Showing posts with label Shiv Sena. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shiv Sena. Show all posts
I am not contesting the Lok Sabha polls; I will campaign for Shiv Sena-Govinda
8:23 AM
Chaitanya Marpakwar & Vaibhav Ganjapure | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; April 6, 2024)
Mumbai/Nagpur: Actor Govinda, who joined the Shiv Sena led by CM Eknath Shinde last week, ended speculation on Friday that he would contest the Lok Sabha polls from Mumbai North West.
Govinda said he did not demand any ticket from chief minister Eknath Shinde. Speaking to reporters on his arrival at Nagpur airport, the 60-year-old actor said, “I am not contesting the Lok Sabha polls.”
Govinda began the Sena’s campaign in Vidarbha’s Ramtek on Friday as a star campaigner. He said, “We are starting the election campaign… I will speak in detail at the Ramtek rally. This is just the beginning. Success depends on the way you do your duty. Therefore, I pray that what I have wished for, it will happen. Thanks to CM Eknath Shinde. He put this faith in me. We believe that what we have started now will resonate in the world. The Shiv Sena’s campaign will reach not only Maharashtra but across the country.”
He added, “We have not had any discussion regarding whether I should contest the election or not. I didn’t even ask for a ticket. This is a new beginning for me. The Shiv Sena is with CM Shinde. I thank him for giving me this opportunity. Now I have come to campaign for Sena, so Sena candidates will surely win.”
A former Congress MP from Mumbai North (he had defeated BJP’s Ram Naik in the 2004 LS polls), Govinda joined the Shiv Sena last month, after which he was said to be among the frontrunners for the Mumbai North West seat though both CM Shinde and Govinda claimed he had not joined the Sena for an election ticket.
Govinda joins Shiv Sena; in the reckoning for the Mumbai North West seat
3:10 PM
Chaitanya Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 29, 2024)
Mumbai: Actor Govinda, who emerged as a giant killer defeating BJP veteran Ram Naik in 2004 LS polls on a Congress ticket, has resurfaced on the political scene after a decade-and-a-half, reports Chaitanya Marpakwar.
Hitching his bandwagon to Shiv Sena this time around, the 60-year-old actor best known for his comic timing shared a stage with CM Shinde. He is touted to be a contender for the Mumbai North West seat though both Shinde and he claimed he had not joined the party for a ticket.
“When I left politics in 2009, I did not think I would come back. But after a 14-year vanvaas, I am coming back to a party where there is Ram Rajya,” Govinda said.
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Mumbai: Govinda who joined Shiv Sena on Thursday would work for the party and be a link between the film industry and govt, chief minister and party head Eknath Shinde said, adding that the actor had not joined Sena for a ticket.
Govinda’s speech at the CM’s official residence, delivered both in Marathi and Hindi, dwelt on the work done by the Shinde govt to give the city a facelift. “I grew up seeing a different Mumbai. Now the city is looking beautiful, its roads are cleaner. The focus on beautification by the respected chief minister has made a mark,” he said, drawing a smile and nod of appreciation from the CM.
Govinda aka Govind Ahuja entered politics in 2004 after his career went into decline with a series of flops. But the stint in Parliament proved far from memorable: he was ranked among the most absentee of MPs. During the LS term his graph as a mass entertainer revived and eventually led to his exit from politics.
Sources said the Sena is currently in touch with a prominent Marathi actor for Mumbai North West; any other name would be considered only if talks with the Marathi actor fail to materialise, said sources. However, Govinda is in the reckoning. The party has reached out to him, said sources. “I will carry out any responsibility given to me honestly…I will do well in the arts and culture department,” the actor said in his speech. “Maharashtra is a blessed land, it is land of saints. Film City is a place of art and culture. It can make a mark the world over,” he added.
The Sena (UBT) has announced Amol Kirtikar as its candidate from Mumbai North West, which comprises the six assembly segments of Jogeshwari E, Dindoshi, Goregaon, Versova, Andheri W and Andheri E. Two of the six segments are with the Sena (UBT) and three with the BJP. With Ravindra Waikar, the Shinde Sena now has one MLA from this area.
State NCP (SP) chief Jayant Patil took a dig at the development saying, “Shinde faction should have taken at least some working actor who was doing well,” Patil said.
Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena in talks with Govinda for Mumbai North West
10:06 AM
Chaitanya Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 23, 2024)
Mumbai: BJP is likely to concede the Mumbai North West seat to Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, which is said to be in talks with two celebrity actors for it. Party sources said one of the two actors is Govinda, who had already fought Lok Sabha polls, while the other is a prominent face in Hindi and Marathi cinema. Sources said no final decision has been taken yet.
Shiv Sena (UBT) has announced Amol Kirtikar’s name as its candidate. While Amol’s father Gajanan Kirtikar is the sitting MP and in Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP was keen to fight for it and had pitched for one of its local MLAs or a celebrity candidate. However, with the entry of MNS in Mahayuti and seat-sharing talks progressing, it is likely Shinde’s Shiv Sena could get the seat.
