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‘Hurts the sentiments of Muslims’: Islamic body opposes permission to sell beer at departmental stores in Jammu and Kashmir

OpIndia Staff
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‘Hurts the sentiments of Muslims’: Islamic body opposes permission to sell beer at departmental stores in Jammu and Kashmir

On October 11, Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU), a group of various social, educational and religious organisations in the Kashmir valley, condemned the decision of the Jammu & Kashmir administration’s decision to allow the sale of beer and other ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages in the departmental stores. As per the reports, the Islamic body has said in a statement that the decision deeply hurts the sentiments of the Muslim community.

They further added that Kashmir is a Muslim-majority place and such decisions show ‘utter disregard for the tenants of Islam’. The statement read, “Open sale of alcohol in departmental stores will further promote addiction which is a major issue in Kashmir, especially among our youth, something that the authorities also claim to be concerned about. It will also encourage immoral behaviour.”

The body further questioned why the sale of alcohol was being encouraged in J&K while it was banned in some states. They urged the administration to withdraw the decision immediately.

Congress opposed the decision to allow the sale of beer

Apart from the Islamic body, the Jammu and Kashmir Congress also condemned the decision on October 11. The party called it an anti-youth move. They said that ‘after downgrading J&K’s statehood, the proxy BJP administration is pushing the youth in the UT towards alcohol addiction.’

Raman Bhalla, JKPCC working president, said, “The people of Jammu gave 25 MLAs to BJP, and it returned the favour with the worst gift possible”. He added that the decision would tarnish the image of Jammu, the holiest city of temples, that houses Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine.

Bhalla claimed that such a decision would encourage the consumption of alcohol that would affect the youth. He said, “When BJP was in the opposition, it used to blame the Kashmir-based governments for pushing Jammu youths into addiction. Now, the party has resorted to the wholesale opening of liquor shops in J&K.”

Mehbooba Mufti condemns the decision

In a statement, Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the decision. She said, “They (LG’s administration) issued an order yesterday allowing the sale of liquor in departmental stores. In their ‘model’ state of Gujarat as well as Bihar, the sale of liquor is banned. But here, they have brought a separate law to hurt the sentiments of Muslims.”

She added, “Religious scholars are being put behind bars, and others outside are being maligned. The government policies have failed, and if they keep pursuing wrong policies and continue with atrocities on the people, the results will be negative.”

Sale of beer allowed by J&K administration

On October 10, The Jammu and Kashmir administrative council, under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, approved the incorporation of liberal provisions in Jammu and Kashmir Liquor Licence and Sale Rules, 1984, and Excise Policy, 2023-24 for the grant of licence JKEL-2A. With the decision, the departmental stores in the urban areas will be allowed to sell beer and Ready to drink beverages in the UT.

Even as raids continue and one gets arrested for RSS worker’s murder, 14 PFI Islamists approach Delhi High Court demanding ‘compensation’ for arrest

OpIndia Staff
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Even as raids continue and one gets arrested for RSS worker’s murder, 14 PFI Islamists approach Delhi High Court demanding ‘compensation’ for arrest

On Wednesday, fourteen PFI workers who were arrested in a massive crackdown by the Delhi Police moved to the Delhi High Court seeking their release from the case. They claimed that they were unlawfully detained by the Delhi Police and demanded compensation for their arrest.

According to the reports, three distinct petitions were heard before a bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Amit Sharma, who allowed the petitioners’ counsel time to produce further papers and relevant judgments to back up their position. The bench has scheduled a hearing on the case for November 21.

The Delhi Police during the hearing raised a procedural query about the petitions’ maintainability, claiming that habeas corpus pleas cannot stand as most of the petitioners have been released on bail. Reports mention that a habeas corpus petition is filed to seek direction to produce a person who is missing or has been illegally detained.

The petitioners claimed that they were taken from their residences on the night of September 27 when police officers in civilian and military attire stepped in and took them up without alerting them or their families about the reason for their detention. They claimed that they were arrested without obeying legal processes and were taken to an unknown place by police. The petitioners have also asked for an independent, proper investigation into the authorities so that the allegedly misbehaving officers can face punishment.

This is a day after the Kerala Police detained MC Abdul Kabeer, the south district secretary of the extremist terrorist organization PFI in connection with the killing of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader A Sreenivasan. According to the Police, Kabeer was arrested for his participation in the conspiracy and for assisting the accused in destroying evidence.

