Amravati civic polls: 22 BJP candidates claim Navneet Rana campaigned against party
Twenty-two BJP candidates in Amravati Municipal Corporation polls have written to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. They demand the expulsion of former MP Navneet Rana. The candidates allege Rana campaigned against the party. They claim she called BJP nominees 'dummies'. Rana promoted her husband's party candidates as the 'real BJP candidates'. The BJP lost seats in the election.
BJP retains power in Nagpur, emerges as single largest party in Akola, Amravati
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has emerged as the leading party in the municipal corporations of Nagpur, Akola, and Amravati in eastern Maharashtra. The Congress secured the top position in Chandrapur. The BJP retained power in Nagpur for the fourth consecutive term, winning a significant majority of seats.
Owaisi's AIMIM wins 114 seats in Maharashtra civic polls, including 33 in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
The All India Majlis E Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) secured 114 seats in Maharashtra civic elections. Asaduddin Owaisi's door-to-door campaign and rallies energized party workers. Previous close defeats also motivated the cadre. The party's performance in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Malegaon, and Amravati was notable. This victory reflects a strong showing across the state.
Clashes, EVM issues and cash-distribution allegations overshadow civic polls
Officials, however, maintained that there were no major incidents in Mumbai, the largest corporation and the most closely contested. EVMs reportedly developed faults in wards across Nagpur, Amravati, Shirgaon, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Kanya Vidyalaya), Akola (Pink Polling Center), and Dhule
BJP ends alliance With Ravi Ranas party in Amravati, claims support of his wife
Confirming the development on Sunday, Amravati BJP district president Nitin Dhande said the party had withdrawn its support from the six seats earlier allotted to the Yuva Swabhiman Party
Amravati Project Phase-2 Begins, Farmers Want Guarantees Before Giving Land
Andhra Pradesh's ambitious capital city project has entered a decisivephase, with the state government formally launching the second round of land pooling for Amaravati.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) national president and MP Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday sharply criticised the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh, during a press conference held in Amravati.
Hindus should give birth to three to four kids to protect Hindustan: BJP
Amravati: BJP leader Navneet Rana on Tuesday said Hindus should give birth to at least three to four children to counter the design of some people who want to turn Hindustan into Pakistan by producing children in large numbers. I appeal to all Hindus. Listen, these people openly say they have four wives and 19 Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
ArcelorMittal to Invest $0.9 Billion in 3 New Clean Energy Projects in India
ArcelorMittal has planned for a 36-MW solar project at Amravati in Maharashtra by the first half of 2027
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is among the 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra to which elections will be held on January 15, Wednesday. The counting of votes is scheduled for January 16, Friday, the State Election Commission (SEC) announced on Monday. Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Nagpur and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are among the other prominent civic bodies going to polls. He reportedly confirmed that the election code of conduct has now come into force in all 29 local bodies. As many as 2,869 seats in these municipal corporations will be up for grabs in these local bodies, where elections are due since early 2022. Maharashtra State Election Commissioner Dinesh Waghmare said the nomination process will begin on December 23, Tuesday with candidates allowed to make their submissions for a week until December 30. Scrutiny of papers will be done on December 31, and January 2, Friday, will be the last date of withdrawal of nominations, he said. Symbol allocation and the final list of candidates will be published on January 3. Polling in the 29 municipal corporations spread across Maharashtra will take place on January 15 and votes will be counted the next day, news agency PTI quoted Waghmare as saying. He said these 29 civic bodies, including the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have 2,869 seats on offer and 3.48 crore voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in these major urban centres of the state. After long and tiring political blame games and court battles, the Supreme Court had finally given the deadline of January 31 to conduct the polls, reported Marathi media. Full list of local bodies heading to polls: BMC Pune Municipal Corporation Nagpur Municipal Corporation Solapur Municipal Corporation Kolhapur Municipal Corporation Thane Municipal Corporation Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Nashik Municipal Corporation Aurangabad Municipal Corporation Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation Amravati Municipal Corporation New Mumbai Municipal Corporation NandedWaghala Municipal Corporation Ulhas Nagar Municipal Corporation Sangli-Miraj-Kupwara Municipal Corporation Malegaon Municipal Corporation Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation Akola Municipal Corporation Bhayander Municipal Corporation Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation Dhule Municipal Corporation Jalgaon Municipal Corporation Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation Parbhani Municipal Corporation Chandrapur Municipal Corporation Latur Municipal Corporation Panvel Municipal Corporation Ichalkaranji Municipal Corporation Jalna Municipal Corporation Dates to remember: Application submission window: December 2330, 2025 Application scrutiny: December 31, 2025 Last date for withdrawal of candidature: January 2, 2026 Election symbol allocation and release of final candidate list: January 3, 2026 Polling date: January 15, 2026 Counting of votes: January 16, 2026