Mumbai North West includes Jogeshwari East, Dindoshi, Goregaon, Versova, Andheri West and East assembly constituencies. Two MLAs are from Sena (UBT) and three from BJP. With Ravindra Waikar, the Shinde-led Sena has one MLA from this area.
Congress’s Sanjay Nirupam is keen to fight too. Political observers said the CM is keen on Mumbai North West since if Sena does not get that seat, it could end up with just one in Mumbai South Central. If Congress doesn’t get this seat, it may have to fight for Mumbai North Central and Mumbai South Central.
‘No CBI conclusion’ in Disha Salian's death; Shiv Sena (UBT) seeks BJP's apology
2:27 PM
Priyanka Kakodkar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; November 24, 2022)
Mumbai: The Shiv Sena (UBT) lashed out at BJP after the CBI reportedly concluded that the death of Disha Salian, the talent manager of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, was an accident.
CBI sources, however, said they had not registered any case or carried out any specific probe into Salian’s death. Sources, however, said as part of the probe into Rajput’s death they had conducted some inquiry as she was his talent manager, but did not arrive at any conclusion.
Salian was found dead in June 2020 after falling from a high rise in Malad. Union minister Narayan Rane had claimed it being discussed that Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, then a state minister, was involved in the case. Both Rane and his son MLA Nitesh Rane had claimed that Salian had been raped and killed.
When contacted, Aaditya Thackeray merely said, “I do not want to get involved in this dirty politics. I do not want to fall into this mud. The report is a response to those who made allegations.”
However, his party was combative. “BJP leaders and its women leaders should immediately ask for Aaditya Thackeray’s forgiveness. Why did they try to ruin the reputation of a young leader?” asked Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut.
Sena leader Arvind Sawant said, “. . . They tried to destroy his [Aaditya’s] reputation. Now this is a slap in their face. Having said that, Salian’s death was sad and unfortunate.”
NCP leader Supriya Sule also spoke out. “Such low-level politics was never seen in Maharashtra. They tried to destroy a family. This kind of thing goes against Maharashtra’s culture.”
Leader of Opposition inthe state assembly Ajit Pawar, however, refused to comment on this issue. “I have not seen the CBI report. . . Let it make the report public, then I will comment on it,” he said.
BJP’s Nitesh Rane hit back and claimed evidence had been destroyed by the police in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime in the “master of all cover ups”. He tweeted, “I don’t blame CBI for its observations in the Salian case. CBI entered only after 72 days. From June 8, the cleanup was done so well with the help of the MVA government that by the time CBI entered, nothing much could be recovered.”
In March, Nitesh had told the state assembly that he had a pen drive containing statements from an eyewitness to Salian’s “murder”. He had said in the assembly, “The pen drive has an eyewitness who tells us that a state minister was involved. . . Salian was raped and killed.”
BJP, Shiv Sena leaders spar over The Kashmir Files; Jayant Patil says "the film is boring after the interval"
8:30 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (March 24, 2022)
Mumbai: Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday asked if state minister Jayant Patil had any problem with BJP MLAs attending the screening of Hindi film ‘The Kashmir Files’.
Hitting back, Patil said Fadnavis should ask the movie’s producer to donate its earnings for constructing homes for the displaced Kashmir Pandits.
Patil, on Tuesday, had taken a swipe at the BJP MLAs for attending the film's screening while business was still being transacted in the state assembly, saying watching the movie was more important for them than the issues concerning the state's development.
He had apparently referred to a special show of the movie organised by BJP leader Kripashankar Singh on Tuesday evening.
Speaking in the Lower House on Wednesday, Fadnavis said, “The minister spoke (about attending the screening) yesterday. We had decided and we watched 'The Kashmir Files' yesterday.”
“Do you have any problem with it? We did watch it. You talk about it outside (the House) if you have any problem,” he said.
Countering the BJP leader, Patil said the film is “boring and not quite interesting” after the interval. “See, you (the BJP leaders) know it. If you are praising the film, it was made spending Rs 17 crore and it earned Rs 150 crore. Ask the film’s producer to donate the earnings for constructing homes for Kashmiri Pandits,” the state water resources minister said.
The Kashmir Files is a Sangh-inspired film made to win polls-Sanjay Raut
8:15 AM
Chaitanya Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 21, 2022)
Mumbai: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said that ‘The Kashmir Files’ was a “Sangh Parivar-inspired film released to win the next elections”. In his weekly column Rok Thok in Saamna, the Shiv Sena mouthpiece, Raut said several truths were buried in the film, which is an agenda for the next elections, adding that while the film will bag an award, its director will soon be given a Padma Shri or Padma Bhushan award.
“The film’s promotions have been taken over by PM Modi himself. This is a classic example of how to keep the people of the country in a trance. The Kashmir Files have been opened to win polls in states like Gujarat and Rajasthan. But the real truth about Kashmir is yet to come out on the screen,” Raut wrote while also asking who was in power in Delhi and Kashmir when Kashmiri Pandits were attacked and murdered.