He is said to have assisted the accused in disposal of two of the three vehicles used by the assailants. Reports mention that Kabeer was not on the 39-person accused list but his involvement was eventually exposed.

Earlier, the PFI leaders issued open threats to the RSS members in the state of Karnataka ahead of the Hindu festival of Dussehra. “We will be back with a vengeance. Watch out for us”, the members of the radical Islamist group scribbled a message directed toward RSS workers on the streets of Dakshina Kannada district.

This was days after the Central Government banned the extremist terrorist organization and its associate organizations for 5 years. The government maintained that the organizations operated as unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The affiliates banned along with the PFI include All India Imams Council, Campus Front of India (CFI), Rehab India Foundation, National Conf of Human Rights Org, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala.

The ban came following two rounds of searches by the NIA in a multi-agency investigation against the organisation for allegedly sponsoring terror operations in the nation. The initial series of raids occurred on September 22, with a follow-up on Tuesday, September 27 in multiple states, resulting in the arrest of at least 250 persons associated with PFI.

A huge amount of undocumented cash was also recovered from the PFI hideouts in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu and also documents on a ‘short course on how to make IEDs using easily available materials’. Meanwhile, pen drives containing videos related to ISIS, and documents related to the alleged objective of Ghazwa-e-Hind were found from the Uttar Pradesh PFI leadership and Marine radio sets from Tamil Nadu PFI leadership. Many other materials including wireless communication devices were also taken into custody by the officials.

Karnataka Hijab case: Two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivers a split verdict, matter to be placed before the CJI

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka Hijab case: Two-judge bench of the Supreme Court delivers a split verdict, matter to be placed before the CJI

On October 13, the two-judge bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia of the Supreme Court of India delivered a split verdict on the Karnataka hijab case. While Justice Gupta upheld the ban on Hijab in education institutes and dismissed the appeals challenging the Karnataka High Court order, Justice Dhulia allowed it.

As a result of the split ruling, the case will now be sent to the Chief Justice of India for suitable directions.

According to media reports, Justice Hemant Gupta upheld the ban by dismissing the 26 appeals filed against the judgment of the Karnataka High Court which held that hijab was not an essential practice of Islam and allowed the ban on wearing headscarves in educational institutions in the State.

Meanwhile, the second judge of the bench, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, expressed “divergence in opinion.” He set aside the Karnataka High Court judgment and held that the entire concept of essential religious practice was not essential to the dispute.

Owing to this difference of opinion, the Supreme Court bench has placed the matter before the Chief Justice of India for “appropriate directions.”

On September 22, the Supreme Court of India reserved the orders on various petitions challenging the verdict of the Karnataka High Court upholding the ban on Hijab in education institutes.

In its statement, the Karnataka Government argued in the apex court that the imposition of uniforms in schools and colleges might prevent the students from wearing religious attire, including Hijab, in educational institutions but does not suffocate one’s right to freedom of religion or expression.

Advocate General Prabhuling K Navadgi appearing for the state, argued that the Hijab is not an essential practice in Islam and that students who intend to wear Hijab can practice religion outside the schools. “Strict adherence to uniforms in schools promotes an irreligious disciplined atmosphere conducive for education and equality and unity”, he said.

The argument from the Karnataka government came after the Islamist side in the Court stated that the Hijab fell under religious rights guaranteed under Article 25 and, as a choice of the dress, also formed a part of the right to freedom of expression under Article 19.

Amid rampant stubble burning, Punjab Government fixes 2-hour window for bursting firecrackers on Diwali

OpIndia Staff
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Amid rampant stubble burning, Punjab Government fixes 2-hour window for bursting firecrackers on Diwali

On October 12, the Punjab government issued guidelines for the residents to burst firecrackers on Diwali and other festivals in the next three months. As per the guidelines, the residents will be allowed to burst firecrackers only for two hours, from 8 PM to 10 PM on Diwali.

The guidelines came amid the increasing incidents of stubble burning in the state that the government is struggling to control but has not succeeded to a notable extent.

Punjab Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer said, “Firecrackers will be allowed to be fired in the state (on Diwali) for two hours from 8 PM to 10 PM. The manufacture, stock, distribution, sale and use of joined firecrackers is hereby banned in the whole of Punjab. Only the green crackers would be allowed for sale and use in the state.”

