BJP minister Ganesh Naik to hold 'janata darbar' in Shinde's stronghold Thane
Thane, Feb 23 (PTI): Maharashtra Forest Minister and BJP leader Ganesh Naik will on Monday hold a 'janata darbar' in Thane, a stronghold of Deputy Chief Minister and Shiv Sena president Eknath Shinde.
Naik, guardian minister for neighbouring Palghar district, last month said he would be holding public grievance meetings in Thane too, triggering speculation that the BJP was preparing to challenge the dominance of ally Shinde's party in the area.
Notably, the BJP leader had initiated the 'janata darbar' (public hearing) concept in the state in 1990s, connecting people with the administration to address grievances.
On February 3, Naik addressed a 'janata darbar' at Vashi in Navi Mumbai township of Thane district and on February 21 in Palghar district.
Large hoardings have now been put up for Naik's janata darbar to be held near the collector's office in Thane city on Monday, which is being seen in some political circles as a direct challenge to the Shiv Sena's influence in the area.
Earlier, when asked about political implications of such an event, Naik had said the sole purpose of the 'janata darbar' was to resolve public's grievances.
Ganesh Naik's son and former MP Sanjeev Naik, has held multiple meetings with Thane BJP leaders to oversee preparations for the event.
During his visit to the venue on Saturday, Sanjeev Naik dismissed the speculation of his father's event challenging the dominance of ally Shiv Sena, and said such "baseless rumours" were being spread by opponents.
He reiterated that the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP, remains strong and united.
Sanjeev Naik emphasised that the event is being held under the directions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to all ministers in the state to hold 'janata darbar' at different places.
"The idea is to bring governance closer to the people. Instead of 5,000 persons travelling to Mantralaya (state secretariat) to get their grievances addressed, the minister will meet them locally and resolve their issues," he told reporters.
On the issue issue of illegal constructions in Thane, the former MP blamed the administrative negligence for the proliferation of unauthorised buildings and said the government would take necessary legal action to address the issue while ensuring people's concerns are taken into account.
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Over 350 illegal religious structures removed along Nepal border
Lucknow, May 11 (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh government on Sunday said that more than 350 unauthorised religious sites, including madrasas, mosques, mazars and Eidgahs, have been identified and subjected to sealing or demolition in recent days, an official statement issued here said.
Acting on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's clear directive that no religious encroachment will be tolerated, the administration in districts such as Pilibhit, Shravasti, Balrampur, Bahraich, Siddharthnagar and Maharajganj has launched a sweeping campaign, it said.
The authorities have systematically identified illegal structures and taken strict action, continuing operations even on Sunday.
The chief minister has made it clear that encroachment in the name of any religion will not be allowed and all violators, especially those running unrecognised religious institutions, will face legal consequences, the statement said.
On May 10 and 11, 104 madrasas, one mosque, five mazars and two Eidgahs built illegally on public and private land were identified in Shravasti. All were issued notices and sealed, it said.
One illegal madrasa on public land was demolished and two unrecognized madrasas on private land were sealed, the statement added.
In Bahraich, officials identified 13 madrasas, eight mosques, two mazars and one Eidgah illegally constructed on government land.
After issuing notices, five were sealed and 11 were demolished, including eight madrasas, two mosques and one mazar, the statement said.
In Siddharthnagar, the authorities identified four mosques and 18 madrasas and one more madrasa for illegal construction. Notices were issued to these structures. Five madrasas were sealed and nine were demolished. In total, action was taken against 23 illegal structures in the district, it said.
In Maharajganj’s Nautanwa tehsil, Parsamalik village, an unrecognized madrasa operating on Maktab land was shut down based on a report submitted by the District Minority Welfare Officer.
The building’s keys were handed over to the local police station in-charge. So far, 29 madrasas and five mazars constructed through encroachment on public and private land have been demolished in the district.
In past two days in Lakhimpur Kheri, two mosques, one Eidgah on public land along with eight madrasas on private land were found to be illegally constructed.
Of the 13 structures identified, one was served a notice, nine were sealed and three have been demolished so far, the statement said.
The district authorities in Pilibhit have identified an illegal mosque built on public land in Bharatpur village, covering an area of 0.0310 hectares.
According to the district magistrate, a notice has been issued to the parties involved, seeking a response within 15 days. Action against the illegal construction will be taken after the notice period ends, it said.
On Sunday, an under-construction madrasa on public land in Virpur Semra village, Tulsipur tehsil, was demolished in Balrampur. So far, 30 madrasas, 10 mazars and one Eidgah have been demolished in the district.
Ten of them were built illegally on public land, while 20 were constructed without authorization on private land, the statement said.