“The film will now receive an award. The director will be awarded the Padma Shri or the Padma Bhushan. An attempt is being made to create Hindu-Muslim controversy via the film. We’re sorry that Hindu Pandits haven’t returned home yet. BJP and PM Narendra Modi had promised to repatriate Kashmiri Pandits. Why hasn’t it been completed yet? Why did Kashmir not develop? It’s not right to politicise the Kashmir issue. Fulfill your promise to bring back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,” Raut said on Sunday.
The Kashmir Files row: We know the pain of Pandits, says Shiv Sena; questions BJP ‘agenda’
7:56 PM
Chaitanya Marpakwar & Bhavika Jain (THE TIMES OF INDIA; March 17, 2022)
Mumbai: Rejecting demands for tax relief to the film ‘The Kashmir Files’ which deals with the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley, ruling party members in Maharashtra questioned the “political agenda” of the BJP in promoting the new release. The Shiv Sena said the ordeal that the community from Kashmir went through three decades back was now merely being exploited as a political issue whereas it was leaders like Bal Thackeray who had reached out to alleviate conditions for Kashmiri students back then.
The Sena on Wednesday questioned why “Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is the pracharak” of The Kashmir Files. MP Sanjay Raut said just like the blame for former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s death was pinned on one family through the film The Tashkent Files — made by the same director Vivek Agnihotri — a similar agenda is being implemented through this work.
“This is an attempt to show the outcry and pain of 32 years ago and it should be appreciated. But there are many truths hidden in it,” he said.
“I don't think anyone else knows the pain of Kashmir as much as Shiv Sena. Balasaheb Thackeray raised his voice in the country about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits and everyone else was silent due to the fear of extremists…a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits had come to meet Balasaheb. At that time, it was he who said give AK-47s in the hands of the Kashmiri Pandits…the delegation had asked for reservation in seats for education. Balasaheb had at that time ordered 5% seats to be reserved for medical and engineering education in Maharashtra for the children of Kashmiri Pandits. So we know what the real files of Kashmir are,” Raut said.
Finance Minister Ajit Pawar, who also spoke on the issue, rejected the demand made by the BJP to exempt the film from tax in the state. Pawar said entertainment tax is covered under the ambit of the Goods and Services Tax in which state and Centre share equal components, and so if the Centre gives relief from its 50% share of the tax, the movie would become tax-free in the entire country. Six BJP-ruled states have already given the film a tax waiver.
“For the Shiv Sena this is not a political agenda. We have done it for Kashmiri Pandits. Which BJP-ruled state has done it? Just by making the film tax free the pain will not be erased. You remember this after 32 years because the next four states now have elections,” added Raut.
BJP and Congress demand a Lata Mangeshkar memorial at Shivaji Park; Shiv Sena says don’t politicize the issue
8:37 AM
Dharmendra Jore (MID-DAY; February 8, 2022)
A day after Lata Mangeshkar’s death, there was a debate over where a memorial dedicated to her should be constructed. While a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and the state Congress chief demanded a memorial at the iconic Shivaji Park, where the legendary singer was cremated on Sunday, the Shiv Sena has asked that the issue not be politicized.
BJP’s local MLA Ram Kadam said in a video statement on Monday that he has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday, requesting him to build a memorial for Mangeshkar at Shivaji Park. “It is a popular demand from Lata didi’s fans, music lovers and well-wishers of the Mangeshkar family to have a memorial where she was cremated. The memorial will inspire the entire world. The CM should announce the decision immediately,” he said.
Currently, Shivaji Park has the late Balasaheb Thackeray’s make-shift memorial which was created after he was cremated there nine years ago. The new memorial will be housed in a neighbouring bungalow (the Mayor’s residence). The state government is building it.
The Sena slammed the politics in the demand raised by the rival party MLA. The party’s chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut said the demand was unwarranted and there shouldn’t be politics over the memorial. “I know, some people have demanded it, but there is no need to raise such a demand now. Lata didi is a global icon. The state and Central governments will definitely have a memorial of international standards. She wasn’t a political leader. She was our country’s precious treasure,” Raut said, adding that building a memorial for her wasn’t an easy task.
Congress endorses BJP demand
State Congress president Nana Patole also said the memorial should be at Shivaji Park. “There must be a memorial for Lata didi at Shivaji Park. The Congress expects it to be big and at par with international cultural and tourism destinations,” he added.
Patole had previously, in the press conference, said the memorial should be either at Shivaji Park or another appropriate place. However, he revised his statement at the end of the interaction and insisted on Shivaji Park as the memorial site.
Sources in the government said that the issue could be discussed in the forthcoming weekly cabinet meeting. “There could be an informal or formal discussion on how to go about it. It will also be interesting to see what the union government decides. But there will definitely be a decision, sooner or later, to have a memorial as a mark of respect for the Bharat Ratna awardee. The site could be anywhere. Like for Balasaheb, there could be a make-shift one for Lata didi,” said a leader.
