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Ajit Pawar lavishes self-praise, plays victim; MVA says sops ‘no favour’ to Maha

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Ajit Pawar lavishes self-praise, plays victim; MVA says sops ‘no favour’ to Maha

Mumbai, July 4 (IANS) Taking political circles by surprise, ruling Mahayuti ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar posted a video statement praising himself on the Maharashtra budget (2024-2025), and then playing the victim card, inviting flak from the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), here on Thursday.

Terming it as a “historic” budget, Ajit Pawar elaborated on the slew of schemes like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana, the initiatives for farmers, the youth and other developmental schemes – which the MVA has already dismissed as “eyewash with an eye on the elections.”

“Despite giving such revolutionary schemes like the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana for poor women from the age of 21-60 age, and other initiatives, the Opposition has been criticising me unfairly,” rued Ajit Pawar.

He said that the “scheme is intended to make women more independent and not feel compelled to ask for money from the men for small things, but the people who only want to play politics are criticising it, and, that’s the difference between them and me.”

“I continue to do my work… In the last so many years, check out how many schemes or initiatives I have launched, the list is long. Yet the Opposition is shouting that we have not given anything. Actually, they have nothing to do with the state’s development and are only engaging in politics,” added Ajit Pawar.

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He claimed that in his entire public career he never changed any political party and the people remained his constituency, yet he was being hounded for working in the interest of the citizens and the state’s progress.

“I was falsely accused of corruption, but not a single charge has been proved against me, nor will it be so in future. Those who work more get censured more. My crime is that I think of the poor and farmers, trying to ease their burden and improve their lot, which the Opposition cannot tolerate,” contended Ajit Pawar.

NCP(SP) Working President, Supriya Sule slammed her cousin and said that “the corruption charges were levelled by the Mahayuti ally BJP. He was accused of corruption by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other BJP leaders, nobody else… so he (Ajit Pawar) better question them… He has used the ‘Clock’ symbol in the video which may violate the court orders.”

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State Congress Working President, M Arif Naseem Khan reiterated that it’s “a poll-budget, but with no money in government coffers, nothing will get implemented. People know it’s a hoax.”

“It’s strange that the same Ajit Pawar who had threatened to stop development projects if the electorate in Pune didn’t vote for his wife (Sunetra Pawar), is now begging for votes from the same common people. It is an indicator of what’s in store,” Khan declared.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut said, “Ajit Pawar may not have changed parties, but what about ‘stealing’ his own uncle Sharad Pawar’s party. He must reply to this.”

The party’s farmer leader Kishore Tiwari said that Ajit Pawar’s claims were shocking as “he’s an elected public representative who is supposed to serve the masses.”

“You have done no favour to the people. It’s merely your duty till you are holding the post (of finance minister). You’re only deploying public funds back to the people, these are not coming from your pocket, so how can you talk like this,” asserted Tiwari.

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Commenting on the issue, NCP(SP) state President Jayant Patil and MLC Shashikant Shinde suspected “a big tussle in the Mahayuti to claim credit” for various things before the elections.

Rushing to Ajit Pawar’s aid, his party leader Amol Mitkari said that the Dy CM is being trolled and targeted for the budget as the new scheme is for poor women and not affluent ones.

Similarly, ruling ally Shiv Sena’s MLA Sanjay Gaikwad tried to shield Ajit Pawar saying that “the credit for the government’s work goes equally to the Mahayuti partners.”

Assuring to fulfil “Dada’s Vada” (Elder Brother’s Promise, as he is affectionately known as ‘Dada’ in political circles), Ajit Pawar said that the “people must see through the Opposition which has nothing to do with the state’s growth, and support those who work for progress in the October Assembly elections.”

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: q.najmi@ians.in)

–IANS

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Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms

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rajnath singh with armed forces chief

On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry announced that 2025 will be designated as the “Year of Reforms,” with a primary focus on establishing integrated theatre commands to enhance collaboration among the three branches of the military.