Seven districts in Maharashtra saw 14,526 child deaths in three years: Govt
NAGPUR: Seven districts of Maharashtra recorded 14,526 child deaths over the past three years, Public Health Minister Prakash Abitkar told the legislative assembly on Friday, citing government records. Abitkar shared the data in a written reply to a question raised by BJP legislator Sneha Dubey. According to the minister, between 2022-23 and 2024-25, Pune, Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur, Amravati, Akola and Yavatmal districts collectively reported 14,526 child deaths. The figure includes infants and children under five admitted to government facilities, as well as cases of severe malnutrition. The minister also said that 138 infant deaths have been recorded in the tribal-dominated Palghar district. Citing the state health department's data as of November 2025, Abitkar said 203 children were identified as suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) and 2,666 from Moderate Acute Malnutrition. The proportion of underweight children was recorded at 0.23 per cent, while 1.48 per cent fell in the moderately underweight category. He also referred to the Sample Registration System 2022, released by the Registrar General of India, which estimated Maharashtra's neonatal mortality rate at 11 per 1,000 live births, lower than the national average of 23. Abitkar said the state government has adopted multiple measures under the Integrated Child Development Services programme to reduce malnutrition. These include regular health examinations, the Dr A P J Abdul Kalam Amrut Aahar Yojana for pregnant women, targeted interventions for SAM children, the Nutrition Campaign, the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana and the Suposhit Maharashtra' initiative.
'Being branded a terrorist without trial, Student activist Sharjeel Imam tells SC
Activist Sharjeel Imam on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that he was being unfairly branded a dangerous intellectual terrorist despite having no convictions and without the conclusion of a full-fledged trial, as he sought bail in a case linked to the February 2020 Delhi riots. Appearing before a Bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and N.V. Anjaria, senior advocate Siddhartha Dave, representing Imam, said the activist had been arrested on January 28, 2020, before the riots and that his speeches alone could not constitute participation in a criminal conspiracy. I am not a terrorist or an anti-national. I am a citizen of this country and have not been convicted of any offence, Dave submitted, adding that Imam was already in custody when the FIR invoking conspiracy charges was registered in March 2020. My speeches did not lead to the riots. I was already being prosecuted for them, he said. The Bench sought clarity on the polices contention that Imams speeches formed part of an alleged larger plan that created a platform for riots to take place, with Justice Kumar asking whether such speeches could amount to a terrorist act. Dave argued that the prosecution must establish a clear act beyond speech to sustain a conspiracy charge. Imam also expressed anguish over being labelled an intellectual terrorist, telling the Court that such terms undermine the presumption of innocence. These words were used against a citizen without a single conviction. After a trial, I can understand. But this label has caused me deep anguish, Dave said. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for activist Umar Khalid , argued that Khalid was not even in Delhi during the riots. Playing a recording of Khalids February 17, 2020 speech in Amravati, Sibal said the speech emphasised peaceful resistance. How is this a violation of the UAPA? he asked, noting that nothing in it is communal or inflammatory. You cannot attribute someone elses speech to me and say I am responsible for the riots, Sibal said, adding that Khalid could not be kept in jail as if to say that I will punish you for your protests. Appearing for activist Gulfisha Fatima, senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi argued that she had already spent nearly six years in custody while charges were yet to be framed. Calling the delay astonishing and unprecedented, Singhvi said the prosecutions claims of a coordinated regime change operation or a plot to separate Assam from India found no mention in the chargesheet. Seeking parity with co-accused Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha, granted bail by the Delhi High Court in 2021,Singhvi noted that Fatima remained the only woman accused still in prison. He said allegations that she attended a secret meeting mirrored those against Narwal and Kalita and were unsupported by evidence. There is no recovery, nothing to show chilli powder or acid. How can it be a secret meeting when they uploaded it on social media? he asked. Opposing the bail pleas, Delhi Police argued that the 2020 violence was not spontaneous but an orchestrated, pre-planned and well-designed assault on the sovereignty of the nation. Khalid, Imam, Fatima, Meeran Haider and Shadab Ahmad were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and various provisions of the IPC for allegedly being the masterminds of the riots, which left 53 people dead and over 700 injured amid protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. (With inputs from PTI)
One kg banana selling at fifty paise, cheaper than matchbox in Andhra: Jagan
AMRAVATI, Dec 1 : YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday accused the Andhra Pradesh government of abandoning farmers resulting in one kilogram of bananas being sold in distress for as low as fifty paise, cheaper than a matchbox or a single biscuit. Terming it a cruel blow to farmers who invested lakhs of rupees and months of hard work, Reddy said they are only recieving pain in return. Hello India, look towards Andhra Pradesh! one kilogram of bananas [] The post One kg banana selling at fifty paise, cheaper than matchbox in Andhra: Jagan appeared first on Daily Excelsior .