Mixed reaction on social media
Social media was overflowing with reactions to the development. Most of the people wanted a memorial, but the opinion was split about the site and the format of the memorial. Some suggested that the memorial shouldn’t be a conventional one, but like an institute that should work for the betterment of talent in the music world.
A Facebook post by Ruhita Kamble said Shivaji Park’s sports culture should not be disturbed with land for the memorial, and instead, suggested building a hospital or a school in the memory of Lata Mangeshkar.
“Memorials don’t serve any purpose. Don’t use Shivaji Park, instead use other land for a museum-like memorial which can also work as an institute to help the poor and needy artistes hone their skills,” wrote another Facebook user, Mohan Vaje.
A twitter handle @That Marine Guy requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce the highest music award in the name of Mangeshkar and also build a memorial where all the memories related to her life, all her songs could be displayed.
A Twitter post by @ThulaseedharanS said a music academy should be formed under the society’s act. “The government must not have a role in it, except granting adequate land free of cost. The academy should be governed and administered by experts from the field of music,” it added.
Shiv Sena backs Sonu Sood as Income Tax Department officials widen probe
8:26 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (September 18, 2021)
Mumbai: Shiv Sena came out in support of Sonu Sood even as the income-tax department widened its tax evasion probe against the actor as it raided multiple premises in Mumbai, Nagpur and Jaipur on Friday. It had launched the action against Sood and some people linked to him on Wednesday. A real estate deal and some financial transactions linked to Sood are under the scanner.
The Sena said the action only started after Sood was appointed as brand ambassador of the Delhi government’s ‘Desh ka Mentors’ campaign.
A Saamna editorial in said: “BJP was at the forefront in appreciating Sood’s work during the lockdown. But when he decided to do social work as the ‘brand ambassador’ of the Atvind Kejriwal government, the surveys started on his homes...Making bogus allegations against ministers in Maharashtra, delaying the appointment of 12 nominees to the legislative council, I-T surveys on Sood is a sign of narrow-mindedness and such a childish game will boomerang one day.”
Has Javed Akhtar seen VHP karyakartas walk around with AK-47s?-Shriraj Nair
8:22 AM
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader slams lyricist-poet as hypocritical and questions mental equilibrium
Hemal Ashar (MID-DAY; September 7, 2021)
If there is one thing Javed Akhtar has inadvertently done with his controversial statement is bring the frenemies together. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been slamming the lyricist-writer-poet for the past two days, yesterday the Shiv Sena also took on Akhtar. The Sena has claimed that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is into nation-building and cannot be compared to the Taliban. Akhtar had said recently that all right-wing have a similar mindset. “Those who support the Bajrang Dal, RSS and VHP have parallels. Of course, the Taliban are reprehensible he claimed, but these outfits also have the same mindset,” he said in response to a question about hate crimes.
Stone Age
“The Shiv Sena response,” said Mumbai’s Shriraj Nair, Jt Secretary, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Konkan and spokesperson, “is expected from the Shiv Sena, whatever be the differences with the BJP on the political front, they will also support the RSS, it is a Hindutva party. The Shiv Sena knows the RSS very well. The late Balasaheb Thackeray had very cordial relations with many RSS leaders. The VHP endorses that the RSS has always been into nation-building.”
Nair claimed that there is a significant VHP and Bajrang Dal presence, close to where Akhtar lives in Juhu. He said, “This poet seems to be drawing parallels with the Taliban. Ask Akhtar whether he has seen VHP and Bajrang Dal karyakartas or any supporter of these outfits walking around in that area with an AK-47? Do the people he criticised as being like the Taliban force women to get into a ghunghat or purdah? We do not come from the Stone Age.”
Nair added, about the women argument, “We are liberals. We touch the Devi’s feet and do not treat women like commodities. We are also not into conversion. Rather than accepting these truths, it is people like Akhtar who may slam the Taliban in a sentence or two, but then seek to ‘balance’ that criticism by comparisons. This is not just like comparing apples to oranges, but as preposterous as comparing apples to watermelons.”
Misguiding people
Nair also pointed out to a huge dichotomy, from so-called leaders and influential, famous persons from the Muslim community. “These are the same persons who will slam the West, but send their children to the West to study. They are the ones who do not guide but actually misguide their community and are hypocrites. These are the privileged ones who live in this country and do not have the guts to go to Afghanistan and criticise the ruling Taliban there because they know what the outcome will be. Here, they are free to criticise the majority. The more they talk, in fact, they are helping those who are their target as people do know the truth,” said the VHP spokesperson. Nair also questioned Akhtar’s mental equilibrium, calling him a “sulking, retired professional who is frustrated and depressed in the restrictive days of the Coronavirus outbreak”.
Akhtar remained unavailable for comment.
Kangana Ranaut moves Supreme Court; seeks transfer of cases to Shimla
8:27 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (March 3, 2021)
New Delhi: Alleging threat to their life from Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, actress Kangana Ranaut and her sister Rangoli Chandel on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of four criminal cases pending against them in various Mumbai courts to Shimla in Himachal Pradesh.