These reforms are aimed at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations, the ministry stated.

The initiative will emphasize emerging domains such as cyber and space, alongside cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the “Year of Reforms” as a pivotal milestone in the modernization of the armed forces.

“It will set the stage for significant advancements in the nation’s defense capabilities, ensuring the security and sovereignty of India in the face of 21st-century challenges,” he said.

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A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning

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A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR).

The district administration reported no casualties or property damage following the quake.

The tremor occurred at 10:24 am, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers north-northeast (NNE) of Bhachau, as per the Gandhinagar-based ISR.

Last month, the region experienced four seismic events exceeding a magnitude of 3, including a 3.2 magnitude tremor just three days ago, with its epicenter also near Bhachau.

Earlier tremors in the area included a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on December 23 and a 3.2 magnitude event on December 7, according to ISR reports.

Kutch was also jolted by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on November 18, 2024. On November 15, a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Patan in north Gujarat, based on ISR data.

Gujarat is considered a high-risk earthquake zone, having experienced nine major earthquakes over the past 200 years, according to the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). The 2001 earthquake in Kutch, which occurred on January 26, was the third-largest and second-most destructive in India in the last two centuries, according to the GSDMA.

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Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs

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Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s much-anticipated New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana faced legal hurdles after a complaint was filed by Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh.

Following the complaint, the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department, Government of Punjab, issued a formal notice to Ludhiana’s District Commissioner, urging them to prohibit Dosanjh from performing specific songs during his live show on December 31, 2024.

The notice specifically targets songs accused of promoting alcohol, including Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya), even if the lyrics are slightly modified. The complaint points to previous warnings issued to Dosanjh by various commissions advising against performing these controversial tracks.

Despite these warnings, the singer allegedly continues to perform the songs with minor alterations. Dharenavar raised serious concerns about the influence of such music on young audiences, especially when minors are present at live events.

Adding to the controversy, Dharenavar referenced a 2019 Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling, which directed law enforcement to ensure that songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are not played at public events, including concerts. This ruling underscores the legal basis for the complaint and has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the event.

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UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured

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UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured

Five people sustained injuries when a vehicle in the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad overturned into a ditch near Januan village in the Khejuri Police Station area of Ballia district late last night.

Sanjay Nishad shared details of the incident, stating that the accident injured five party workers, including four women.

“I was traveling with the convoy to participate in the Constitutional Rights Yatra organized by the party on Tuesday night. Near Januan village in the Khejuri area, one of the vehicles following the convoy lost control while trying to avoid an animal and overturned into a ditch,” Nishad explained.

The injured individuals have been identified as Rakesh Nishad, Ramrati, Usha, Geeta, and Iravati Nishad.

Senior police and administrative officials quickly arrived at the scene following the incident to oversee the situation.

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Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder

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Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder

The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher found dead after accusing the company of copyright violations, has alleged that her son was “murdered” and called for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.

Poornima Rao, Suchir’s mother, claimed her son’s death was a “cold-blooded murder” that authorities wrongly ruled as suicide. She further disclosed that a private autopsy report conflicted with the findings of the initial police investigation.

Rao alleged that her son’s apartment had been “ransacked” and cited evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains that suggested he had been assaulted.

“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not confirm the cause of death stated by the police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and it appears he was hit based on blood spots. This is a cold-blooded murder being misclassified as a suicide. Lobbying in San Francisco won’t deter us from seeking justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” Rao wrote on X.

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Elon Musk reacted to Rao’s post, commenting, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”

Balaji was discovered dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of violating copyright laws during the development of ChatGPT, as reported by Fox News. Despite these claims, the San Francisco Police Department found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.

On October 24, shortly before his death, Balaji voiced doubts about the “fair use” defense in generative artificial intelligence. “I recently participated in a NYT story about fair use and generative AI, and why I’m skeptical ‘fair use’ would be a plausible defense for a lot of generative AI products,” he wrote on X.

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