Expansion Work To Begin At Temple In Andhra Capital, Foundation Ceremony Today
The Lord Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Amravati, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, will soon get a new Rajagopuram, Mandapams, and Annadanam Complex.
Overwhelmed CJI Gavai bids adieu, says he is leaving SC with full sense of satisfaction
NEW DELHI: Overwhelmed by rich tributes on his last working day, Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramkrishna Gavai on Friday said he was leaving the institution with a full sense of satisfaction and contentment and as a student of justice on concluding four decades of journey as a lawyer and a judge. In another farewell function held by the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) in the evening, the 52nd CJI recalled the ire that he faced from his own community for one of his judgments in which it was held that the creamy layers among the Scheduled Castes (SCs) can also be denied the reservation benefits in admissions and jobs. Being an ardent student of the Constitution, the virtues of equality, justice, liberty and fraternity were always close to my heart, he said. The CJI, who would demit office on November 23, a Sunday, justified his recent landmark verdict quashing key provisions of the 2021 Tribunals Reforms law saying independence of the judiciary is the basic structure of the Constitution and freedom of tribunals cannot be compromised. Recalling his journey from a humble background and lesser-known place at Amravati to the top court, CJI Gavai, the first Buddhist and second Dalit head of the Indian judiciary after K G Balakrishnan said that the Constitution and the values of his parents made it possible. I am very satisfied with the journey which started 40 years ago, the CJI said, while recalling the incidents and cases which he dealt with in his career. I made an example of how a son of a senior IAS officer studying in Delhi at a premier school can be made to compete with the son of an agriculturist. My law clerk, whose father is a senior IAS officer, said from now on he will not take any benefit given to the Scheduled Castes. That young boy understood what politicians fail to understand for reasons best known to him, he said. CJI-designate Justice Surya Kant will succeed Justice Gavai on November 24. Justice Surya Kant was effusive in his praise for the outgoing CJI and termed him more than a colleague and rother. He was more than a colleague he was my brother and a confidant, and a man of immense integrity, Justice Surya Kant said in the forenoon in the proceedings of the ceremonial bench. He handled cases with patience and dignity. He encouraged young lawyers. His firmness was always laced with humour... Not a single day went by when he didn't threaten an insistent lawyer with costs but he never imposed one, he said. During the farewell proceedings in the forenoon before the ceremonial bench that also comprised CJI-designate Surya Kant and Justice K Vinod Chandran, the CJI said, After listening to all of you, and particularly the poems of Attorney General (R Venkataramani) and Kapil Sibal and the warm sentiments expressed by all of you, my voice is choking with emotions. Turning the Constitution on its head: Why SC opinion on Presidential Reference is flawed When I leave this courtroom for the last time, I leave this court all with full sense of satisfaction, the full sense of contentment that I have done whatever which I could have done for this country...Thank you. Thank you very much, a visibly emotional Gavai said in the courtroom packed with law officers, senior advocates and young lawyers. The proceedings saw colleagues reminiscing the imprint Justice Gavai, the second Dalit after K G Balakrishnan and the first Buddhist CJI, left on the judiciary. I always believe that everybody, every judge, every lawyer, is governed by the principles on which our Constitution works that is equality, justice, liberty and fraternity and I tried to discharge my duties within the four corners of the Constitution that is so dear to all of us, he said. Justice Gavai, who was sworn in on May 14 for over a six-month tenure as the CJI, would demit office on November 23, a Sunday, and Friday was his last working day. Reflecting on his journey, the CJI said, When I joined the (legal) profession in 1985, I entered the school of law. Today, as I demit the office, I do so as a student of justice. He described his over 40-year journey, from a lawyer to a high court judge to a Supreme Court judge and finally the Chief Justice of India as deeply satisfying. Every public office, he said, must be viewed not as one of power but as an opportunity to serve society and the nation. Referring to his admiration for Dr B R Ambedkar and his father, a politician who was a