The sisters submitted that “frivolous” cases were lodged to harass them and malign their reputation and pointed out an incident when Kangana was publicly abused by Shiv Sena members. She also sought transfer of the defamation case lodged against her by famed lyricist Javed Akthar.
“Shiv Sena will leave no stone unturned to eliminate the petitioners herein, because of petitioner no. 1’s (Kangana) continuous outspokenness against the wrongs done by the Sena in collusion with big names of Bollywood,” the petition said, while giving reasons for the apex court to consider their plea to transfer the trial out of Maharashtra.
“All the FIRs and complaints in question are frivolous and have been filed with a malicious intent to harass the petitioners and malign their public image. While the petitioners have utmost respect for the courts of the country and are ready to face trial as per law, they apprehend that if the trials are conducted in Mumbai, there will be a material threat to life and property of the petitioners,” it said.
Kangana said that she had been granted Y-plus CRPF category security by the centre in view of the threat perception and that it may not be possible for them to face trial in Maharashtra as her life would be in danger.
“It is pertinent to mention that the Maharashtra government led by Shiv Sena has been harassing the petitioners. It would not be out of context to mention that the petitioner was called ‘haramkhor ladki’ by Sanjay Raut, who is a senior Shiv Sena leader and a member of Parliament. Further, the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had illegally demolished the Pali Hill bungalow of the petitioner,” the petition stated.
Urmila Matondkar donates Rs 20 lakh left over from Congress poll money to CM’s relief fund
8:07 AM
Chaitanya Marpakwar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; January 5, 2021)
Mumbai: Actor Urmila Matondkar who joined the Shiv Sena last month donated Rs 20 lakh to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in July 2020. However, the donation was made with the amount left over from the Rs 50 lakh given to her by the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) to fight the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Matondkar, who was then in the Congress, had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North, and lost to BJP’s Gopal Shetty.
In keeping with poll norms, Matondkar had opened a joint account with city Congress general secretary Ashok Sutrale in Bank of Baroda’s Kandivali branch. The MPCC transferred Rs 50 lakh into the account in April 2019.
As per Election Commission of India (ECI) norms, there was a cap of Rs 70 lakh on expenditure by each candidate for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The ECI hiked this cap by 10% to Rs 77 lakh last year.
According to the account statement accessed by TOI, Matondkar used around Rs 30 lakh and a balance of Rs 20.4 lakh was in the account as on July 2020. “The party had given her the money to fight the election. If at all any money is left, then it is returned to the party. This is the normal procedure. This should have been done since the money belongs to the party,” said MPCC treasurer and senior Congress leader Suresh Shetty.
Matondkar said she had a go-ahead for the donation from state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat. “I had taken permission from Balasaheb Thorat and gone ahead with it. You can get it confirmed,” Matondkar said, replying to a query from TOI.
When contacted, Thorat said, “During one of the discussions, she had informed me that she had donated the amount to the CM’s fund.”
After quitting the Congress, Matondkar had joined Shiv Sena in the presence of party president and CM Uddhav Thackeray, his wife Rashmi and other Sena leaders at Matoshree in December last year.
The Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government also recently recommended Matondkar’s name for nomination to the state legislative council from the governor’s quota along with other 11 members. The governor is yet to approve the list of 12 names.
Urmila Matondkar buys office at Bandra's Linking Road for Rs 3.75 crore
8:15 AM
Vallabh Ozarkar (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 3, 2021)
Actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar, who recently joined the Shiv Sena after a short stint with the Congress, has bought office premises for Rs 3.75 crore in a posh commercial complex in Khar area.
Matondkar is one out of the 12 candidates whom the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has recommended for nomination to the state Legislative Council from Governor’s quota.
The office space located at Durga Chambers on Linking Road, Khar West is considered to be a prime property in the western suburbs.
Durga Chambers is a ground plus-seven-storey structure. It has a glass façade. The office spaces for rent on higher floors range between Rs 5 and 8 lakh per month. The ground floor of the building is meant for commercial retail spaces.
The office space bought by Matondkar is on the sixth floor of the building with total area of 96.61 square metres (1,039.901 square feet).
According to those close to the deal, she paid Rs 36,000 per square feet. Matondkar bought the property from businessman Rajesh Kumar Sharma, who also owns another office in the building. The deal was struck on December 28. Matondkar could not be contacted for comment.
According to real estate experts, the ready reckoner rate of the office space is a little over Rs 4 crore. She paid Rs 80,300 in stamp duty and Rs 30,000 for registration.
Matondkar had joined the Congress in March 2019. She contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai North constitution on a Congress ticket, but lost to Bharatiya Janata Party’s Gopal Shetty.
A few months later, she quit the party, blaming some leaders in the party for indulging in ‘petty politics’. She said that a few Congress leaders did not help her in her election campaign.
After maintaining a low profile, Matondkar hogged limelight again in September over her spat with actor Kangana Ranaut who had criticized certain Bollywood actors and Mumbai police following the controversy over the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik sends breach of privilege notice on Kangana Ranaut
9:06 AM
Priyanka Kakodkar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 15, 2020)
Mumbai: Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), said on Monday he had sent a breach of privilege notice to the legislative assembly speaker Nana Patole against actor Kangana Ranaut and several media and social media outlets for claiming that Pakistani credit cards were found at his residence.