Furthermore, he urged the residents to buy firecrackers through licensed traders only. He also asked the administration to ensure that the traders sell only permitted firecrackers. Apart from Diwali, timings have been set for Prakash Purab, Christmas and New Year’s eve.

He added, “Crackers will be permitted for one hour from 4 AM to 5 AM and one hour from 9 to 10 PM on November 8, the Prakash Purab day of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 35 minutes for Christmas from 11.55 PM to 12.30 AM midnight on December 25-26 and 35 minutes from 11.55 PM to 12.30 AM midnight on New Year’s Eve from 31 December-1 January have been allowed.”

Worsening air quality amid stubble burning

The guidelines of the state government came amid the increasing incidents of stubble burning in the state. Notably, the Aam Aadmi Party had claimed to take strong steps to control the stubble-burning instances in the state, but things did not work out in the first year of the government. The farmers are burning the stubble all across the state without any fear of the law and claim they do not have “funds” or “machines” to manage stubble. As a result, the Diwali festivities will get affected. Other major sources of pollution in the state include industrial emissions, vehicular emissions and dust pollution.

It is noteworthy that just a day before the Punjab government released guidelines, the Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav had held a virtual meeting with his state counterparts from Delhi, NCR and Punjab on controlling vehicular, industrial and dust pollution and stubble burning ahead of the winter season. During the meeting, stubble burning was one of the most crucial topics of discussion.

In an official statement, the ministry said, “The issue of vehicular pollution was also deliberated upon in the meeting and the states informed about strict action being taken to ensure that all vehicles have the pollution under check (PUC) certificate. Road traffic management systems were also discussed.”

As per Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (CREAMS) latest data, Punjab has seen 867 incidents of stubble burning since October 3.

Punjab saw 867 incidents of stubble burning. Haryana, saw only 87. Source: CREAMS

Such incidents are expected to increase further in the coming days.

IMF hails India’s digital cash transfer scheme as a ‘logistical marvel’

OpIndia Staff
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IMF hails India’s digital cash transfer scheme as a ‘logistical marvel’

On Wednesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that India’s digital cash transfer scheme and several other social welfare programs are a ‘logistical marvel’.

While addressing a Fiscal Monitor press conference, Paolo Mauro, Deputy Director of the Fiscal Affairs of India, asserted that there is a lot to learn from India. “From India, there is a lot to learn. If I look at the case of India, it is quite impressive,” he said.

Mauro underlined the sheer size of the country, saying it is a “logistical marvel” that several programs aimed at assisting low-income people reach hundreds of millions of people.

“There are programs that specifically target women. There are programs that target the farmers, and elderly,” he added.

The top IMF official also highlighted the success of various technological innovations in India, particularly, Aadhaar, India’s very own unique identification system.

Vitor Gaspar, IMF’s Director of Fiscal Affairs Department, underlining that the IMF is collaborating with India on the application of new technologies said, “we are collaborating with India that in that context as one of the most inspiring examples of the application of technology to solve complex issues of providing support to the people who need it the most.”

Notably, more than Rs 6.3 lakh crore were transferred to the beneficiaries under the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme in the fiscal year 2021-22, as per the information provided by the Ministry of Electronics.

During the previous fiscal year, an average of 90 lakh (9 million) Direct Benefit Transfer payments were processed daily.

According to government data, approximately 20,000 crores was recently transferred into the bank accounts of more than 10 crore beneficiaries under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. Every year, eligible farmers receive 6,000 in three equal installments of 2,000 under the PM-KISAN scheme. Since the scheme’s launch in 2019, 11 installments have been distributed, with over 2 lakh crore transferred to approximately 11.37 crore eligible farmers, as per the information provided by Centre.

In terms of digital payments, more than 8,840 crore digital payment transactions were processed in 2021-22, and nearly 3,300 crores in 2022-23. (up to July 24, 2022). A day saw an average of 28.4 crore digital transactions. Since 2013, more than 24.8 lakh crore (24.80 trillion) has been transferred through the DBT mode.