close associate of the Constitution's chief architect, he said his judicial philosophy was shaped by Ambedkar's commitment to social, economic and political justice. I always tried to balance fundamental rights with the Directive Principles of State Policy, he said, noting many of his judgments strived to harmonise constitutional freedom with the needs of sustainable development and environmental protection. Quoting the judicial principle that a judge must not alter the material but may iron out the creases, Gavai said it was a guiding philosophy throughout his tenure. He noted that environmental matters have been close to his heart and spoke about his long association with environmental, ecological and wildlife issues. In all these years, I tried to protect the rights of citizens while ensuring that the environment and wildlife were preserved, he said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta recalled meeting him as a puisne judge and said, You never changed as a human being. In fine balance: An assessment of Justice Gavai's raj
Groom Stabbed on Stage at Amravati Wedding; Drone Captures Fleeing Accused
Drone footage tracks the attackers for nearly two kilometers, aiding police investigation
Amravati: Groom Stabbed on Wedding Stage; Drone Camera Chases Attacker for 2 km (VIDEO)
In Maharashtras Amravati, a groom was stabbed on stage during his wedding ceremony. The shocking attack was caught on a drone camera, which followed the accused for nearly 2 km, helping police trace his location. The groom is stable, and the search ...
Bombay High Court criticises govt. over malnutrition deaths in Maharashtras tribal regions
The Bench comprising Justices Revati Mohite Dereand Sandesh Patil was hearing a series of petitions filed over the infant deaths due to malnourishment in Amravati districts Melghat region, a tribal-dominant area, where chronic malnutrition has existed for years
Following major setbacks, Maoists replace top positions to sustain morale among cadres
RAIPUR: Amid repeated setbacks, the strength of the politburo and Central Committee (CC) members in thedecision-making body inCPI (Maoist), have dwindled from 45 to 20 during the last couple of years, and now to a single digit. However, the Red Brigade of left-wing extremists, facing a serious leadership crisis, have simultaneously undertaken damage control exercises to fill the void created by the loss of important influential leaders. And their mid-level or senior commanders were assigned the ranks as the frontline Maoist leaders, the intelligence sources told. There are barely 2-3 politburo and around half a dozen CC members remaining, taking responsibility in different regions like Abujhmad, Jharkhand, Odisha border, Amravati border and other key hideouts. Abhay for anonymity: How Maoists evade police action In a discreet move, the senior leaders are given positions as figureheads to show up numbers as a strength, ensuring that the morale of their cadres is not dented, a senior officer in the know-how of the development andbased in Bastar region further revealed. The Politburo & CC members are bestowed with key responsibilities, different organisational roles, besides steering military activities. The Maoist guerrillas, after over four decades of waging war on the state and security forces, are fast losing ground, and their influence has substantially declined in the last few years. The Maoist organisation, under the given circumstances, are not following their customary procedures regarding promotion of their senior cadres to the politburo or as CC members, the practice firmly followed earlier. For elevation to the top position, neither proposals are sought nor general body meetings or discussions that used to happen spanning over mutiple days earlier to elevate seniors through the department promotional committee are taking place now, the officer added. Another reason for such a make-do approach is that the topMaoist leaders not able to interact safely and conveniently amid existing challenges and restricted mobility. So, the procedures the Maoists executed to make up the higher positions, remain conventionally digressed, appearing rudimentary and makeshift, TNIE learnt. In 2025, more top Maoist leaders were killed than in any other year. The forces eliminated the general secretary of CPI (Maoist), Basava Raju alias Nambala Keshav Rao, and at least eight CC members cited to be the masterminds of several violent incidents where many jawans and innocent civilians were killed. India on verge of eradicating Naxal-maoist terror: PM Modi
Fake Birth Certificate Scam: BJPs Kirit Somaiya Flags 511 Illegal Rohingyas In Amravati
Somaiya said Amravati Municipal Corporation had illegally issued a total of 1,709 birth certificates, many of which were later found to be fraudulent.
