Eknath Shinde quits as Maharashtra CM
Eknath Shinde, the Shiv Sena leader of the breakaway group, resigned as the chief minister of Maharashtra on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, days after the ruling Mahayuti alliance secured a decisive victory in the state assembly elections. Shinde met with Governor CP Radhakrishnan in the morning and submitted his resignation. The governor has asked Shinde to continue serving as the caretaker CM until a new one is sworn in.
BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis and Shinde are both reportedly competing for the CM’s position. The BJP’s claim to the post is strengthened by its performance in the elections, having emerged as the single-largest party with 132 seats. Despite Shinde’s Shiv Sena winning only 57 seats, the party is pushing for the top post, citing the political arrangement in Bihar, where Nitish Kumar is at the helm despite the BJP being the larger coalition partner in terms of elected MLAs.
Slow return to normalcy in Sambhal
Two days after violence erupted during a court-ordered survey of a Mughal-era mosque, normalcy seems to be gradually returning to Sambhal in UP on Tuesday, with schools reopening and many shops selling essential goods resuming business. However, internet services remained suspended.
Authorities, including police and administration officials, are closely monitoring the situation, with security forces stationed at key intersections. Rapid Action Force teams have been deployed in sensitive areas.
While the situation seemed calm in most parts of the district, the area around Shahi Jama Masjid remained empty. Tension has been rising in Sambhal since November 19, when a court-ordered survey of the mosque took place following a petition claiming that a ‘Harihar temple’ once stood at the site.
On Sunday, a large crowd gathered near the mosque as the survey team resumed its work. This led to clashes with security forces; vehicles were burned, and there was stone-pelting. Official reports indicate that four people died in the violence, with nearly two dozen others, including security forces, injured.
While a magisterial inquiry is underway, Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi stated on Monday that the situation was under control. He said that “strict action will be taken against those responsible for the unrest”.
Manipur crisis shows no signs of ending
Manipur has been hit by a fresh wave of violence, further escalating the already volatile situation in the North-eastern state. Mobs in the districts of Imphal Valley reportedly attacked the homes of ministers and destroyed properties. In response, authorities imposed an internet shutdown and curfew across Imphal and other hill districts, while reintroducing the stringent Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the region.
Over the past two weeks, at least 20 people have been killed, including three Meitei women and three girls, and 11 suspected Kuki militants. The situation worsened with a hostage crisis and the killing of children, which sparked unrest in Jiribam, a region previously unaffected by ethnic clashes.Several armed underground organisations have mushroomed, aligned with the two communities.
Since May 2023, despite the imposition of curfew, internet restrictions, and a heavy security presence, including Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), the violence in Manipur has continued unabated. According to government sources, 5,000 additional forces have been. However, the situation on the ground remains tense and tragic.
Vikram Gowda killed
In a dramatic confrontation deep within the dense Kabbinale forest in Hebri taluka, Udupi district, the Karnataka Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) brought a two-decade-long pursuit to a close by killing Vikram Gowda, a Maoist commander of Kabini Dalam, one of the state’s most wanted men. According to reports, this encounter, which took place on November 18, marked the first major gunfight between the police and Maoists in the coastal region in 13 years, revealing the continued presence of the underground rebels in the area. While the operation was seen as a significant victory for the Karnataka Police, Maoists reportedly continue to operate in the interiors.
According to state police sources, the ANF is determined to intensify its efforts to dismantle the remaining network and restore peace in the coastal areas. The killing has faced criticism from sections of the civil society which have strongly criticized the police action against Gowda, and are demanding a thorough investigation into the encounter.
A controvesial mela in Bhopal
Leaders of four organizations of survivors of the Bhopal gas tragedy have jointly condemned the ‘Justicemakers Mela’ to be held from November 29. It is reportedly being sponsored by Trilegal, a law company that represents Union Carbide’s accomplice DuPont, as well as several corporations involved in the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Rashida Bee, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmchari Sangh said in a press statement, “On its website, Trilegal, that is sponsoring this event, lists DuPont as one of its corporate clients. As we well know, DuPont merged with Union Carbide’s owner, Dow Chemical, in 2017 and now owns substantial Union Carbide property. DuPont is very much part of the corporate conspiracy to create legal hurdles for Bhopal survivors to receive any legal remedies.”
“Trilegal represents not just criminal corporations like DuPont but also Israel Aerospace Industries, Lockheed Martin, Augusta Westland, Boeing and other corporations that are profiting from the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” said Balkrishna Namdeo, president of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Nirashrit Pensionbhogee Sangharsh Morcha.
Rachna Dhingra of Bhopal Group for Information and Action said, “We are shocked by the audacity of this NGO called Agami that is organizing this event around the 40th anniversary of the worst corporate crime in Bhopal. It is also shocking to find that hardly any of the 600 ‘justicemaker’ invitees to this mela have cared to check the abominable client list of Trilegal that is funding their participation.”