise Maharashtra government: Congress
Mumbai: BJP leaders in Maharashtra are trying to destabilise the ruling dispensation for power, but there is no reason to worry, state Congress president Balasaheb Thorat said on Tuesday.
The Congress is one of the constituents in the Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. Other partner is Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
"BJP leaders in the state are greedy for power. They cannot think of helping the government in the current situation. They are trying to destabilise the government," Thorat told reporters.
Asserting that there was nothing to worry about the survival of the government, Thorat, who heads Revenue department, said the ruling dispensation is stable and functioning properly.
When asked why no Congress leader is seen around chief minister Uddhav Thackeray or NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Thorat said, "We are in touch with each other over phones. Nothing should be read into such appearances or disappearances".
Interestingly, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said in Delhi that his party is not a key decision-maker in the Maharashtra government.
"We are supporting Maharashtra government, but we are not in the key decision-making role in Maharashtra," he said in an online press conference, adding that Maharashtra requires full support of the Central government as the state is fighting a very difficult battle.
Maharashtra political scene hot up after a BJP delegation led by former CM Devendra Fadnavis recently met governor B S Koshyari and complained to him about the "failure" of the government in tackling the COVID-19 crisis.
While the Shiv Sena, without specifying any party or leader, has said the opposition's efforts to destabilise the state government could boomerang, the NCP has accused the BJP of spreading a rumour that President's rule will be imposed.
The demand for imposition of the President's Rule was indeed made on Monday by BJP MP Narayan Rane after meeting the governor at Raj Bhavan.
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FIR against five students of Pune law college for ‘ragging’ junior
Pune (PTI): Police have registered a case against five students of a reputed law college in Pune for allegedly ragging a junior, more than a year after he first approached the institution authorities with a complaint.
A first information report (FIR) was registered on Saturday against the students under the Maharashtra Prohibition of Ragging Act at Deccan police station, officials said on Sunday.
While the college initially investigated the matter, the complainant was not satisfied. He escalated it through the University Grants Commission's (UGC) anti-ragging mechanism and made repeated follow-ups, as per the FIR.
The complainant, then a first-year LLB student, alleged sustained mental harassment, intimidation and ragging inside the hostel. The accused were a year senior to him.
According to the FIR, the harassment began after he objected to smoking on the premises. He alleged repeated verbal abuse and psychological harassment, including being locked in his room, eggs being thrown at his door and gutka being spat outside.
He also claimed loud music was played at night to disturb him and that he was at times restricted from moving freely in the hostel, including accessing the washrooms. The student said the incidents led to social isolation, severe mental distress and affected his academic performance.
College authorities said the matter dates back to 2024 and arose from disputes among hostel residents. They said the institute acted in accordance with UGC anti-ragging guidelines after receiving the complaint. A detailed report was also submitted to the UGC, they said.
“The institute’s anti-ragging committee conducted a probe, but prima facie, no evidence of ragging was established. Since the allegations were not substantiated, no action was warranted. Had any instance of ragging been proved, immediate disciplinary action would have been taken,” the authorities said.
The student first approached the college in October 2024 and later contacted the UGC anti-ragging helpline. Since he was not satisfied with the internal inquiry, he pursued the matter with supporting documents, following which the case was registered, according to the police.
A senior police official said the case was registered after taking cognisance of the facts placed before them.
“The investigation is in progress, and due legal procedure will be followed. Further action will be taken based on the findings,” he said.