Maharashtra Ex Minister Leads Tractor March To Nagpur Over Loan Waiver For Farmers
Prahar Janshakti Party chief and former MLA Bachchu Kadu on Monday launched a large tractor march from Maharashtra's Amravati district toward Nagpur, demanding a complete loan waiver for farmers.
Vishakapatnam braces for Cyclone Montha, emergency teams on standby
Amravati: Ahead of Cyclone Montha, Visakhapatnam authorities in Andhra Pradesh are on high alert and have set up rehabilitation centres, quick response teams with heavy machinery, and activated 247 control rooms across the city to ensure swift emergency response. The India Meteorological Department on Monday said cyclonic storm Montha is likely to intensify into a Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .
Ease of travel: Civil aviation ministry firms up winter schedule of all airlines
NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Friday announced the winter schedule of all scheduled domestic airlines that will come into effect from October 26. A total of 26,495 flight departures per week across 126 airports in the country have been approved by the ministry. Indigo has been allotted the maximum departures of 15,014, while Air India and Vistara combinedly will be responsible for 4,277 departures. This marks an improvement of 5.85% over the winter schedule of 2024. An official release from the Civil Aviation Ministry said that when compared with the summer schedule, the winter schedule will have 1,000 additional departures. There are 26,495 departures per week which have been finalised to/from 126 airports as per Winter Schedule (WS) S25 compared to 25,610 departures per week from 129 airports in the Summer Schedule 2025. This schedule will be in place till March 28, 2026. The new airports which will make their debut this winter are Amravati, Hissar, Purnia and Rupsi. The airports that have been suspended from operations are those in Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, Bhavnagar, Ludhiana, Pakyong and Shravasti. The Winter Schedule 2025 of the scheduled domestic airlines has been finalised after the slot conference meeting held in September. The final slots clearances have been received from respective airport operators, it added. Indigo will have a 6.05% growth over its summer schedule while Spicejet will have a 26.45% increase. Star Air with 538 departures will have a 6.53% growth. Air India will have a dip of 0.77% while Air India Express will go down by 6.04% dip. FlyBig will have the maximum impact with a 67.05% negative growth in departures with just 58 flight departures while Fly91 will have a 59.35% dip. Akasa Air s departures will go down by 5.69%.
In a recent turn of events, Kamaltai Gavai, the mother of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai, sparked controversy when she rejected an invitation from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to attend a Vijayadashami celebration marking the centenary of the organization in Amravati, Maharashtra. The incident not only drew attention to her stance Continue reading CJIs Mother Kamaltai Gavais Rejection of RSS Invitation and the Controversy Surrounding Her Remarks on Hindus The post CJIs Mother Kamaltai Gavais Rejection of RSS Invitation and the Controversy Surrounding Her Remarks on Hindus appeared first on OurVoice | WeRIndia - Analysis & Opinion .