“Ms Ranaut tweeted that Pakistani credit cards were found at my home during ED raids. This news was carried by media outlets and social media as well. This is totally untrue and defamatory. I have submitted the breach of privilege notice and I hope the Speaker agrees to allow it,” said Sarnaik.
Sarnaik had earlier been critical of Ranaut’s statement comparing Mumbai with PoK. He had also initiated a breach of privilege motion against Republic TV founder Arnab Goswami for his remarks against chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and other ministers of the MVA government. The Sena has alleged that the ED raids were vendetta for this action.
“My family and I are cooperating with the Enforcement Directorate. I have informed them we are ready to appear before them at any point. Yet Ms Ranaut claims they have found things in the raids of which the ED itself is unaware,” he said. “Her tweets are defamatory,” said Sarnaik.
According to procedure, the speaker is required to examine the notice and decide whether to forward it to the privileges committee. The committee then examines it and makes recommendations. Ranaut already faces a breach of privilege motion in the state council for her comment comparing Mumbai to Po K. The motion was moved by Congress leader Ashok Jagtap.
The media used to stalk celebrities once, but now they’re terrorizing them as well-Urmila Matondkar
8:22 AM
From sex symbol to samaj karam, the Rangeela star has always believed she would one day work for the people
Khalid Mohamed (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 6, 2020)
Actor Urmila Matondkar is just back in her Bandra apartment. After being followed by reporters and photographers all day, she has finally managed to escape them by leaving Matoshree, the residence of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray where, just minutes before, she was inducted into the Shiv Sena. Months of speculation about what the actor would do, ever since she contested in the general elections on a Congress ticket and lost, ended with her entry into the Sena.
“When I received a call from Uddhav ji, emphasising that we need to elevate the social and cultural standards of the Maharashtra Vidhan Parishad, it touched a chord with me,” Matondkar tells Mirror. “He has been doing tremendous work in dealing with so many difficult issues in the state. I didn’t need even need to give it a second thought to unequivocally say ‘yes’.” The actor, who has frequently been disparaged by Bollywood as a ‘vernie’ because of her Marathi accent, says she had often contemplated visiting Sena supremo Bal Thackeray at Matoshree, but never got around to it.
It’s been 14 months since the last general elections, and since Matondkar quit the Congress. “If I was an opportunist, I would have defected within 14 hours,” she says. “I didn’t just lick my wounds on losing. I did some introspection, and told myself that I would continue, even as a social activist.” So why did she leave the party? Matondkar is guarded. “Its working style didn’t suit me. So with due respect to Mrs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, I withdrew. There was no acrimony; nor did I give out interviews criticising the party.”
Matondkar, now 46, believes she has matured a lot. “I had no illusions about being useful without an infrastructure,” she says. “It’s self-defeating to sit in an airconditioned room and tweet away constantly. I intend to work towards social upliftment in even the remotest corners of Maharashtra, with my Kashmiri Muslim husband [Mohsin Akhtar Mir] standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me. I am with a Hindu party in which inclusiveness and tolerance are vital components.”
I have known Urmila for two-and-a-half decades, and she’s always struck me as an actor who was dissatisfied with the roles offered to her. That she would some day venture into a profession that (at least in principle) promotes collective welfare, was a given. She has always respected her staff and never raised her voice when a film’s shoot has gone haywire. If a vanity van hasn’t been provided at a far-flung location, she’s taken it in her stride, and skipped meals and water to complete an arduous schedule.
The actor, who has faced the camera since she was five — one of her most memorable appearances was as a child in Masoom (1983) — has slaved around the clock to settle her now-ageing parents. That done, she withdrew prematurely from films and became almost reclusive. Then, she sprang a surprise four years ago, with her marriage to businessman-cum-model Mir, whom she has rarely spoken about.
“That’s not true,” she retorts. “I have close friends in Bollywood but Mohsin and I hardly ever attend those photo-op parties. I’ve always been more of a family person. My parents Shrikant Matondkar and Sunita Desai always encouraged me to work for the underprivileged.”
Switching off her incessantly-buzzing phone, Matondkar says: “I was weaned on the progressive films of Balraj Sahni, Nilu Phule, Shreeram Lagoo, Raj Kapoor and V Shantaram. There was a time when Nargis and Sunil Dutt would entertain the jawans in war time. Smita Patil was a member of the Seva Dal, but few know that I was a part of this grassroots organisation as well. When Anna saheb Hazare went on hunger strike in New Delhi in 2011, I was there to lend whatever little support I could.”
Despite acting in nearly a hundred films in various languages, Matondkar says she has stayed away from the machinations of the film industry. But she has no qualms talking about something that might be an uncomfortable past for a politician: Her reputation as a sex symbol. “The image of a sex symbol stuck like glue, which was fine by me,” she says with a smile. “Some heroines have to do 20 films to get there, but I got it at one go with Rangeela. Still, there was this gnawing feeling that I should give at least an iota of myself to samaj karam.”