‘Our economic interests won’t be dictated by USA’: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirms that Joe Biden tried to postpone OPEC+ decision for oil cut

OpIndia Staff
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‘Our economic interests won’t be dictated by USA’: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirms that Joe Biden tried to postpone OPEC+ decision for oil cut

Following multiple ‘warning’ statements and accusations by the US government after the OPEC+ decided to reduce oil production by over 2 million barrels a day recently, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has issued a strong statement clarifying that decisions by OPEC+ countries are not the decision by one member country and are based on the economic interests of all member nations.

The Kingdom has indirectly confirmed that the US administration had indeed tried to pressurise the OPEC+ states to obtain a consensus to postpone the decision to reduce oil production for a month, till Biden’s midterm elections are over. Asserting that the decision of OPEC+ to cut oil production was taken unanimously by all member nations, Saudi Arabia has clarified that the USA’s accusation that Saudi Arabia was taking sides in the Russia-Ukraine conflict is totally baseless.

Affirming that OPEC+ decisions are taken to balance the supply and demand of the oil market and facilitate the economic interests of the member nations, Saudi Arabia has added that they had conveyed to the US government that their request to postpone the oil cut was not sustainable and would have made the market volatile.

Saudi Arabia has rejected the USA’s accusations of taking sides and has affirmed that the Kingdom calls for adherence to the UN charter and principles of International law, and does not support the infringement of another country’s territory. It has also hinted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia values relations with other nations but it won’t be dictated by the USA.

In the end, the statement by the Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry states that they value their relations with the USA and desire that it is based on the pillars of mutual respect, and active cooperation to further common interests to bring prosperity for the people of both countries.

The US has been issuing inflammatory statements against Saudi Arabia over oil cut

It is notable here that on October 5, the OPEC+ nations declared that they will be reducing oil production by over 2 million barrels a day. The Biden administration had tried a lot to convince the OPEC+ nations, especially Saudi Arabia, to postpone this decision, unsuccessfully, reportedly because President Joe Biden is facing midterms soon and an increase in oil prices can adversely impact his political prospects.

After the oil cut decision was taken, the US government, through various statements, had accused Saudi Arabia of ‘favouring Russia’ and had even warned it of sanctions. Joe Biden even said that there will be ‘consequences’ for Saudi Arabia. He had called that the decision was ‘against’, the American people. Biden is facing mid-term polls in November, and high oil prices may affect him badly.

Democratic Party leaders in the USA have been advocating for cutting all ties with Saudi Arabia.

Frictions between the Biden administration and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have been apparent for quite some time. Earlier, it was reported that Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, the de-facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, had refused to take Biden’s calls regarding oil production after the USA imposed crippling sanctions on Russia.

Suspicious adult content account continues to try and initiate conversation with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

OpIndia Staff
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Suspicious adult content account continues to try and initiate conversation with Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal

On October 12, the suspicious adult account on the social media platform Twitter continued to try and initiate a conversation with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The Twitter handle @Esmee4Keeps was seemingly pumped by the overwhelming reaction she got to tweet mentioning Kejriwal. She continued to initiate the conversation to and about Kejriwal and asked if she should go online on the adult platform Onlyfans and talk about the Delhi CM. She wrote, “Should I go live on OF and chat about Arvind? Come say hi,” and posted a link to her Onlyfans account.

Esmee4Keeps offered to chat about ‘Arvind’ on her Onlyfans account. Source: Twitter

As she kept getting a good response, Esmee4Keeps thought she should offer a ‘snack’ to Kejriwal. She published a sensual image of herself on the social media platform and asked a double-meaning question to the Delhi CM Kejriwal, saying, “Hey @ArvindKejriwal are you looking for a snack?” followed by an emoji. By the time the report was published, this particular tweet had gathered over 1,000 retweets and 2,250+ likes. Due to explicit nature of the image, we decided to crop it.

Sensual photograph posted by Esmee4Keeps offering ‘snack’ to Kejriwal in a double-meaning tweet. Source: Twitter

‘Snack’, as per online slang, is someone who looks good at the moment and not necessarily an actual food item categorised as ‘snacks’.

Kejriwal was following an adult account on Twitter

On Wednesday 12 October 2022, Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was spotted following an adult content account named Esmee. Social media users took a swipe at the AAP supremo, mocking him with memes for following an account that posted pornographic content. 