'Lived By Ambedkars Ideology': CJI Gavai's Mother Declines To Join RSS Event In Amravati
She noted that her husband had often engaged with organisations of opposing ideologies, including attending RSS events, but had never accepted their Hindutva philosophy
NEW DELHI: Over 5,000 new pilots are expected to be trained over the next decade in the advanced pilot training centre at Gurugram, inaugurated on Tuesday by Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu. The state-of-the-art facility is a 50:50 joint venture between Airbus and Air India. In a statement, Naidu said, Through this joint venture, ten cutting-edge simulators, including Indias first A350 simulators, will be installed with a planned investment of over Rs 1,000 crore. Billing it as a milestone for Indias rapidly growing aviation ecosystem, the Minister added, This landmark facility will ensure self-reliance in pilot training, advancing PM Narendra Modijis vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. An official release from the airline said the Air India-Airbus training centre (located inside the Air India Aviation Training Academy) will support the exponential growth of commercial aviation in India. It is designed to train pilots for the Airbus 320 and A350 aircraft families, and its courses are approved by both the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. The 12,000 sqm centre is now equipped with two Rull Flight Simulators for the Airbus A320 family aircraft. It will be further equipped with six A320 simulators and two A350 simulators progressively, the release said. JrgenWestermeier, President & Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, said, This is more than a joint venture; it is a strategic investment in the future of the Indian aerospace industry itself. India is a strategic powerhouse for Airbus, and this state-of-the-art facility is a testament to our belief in its immense potential. Campbell Wilson, MD & CEO, Air India, said:Air India is in an expansion mode with 570 new aircraft on order and the new pilot training centre at our Aviation Training Academy in Gurugram,a part of which is being executed with Airbus, will help train and upskill pilots who will fuel Air Indias ambition of becoming a world-class airline. This facility is a major step forward in our transformation journey and in making Air India and the Indian aviation industry more self-reliant. The existing Air India Aviation Training Academy, opened in 2024, is already South Asias biggest aviation training academy. It is currently training over 2,000 aviation professionals. Within the next few years, it plans to train over 50,000 aviation professionals, including pilots, cabin crew, ground handling, engineering, and security staff. It has the best-in-class equipment for immersive training on Safety and Emergency Procedures (SEP) along with service training, grooming, voice, and accent training for cabin crew, the release said. In addition, Air India is also in the process of setting up South Asias largest Flying Training Organisation (FTO) at Amravati in Maharashtra which aims to graduate 180 commercial pilots annually, it added.
After controversy, CJI Bhushan Gavais mother undecided on being chief guest at RSS event
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh had extended an invite to Kamala Gavai for its Vijayadasami celebration which will be held in Amravati on October 5
Congress appoints senior leaders as coordinators for 2026 Maharashtra legislative council polls
Maharashtra Congress appointed party leaders as coordinators. This move prepares for the 2026 legislative council elections. Balasaheb Thorat coordinates Pune constituencies. Satej Patil takes charge of Nagpur. Sunil Deshmukh oversees Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. M M Shaikh coordinates the Amravati teachers' constituency. The party is strategizing for the council polls.
CJI Gavais mother sparks controversy over attendance at RSS centenary event
MUMBAI: A controversy has erupted over whether the mother of Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai will attend a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) event marking Vijayadashami and the centenary of the organisation in Maharashtras Amravati district on October 5. The RSS had reportedly invited Dr Kamaltai Gavai, wife of late RS Gavai, a former governor, to attend the function as chief guest. The event is scheduled to be held at Srimati Narsamma Mahavidyalaya Maidan in Amravatis Kiran Nagar locality. The centenary celebrations will also include more than one lakh Hindu Sammelans and thousands of symposiums across the country, beginning with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwats annual Vijayadashami address at the organisations Nagpur headquarters on October 2. Kamaltai Gavais name appeared on the invitation card that was printed and distributed. After criticism from Dalit, progressive and secular groups, it was clarified that the name had been included without the consent of the Chief Justice. A letter circulated on social media further stated that Kamaltai was an Ambedkarite and would not attend the RSS programme. The controversy deepened when her other son, Rajendra Gavai, later released a video saying his mother would attend the October 5 event. He said the Gavai family maintained relationships across parties and ideologies, but that did not mean they subscribed to them. Rajendra said his mother had accepted the invitation to attend the Amravati event, which he noted was separate from the main RSS function in Nagpur on October 2. Besides, personal relationships and political relationships are two different things. It does not mean attending an RSS event, leaving our Ambedkarite ideology behind. This is not the case. We strongly believe in our ideology, he said. Defending the decision, he cited the familys ties with leaders including Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Gangadhar Fadnavis, father of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Indira Gandhi had offered the chief minister post to my father, RS Gavai, but he refused to leave his Ambedkarite ideology and join the Congress. Even Sonia Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge offered me a ticket in the Lok Sabha elections, but I denied it for the same reason, he said. He added that some people unhappy with his brothers elevation as Chief Justice of India were spreading false information about the family. But the Gavai family has respected every person, even though he or she belongs to a different ideology. We respect all religions, he said.
Kamaltai Gavai, mother of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, has accepted an invitation to be the chief guest at an RSS Vijayadashami celebration on October 5 in Amravati. Her son, Dr. Rajendra Gavai, confirmed the acceptance, stating that personal ideology transcends political relations. This event forms part of the ongoing RSS centenary celebrations.