Why did these feelings never come to the fore during her film career? She says, somewhat hastily, that heroines of that time were required to be glamorous, and nothing else. “Mercifully, the times have changed. In Bollywood, it didn’t matter that as a teen, I had read Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Gorky, Steinbeck and D H Lawrence. Or that I had studied at Ruparel College, scored 87 per cent in political philosophy, and firmly believed in Jeremy Bentham’s tenet of the greatest good for the greatest number.”
Has she said goodbye to acting? Matondkar says yes, unless an exceptional offer comes her way. “Frankly, the film industry has given me nothing,” she says. “Yet the way it has been vilified lately by the media as debauched and drug-addled, is preposterous. The media used to stalk celebrities once, but now they’re terrorizing them as well.”
Does she see herself as an MP in the future? Matondkar rules out such ambitions, saying she could have requested an MLC position for herself but preferred to join the Sena instead. Then, with a whoop of self-deprecating laughter, she surmises: “In the movies, I was a people-made star. Now, I hope to become a people-made leader, inshallah.”
Bollywood is not a purse to be stolen, says Yogi Aditynath on Shiv Sena jibe
8:24 AM
Will He Meet Producers In Other States Too: Raut
THE TIMES OF INDIA (December 3, 2020)
Mumbai: A day after Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said the state government would not tolerate the “forceful shifting” of Bollywood elsewhere, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, on an overnight visit to Mumbai for the listing of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation municipal bonds on the Bombay Stock Exchange, said he had not come to Mumbai to snatch away any investments.
“No one can take away what belongs to another. This is not a purse that you can put your hand into, take things and walk away. We are not doing anything to steal other (state’s) investments,” said Yogi Adityanath.
Addressing a press conference at a hotel in Mumbai on Wednesday, Yogi Adityanath said he was keen to create social security in Uttar Pradesh and hence was meeting leaders from various sectors to create a roadmap for the state’s development. “We have created world-class facilities. Those who wish to avail of these facilities will come. We are not in Mumbai to snatch anything. Why is everyone so worried?” he asked. The UP CM said the Noida film city will be located six km away from the upcoming international airport at Jewar and added this will be well connected with Delhi, Agra and Mathura.
Yogi Adityanath said he had met a delegation from the film industry which included Boney Kapoor, Manmohan Shetty, Subhash Ghai, Anand Pandit and others. On Tuesday, he had met actor Akshay Kumar, besides several industry leaders and a delegation of defence manufacturers.
To draw investors, the UP government has hammered out several sectoral policies and development picked up pace over three years, including the pandemic months, and the government has the intent to encourage investments, Yogi said.
The Shiv Sena, however, continued its aggressive stand on what it termed as an attempt to move Bollywood out. Sena leader Sanjay Raut questioned whether Yogi Adityanath would meet film producers from other states as well or if he had a problem only with Mumbai (Bollywood). Raut also asked Yogi Adityanath about the current status of the film city set up in Noida (UP) and claimed that shifting Bollywood to other states was not an easy task.
Raut pointed out that there were film cities in various states, including West Bengal, Punjab, Andhra and Karnataka. “Will Yogi ji also visit all these states and meet film producers and actors? Or does he have a problem only with Mumbai?” he asked. Raut added, “Will he (Yogi) be able to move bungalows of film stars to Uttar Pradesh?”
Raut said, “How many movies have been produced at the Noida film city, what is the status of film shootings? He should come to Mumbai and inform people here. Moving the film city from Mumbai is not a joke. It has a vast history, and many have worked hard to establish it.”
Urmila Matondkar praises CM Uddhav Thackeray as she joins Shiv Sena, says she’s Hindu by janam and karam
8:13 AM
Sujit Mahamulkar (THE TIMES OF INDIA; December 2, 2020)
Mumbai: Almost a month after the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) recommended Urmila Matondkar’s name for a seat in the legislative council under the governor’s quota, the film actress joined the Shiv Sena in the presence of party president and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray at Matoshree on Tuesday.
“I am very impressed with Uddhav Thackeray’s work,” she said. “The way he handled the Coronavirus pandemic, Nisarga cyclone and drought situation in one year was incredible. He is also interacting with the people of Maharashtra regularly like a family member.”
As she spoke to the media after the induction, she clarified her stand on joining a party with a Hindutva ideology and said she was also a Hindu.
“Secularism does not mean to hate the other religion or to oppose and hate one’s own religion,” she said “I am a Hindu by ‘janam’ (birth) and ‘karam’ (actions). I have studied religion and also done yoga since childhood. Religion is not for show off but to keep in the heart and it is a matter of faith. Whenever required I have followed religion and will follow in future too.”
After her decision to join the Shiv Sena, she was trolled on social media over her ideology. Matondkar said she had not quit politics but only the Congress.
“Not a mere 14 days but it is almost over 14 months since I quit the Congress, and now I have joined the Sena,” she said. “I am trolled means I am on the right path. I have never opposed or blocked anyone. We should try to remove the vicious politics that exists in the system.”