As per social media users, Arvind Kejriwal followed a Twitter account named @Esmee4Keeps, the display picture of which shows a woman dressed in skimpy clothes. Social media users shared photos and videos as evidence to back their claim that Kejriwal was indeed following a pornographic content account and shared creative memes to take a dig at the Delhi CM for his online antics. The account has more than 130.6K followers and follows 8 Twitter accounts.

Reports claim the account was fake

Following the social media uproar, we checked if Arvind Kejriwal was following @Esmee4Keeps or not. However, the following list of Kejriwal had no such account with the said handle. Additionally, there are social media posts that claim the account is probably fake and was earlier used to post pictures of children doing crazy and funny things. However, there is no clarity if the account is fake or is indeed being run by an adult content creator.

Union govt forms committee to probe WHO report saying medication made by Indian firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals caused death of 66 children in Gambia

OpIndia Staff
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Union govt forms committee to probe WHO report saying medication made by Indian firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals caused death of 66 children in Gambia

The Central Government constituted a four-member expert committee on Wednesday 12th October 2022 to probe the World Health Organization (WHO) reports on the deaths of 66 children in the Gambia caused by cough syrups made by Sonipat-based firm Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited.

According to a report by ANI, the official sources said, “Government is alert and formed a committee. Production of cough syrups by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd has been suspended, and a lab report is awaited. Four-member expert committee has been formed to investigate the report sent by WHO.”

AK Pradhan, JDC(1), CDSCO, Dr. YK Gupta, Vice Chairperson, Standing National Committee on Medicines (chair), Dr. Pragya Yadav, ICMR-NIV, Pune, Dr. Arti Bahl, Division of Epidemiology, NCDC, New Delhi, and Dr. YK Gupta are the members of the committee made up of technical specialists.

Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited firm in Sonipat has been instructed to cease producing all cough syrups, according to an order from the Haryana government. A show-cause notice for 12 irregularities discovered at the company’s production facility has also been issued.

On 12th October 2022, Haryana health minister Anil Vij said in an interaction with ANI, “The samples of three drugs of the Sonipat-based pharmaceutical company, which were mentioned by WHO, have been sent to Central Drug Laboratory in Kolkata. The report is yet to come. We will take action only after the report comes. After a joint inspection by Central and State officials, 12 violations were found in the manufacturing facility. It has been decided to shut down total production. We have sent a notice in this regard.” The pharmaceutical business has come under scrutiny when 66 children in the Gambia died after ingesting the cough medication.

According to reports, with approval to export medications to the Gambia, Atlanta-based Atlantic Pharmaceuticals Company Ltd. bought bottles of combination syrups from Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited. It should be noted that the company manufactured and exported the bottles only to the Gambia, and the same was not sold in the Indian market.

The sources said, “From the preliminary inquiry of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), it has been made out that Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd is a manufacturer licensed by the State Drug Controller for the product’s Promethazine Oral Solution BP, Kofexnalin Baby cough syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and MaGrip n Cold Syrup under reference, and holds manufacturing permission for these products for export only.”

The sources added, “It is a usual practice that the importing country tests such imported medicines on quality parameters, and satisfies itself as to the quality of the products before the importing country decides to release such products for usage in the country. In the present case, it is yet not clear whether these medicines were tested in the Gambia before release.”

According to the tentative results received by WHO, Four samples out of the 23 samples of the products in question that were analyzed were found to contain either high amounts of diethylene glycol or ethylene glycol. The officials said, “WHO has not yet made available a certificate of analysis. It has informed that the same will be made available in near future.”

On October 5, the WHO issued a medical alert saying that four substandard products made by the Indian firm were responsible for the death of 66 children in the African nation. The four products are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup, all made by Maiden Pharmaceuticals. According to the alert, laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol as contaminants. Although the products were distributed only in Gambia, according to WHO they may have been made available in other countries through unofficial channels.

‘Adult’ Twitter account allegedly followed by Arvind Kejriwal responds to him: Here’s what happened

OpIndia Staff
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‘Adult’ Twitter account allegedly followed by Arvind Kejriwal responds to him: Here’s what happened

Earlier today, social media was abuzz with assertions that Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal allegedly followed a Twitter account that appeared to post adult and pornographic content. The Twitter account @Esmee4keeps has now responded to Kejriwal, welcoming him on her OnlyFans page and promising to chat with him later.

“@ArvindKejriwal awesome to see you on my onlyfans, chat with you later,” the account tweeted.

