Uddhav skipping Maha Kumbh: He is scared of calling himself Hindu, says Dy CM Shinde
Mumbai, Feb 27 (PTI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday took a dig at Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray for not attending the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh and said the latter was scared of calling himself a Hindu.
Considered among the holiest pilgrimages by Hindus, the Maha Kumbh started on January 13 and concluded on February 26. The Maha Kumbh 2025 saw a record 66 crore devotees thronging the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati.
"Those who skipped Maha Kumbh should be asked why they skipped it. They keep saying they are Hindus. Bal Thackeray proudly gave the slogan 'garv se kaho hum Hindu hain (proclaim it proudly that we are Hindu) but now they are scared of calling themselves a Hindu and call (Bal Thackeray) Hinduhriday Samrat," Shinde told reporters without naming Uddhav Thackeray.
Shinde was responding to a question on Thackeray and the Gandhi family of the Congress not attending the mega congregation.
The Deputy CM also said the issue connected to the post of guardian ministers would be resolved soon.
The issues in Mahayuti have been addressed amicably and with coordination, he asserted.
After naming Girish Mahajan (BJP) and Aditi Tatkare (NCP) as guardian ministers of Nashik and Raigad, respectively, the state government put the order on hold as Shiv Sena staked claim over the two posts.
Meanwhile, Suhas Minchekar, a former MLA who was associated with Shiv Sena (UBT), joined the Shinde-led Shiv Sena during the day.
Minchekar, who hails from the Kolhapur, is the third former MLA associated with Shiv Sena (UBT) to have joined Shinde in less than a fortnight.
On February 15, former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Rajan Salvi joined the Shinde-led Sena. Salvi, a three-term MLA from Rajapur, lost to Shiv Sena's Kiran Samant in the November assembly polls.
This month former MLA Subhash Bane also joined the Shiv Sena. Bane was an MLA of the undivided Shiv Sena but had rebelled along with Narayan Rane and unsuccessfully contested a bypoll as a Congress candidate. He later rejoined the undivided Shiv Sena.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) has been witnessing a series of desertions since its rout in the Maharashtra assembly polls.
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Rupee falls 28 paise to 94.77 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee depreciated 28 paise to 94.77 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday as market sentiment took a dramatic turn after reports emerged that the US and Iran are discussing a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at reducing tensions and reopening negotiations.
Forex traders said Brent oil prices, which had fallen to USD 98 on the US-Iran peace deal, edged slightly higher to USD 101 per barrel after investors weighed the prospects for a Middle East peace deal.
Moreover, factors such as unabated foreign capital outflows amid rising geopolitical uncertainties further dented investor sentiment.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 94.77 against the US dollar, registering a fall of 28 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the rupee appreciated 69 paise to close at 94.49 against the US dollar.
"Markets are currently focused on the critical 48-hour window during which the US expects Tehran’s formal response through Pakistani mediators," said CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari.
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened Iran with more bombing if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz, amid a report that the warring sides were nearing an agreement to end the war.
US media outlet Axios reported, quoting US officials and two other sources, that the US and Iran were getting close to a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war and set a framework for more detailed nuclear negotiations.
The US expects Iranian responses on several key points over the next 48 hours, Axios reported, adding that nothing has been agreed yet. This was the closest the parties had been to an agreement since the war began.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.01, down 0.01 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.65 per cent at USD 101.83 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex declined 160.24 points to 77,798.28 in early trade, while the Nifty was down 30.25 points to 24,300.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 5,834.90 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, the country's goods and services exports rose 4.6 per cent to an all-time high of USD 863.11 billion during 2025-26, up from USD 825.26 billion in 2024-25, despite global economic uncertainties, according to revised commerce ministry data.
Merchandise exports grew 0.93 per cent to USD 441.78 billion in the last fiscal year from USD 437.70 billion in 2024-25, the data showed.
