Maharashtra civic polls: Parties lost should introspect, says Owaisi
Hyderabad (PTI): Thanking the people of Maharashtra for electing 125 of its candidates as corporators in various Municipal Corporations in the western state, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Saturday said the parties that lost the polls should introspect.
Addressing a press conference, Owaisi said the AIMIM party is gearing up to contest Municipal polls in Telangana and that the party already sought the names of interested candidates.
“Now those parties who abuse us (as BJP's B team) should think of themselves. It is the decision of the people. There is an English saying that victory has many fathers, defeat has none. Why did we (they) lose? Those great people will have to say. As far as the voters' list is concerned, it is correct,” he replied to a query.
Replying to a query on Thackeray cousins coming together, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP said the verdict is in front of everyone, and Uddhav Thackeray's candidate has won in the area where Eknath Shinde’s house is located.
“Our party has won. I am happy. I do not know about others,” he said.
Owaisi exuded confidence that his corporators who won on the party’s symbol would sail with the party, even as AIMIM is taking all precautionary measures to keep the flock together.
Reacting to a query on being called the BJP's "B team", Owaisi said he does not have a cure for such allegations.
"It (allegations) makes no difference to me. Those talking such nonsense should understand that you are disrespecting the people who voted for us. If you hurt them, your downfall will continue. AIMIM will become even stronger," he said.
Asked on reports of posters at Haridwar’s Hari Ki Paudi allegedly banning the entry of non-Hindus, Owaisi said this is against the Constitution. He said it is a form of untouchability and violates the right to equality.
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Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link now fully operational
Mumbai (PTI): The Mumbai-bound carriageway of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway connecting link was opened to vehicular traffic on Saturday noon after a delay caused by the dismantling of inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work, a day after the Pune section became operational.
The 13.3 km-long "missing link", which bypasses a section of the Bhor Ghat stretch of the expressway and cuts travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 25 to 30 minutes, was inaugurated a day earlier by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
The Pune-bound carriageway of the corridor was opened to traffic immediately; however, the Mumbai-bound section remained closed to traffic for several hours after the inauguration.
An official of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation told PTI on Saturday that the opening of the Mumbai-bound carriageway was delayed mainly due to the dismantling of the inauguration infrastructure and cleaning work.
The removal of the stage and other decorations was completed in the morning. The work to load and transport the material slightly delayed the opening of the carriageway.
Vehicular movement on the carriageway began after all the remaining material was cleared and road cleaning was completed, the official added.
The expressway control room said that despite significant vehicular movement, the access-controlled highway has not witnessed any major traffic snarls since Friday evening, after the Pune-bound carriageway of the missing link was opened to traffic.
The Missing Link project connects Khopoli (in Raigad) on the Mumbai side to Kusgaon near Lonavala in Pune district and is expected to make the expressway fully access-controlled, easing congestion in the ghat section.
Developed by the MSRDC and dubbed an "engineering marvel", the project includes two tunnels, two viaducts and a cable-stayed bridge over Tiger Valley. It bypasses the steep, accident-prone ghat section, where frequent traffic snarls are reported during weekends and on public holidays.