Matondkar said the Congress had also offered her the seat in the council, but she had respectfully refused to accept it over some other reasons.
On the speculation that UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s visit here was an attempt to attract Bollywood to his state, she said she did not think such a shift was possible. On the Kangana Ranaut issue, she said: “I am not her fan. The issue has been spoken about a lot and there is no need to give much importance to the subject. In a democracy everyone is free to speak, but I will not reply to her now.”
Thackeray’s wife, Rashmi, tied the ‘Shiv Bandhan’ (saffron thread) on Matondkar’s wrist to induct her into the party.
Urmila had fought the 2019 Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate and was defeated by BJP candidate Gopal Shetty in North Mumbai. She quit the Congress in September alleging internal politics.
Urmila Matondkar to join Shiv Sena in presence of CM Uddhav Thackeray today
8:27 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (November 30, 2020)
Mumbai: Actor Urmila Matondkar, who unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections on a Congress ticket from Mumbai North constituency, is all set to join the Shiv Sena on Monday in the presence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Matondkar had quit the Congress citing petty politics. The Shiv Sena has proposed her name as part of the list for the 12 Governor’s quota seats in the legislative council. Since the 12 nominated members have to be from different social and cultural backgrounds, Matondkar fits the eligibility criterion. “She is very vocal and also enjoys popularity among the public. She will be an asset to the party,” said a senior functionary.
Sources said that the Congress tried to placate her and bring her back to the party fold, but that did not materialize. Matondkar had come out in support of the government and the film industry when allegations of nepotism and drug abuse were being made in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
Police step up security near Jaya Bachchan's homes; Hema Malini, Urmila Matondkar back her
8:08 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (September 17, 2020)
Mumbai: Police patrolling was increased in the vicinity of actor and Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Bachchan’s five bungalows in Juhu on Wednesday, a day after she made a speech in Parliament urging the government to protect and support the film industry against defamatory allegations of drug nexus levelled by actor Kangana Ranaut and actor-BJP MP Ravi Kishan.
“The Bachchans already have security cover, but patrolling has been increased after Jaya ji’s speech,” said a police officer.
Meanwhile, support for Bachchan continued to grow in the film industry.
Actor-MP Hema Malini, despite belonging to the rival BJP, backed her. “...Bollywood is a beautiful place, a creative world, it is an art and culture industry. I feel very hurt when I hear people talking bad about it, about drugs and things like that. Where doesn’t it happen?” she said. “... Bollywood is India. I can’t take it when they ridicule our industry like this... You cannot pull down the industry in one minute.”
Actress and former Congresswoman Urmila Matondkar too backed Bachchan, and questioned the Y-plus security provided to Ranaut. Urging Ranaut to start the war on drugs from her home state Himachal Pradesh, she added that if she knew about the drug problem, she should have informed the police. Matondkar took exception to Ranaut’s remarks comparing Mumbai to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. “As a daughter of the city, I will not tolerate any defamatory remark against Mumbai and Maharashtra.”
Actor Swara Bhasker tweeted a list of Bachchan’s films like Guddi and Mili and said: “All these films in which you played strong women characters not only made an ‘outsider’ a shining star of the film industry but also paved the path for actresses like me. You are an inspiration, Ma’am!”
Shiv Sena’s newspaper, Saamna, also published an editorial applauding Bachchan, saying it was wrong to link the entire film fraternity with a drug nexus.
However, actor-BJP MP Jaya Prada took the opposite position. “I support Kishan ji’s remarks about saving the youth from the problem of drug trafficking and addiction...I think Jay Bachchan ji is doing politics over the issue.”
BJP MPs seek NHRC probe into Kangana Ranaut’s office demolition
8:06 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (September 17, 2020)
New Delhi: Terming the recent assault of a retired Indian Navy officer and demolition of actor Kangana Ranaut’s office in Mumbai as “state-sponsored violence”, three senior BJP MPs on Wednesday approached the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) urging it to conduct an inquiry and take action against the Uddhav Thackeray government in Maharashtra.
The three MPs who submitted the memorandum to NHRC were Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, Vikas Mahatme and Bhagwat Karad. “A retired Navy officer Madan Sharma was beaten up by the 8 to 10 members of the Shiv Sena. Sharma was attacked due to the circulation of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's cartoon on a WhatsApp group. Leaders of the party including MP Sanjay Raut supported such an attack,” the BJP MPs stated in the memorandum.
“Physical attacks on the citizens over their exercise of rights such as freedom of speech to criticise the state government end up into state-sponsored violence. The Maharashtra government has not spared freedom of the press,” it said The three MPs also said vindictive action was taken against Kangana Ranaut who had become vocal against the government. “There are a number of incidents of police atrocities reported merely on the ground of raising voice over social media. Whereas posting defamatory material against the Prime Minister or any other persons in opposition are conveniently overlooked and discriminatory practices adopted by the Maharashtra government,” they said while urging the rights body to order a probe.
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