BJP picked Ritu Tawde as Mumbai mayor due to Marathi backing for Sena (UBT) and MNS: Raut
Mumbai (PTI): Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Sunday claimed the BJP was forced to choose a Marathi mayor for Mumbai due to the overwhelming support of Marathi people to his party and the MNS in the BMC polls.
Speaking to reporters, Raut also took a dig at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after actor Salman Khan was seen interacting with its chief Mohan Bhagwat here on Saturday at an event to mark the RSS's centenary.
"Was it a welcome for Bollywood star Salman Khan or (a message that) Muslims are also welcome in the Sangh and its shakhas?" the Rajya Sabha member asked.
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Bhagwat should have clarified about it because of the way Hindu-Muslim hatred and vindictive propaganda is being spread and the Sangh is also part of it, he charged.
On the BJP fielding Ritu Tawde (53) for the Mumbai mayor's post, Raut said she is originally from the Congress. The BJP does not have anything original of its own, he claimed.
"The way Marathi people overwhelmingly voted for the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS, the BJP had to make a Marathi mayor in Mumbai," he stated.
Tawde is all set to become Mumbai's mayor and the party's first in four decades after Sena (UBT) decided against fielding a challenger, making the contest unopposed and ending the Thackeray family’s 25-year dominance over the richest civic body.
The Mumbai mayoral election is scheduled for February 11, which is the last day to withdraw the nominations.
The Sena (UBT) had raised the emotive "Marathi identity" plank in last month's Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections, where the party had allied with MNS. The BJP emerged as the single largest party in the 227-member BMC by bagging 89 seats, while its ally Shiv Sena won 29 seats.
In the Opposition camp, the Sena (UBT) secured 65 seats, while its allies, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) won six and one seat, respectively.
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Delhi: Father, son held for killing 19-year-old woman in suspected honour killing
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi Police has arrested a man and his son for allegedly murdering his 19-year-old daughter in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area, an official said on Friday.
The case first came to light on April 1 after a PCR call was received around 2 pm, alleging that a woman had been killed by her family members and her body was being taken for last rites, he said.
The accused, identified as Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and his son Meraj Ali (19), were arrested in connection with the case, the officer said.
The victim had been in a relationship with a man from her native place for the past two years, which was opposed by her father, Maneer and brother Meraj, he said.
"When the girl did not end the relationship despite objections, the family killed her," the officer said.
On April 1, the police said that when their team reached the spot, they found that the woman's body was being taken for burial.
Acting on the input, the burial process was stopped over suspicion of honour killing.
"Police intercepted the family members and took possession of the body," he said.
Police said that the man who had made the PCR told them that the woman was in love with his cousin.
During the inquiry, police also interacted with the PCR caller, who said his cousin, a friend of the deceased, had informed him about the situation and suspected foul play, prompting him to alert the police control room.
The body of the woman was subsequently shifted to the mortuary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital for preservation and postmortem.
Police said that both the crime team and the forensic science laboratory (FSL) team were called to inspect the scene and collect evidence.
Police said that, as per the postmortem report, the cause of death was identified as smothering, indicating that the woman was suffocated.
A preliminary inquiry also revealed that the family had initiated preparations for the last rites soon after the woman's death, raising suspicion about the circumstances.
Initial investigation pointed to the family's opposition to the woman's relationship.
"The family members of the woman saw her with the man, and she was taken back home. We got to know that she was beaten up and even locked inside the house for some days," a source said.
Further investigation into the matter is underway, police added.