Source: Twitter

Arvind Kejriwal called out for allegedly following an adult content account on Twitter

On Wednesday 12 October 2022, Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was spotted allegedly following an adult content account named Esmee. Social media users took a swipe at the AAP supremo, mocking him with memes for following an account that posted pornographic content. 

As per social media users, Arvind Kejriwal followed a Twitter account named @Esmee4Keeps, the display picture of which shows a woman dressed in skimpy clothes. Social media users shared photos and videos as evidence to back their claim that Kejriwal was indeed following a pornographic content account and shared creative memes to take a dig at the Delhi CM for his online antics. The account has more than 130.6K followers and follows 8 Twitter accounts.

Following the social media uproar, we checked if Arvind Kejriwal was following @Esmee4Keeps or not. However, the following list of Kejriwal had no such account with the said handle. Additionally, there are social media posts that claim the account is probably fake and was earlier used to post pictures of children doing stupid things. However, there is no clarity if the account is fake or is indeed being run by an adult content creator.

Once called red monkeys by Bal Thackeray, Communist Party joins hands with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena for Andheri East by-election

OpIndia Staff
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Once called red monkeys by Bal Thackeray, Communist Party joins hands with Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena for Andheri East by-election

On 12th October 2022, the Communist Party of India and Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena joined hands together to contest the upcoming by-elections of the Andheri east assembly constituency. It is notable that CPI and Shiv Sena are known as the archrivals of a bygone era because there has been bloodshed in the past on various occasions between the two parties. But in the upcoming by-elections of the Andheri east seat, the two parties have come together to fight the alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena. Leaders of the CPI extended their support to Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena and assured him that they will support Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena in the upcoming by-election.

A communist party of India delegation met Shiv Sena Thackeray faction leader Uddhav Thackeray and assured him of full support to the Shiv Sena candidate in the by-poll in Andheri. The delegation also assured Thackeray that ‘we are with you in the fight against the BJP.’ Comrade Milind Ranade, secretary of CPM, senior leader Comrade Prakash Reddy, Prakash Narvekar, Baba Sawant, trade union leaders Vijay Dalvi and Babli Rawat met Uddhav Thackeray at his residence Matoshree at 2.30 pm on October 12. Shiv Sena leaders Anil Parab, Ravindra Waikar, Arvind Sawant, Sunil Prabhu, Ramesh Korgaonkar, and others were present on the occasion.

Although the Communist Party of India has limited strength in the Andheri East assembly constituency, the two extreme ideologies coming together, the communists supporting the Shiv Sena in the Andheri by-election is a major turning point in politics. Since the formation of the Shiv Sena, the Sena has had a very intense fight with the Communists. The two parties were considered hardcore opponents of each other.

It was due to this fight that communist leader Krishna Desai was killed in Mumbai in 1970. There was fierce competition between the two unions to pull the mill workers to their side. Balasaheb Thackeray used to refer to the Communist Party workers as red monkeys. But in the meantime, the politics changed. Uddhav Thackeray also changed his ideological positioning as he apparently quit the Hindutva ideology. Now, after joining hands with Congress and NCP, Shiv Sena is now allying with its opponent and CPI to resist the BJP.

Communist Party had a stronghold in the Lalbag and Parel area of Mumbai. Shiv Sena tried to contain this force. In the meantime, the conflict between the Shiv Sena communists flared up. Communist leader MLA Krishna Desai was assassinated on June 5, 1970. His murder created a stir in Maharashtra. The Shiv Sena was suspected of his murder. Desai’s murder was followed by a direct fight between his wife Sarojini Krishna Desai and Shiv Sena’s Vanrao Mahadik in the Parel bypoll. In this election, Wamanrao Mahadik won by 1679 votes. Now, these two parties which once fought against each other are coming together to fight against BJP in the Andheri assembly constituency by-poll.

It is notable that as both factions of Shiv Sena are claiming to be the real Shiv Sena and claiming the party name and symbol, the Election Commission has frozen them, refusing them permission to use them till the Commission decides on the issue. For the bypolls, the ECI has granted new names and symbols to both factions. Uddhav Sena faction has been granted the name Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray, and they were given the symbol of mashaal (flaming torch). On the other hand, the Eknath Shinde faction has been named Balasahebchi Shiv Sena and they will use the symbol of two swords and a shield symbol for the upcoming polls.

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