In dangerous precedent, Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis piles on activists, protestors

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the legislature on Friday that the government had identified certain activists who were attempting to stall the statersquos growth by opposing projects such as the proposed Barsu chemical refineryldquoThe Barsu chemical refinery is a project that will benefit Maharashtra However after protests and delays the international investors who were to collaborate with Indian companies have invested in similar projects in Pakistan Our loss is Pakistanrsquos gainrdquo he said replying to the debate the Opposition parties had initiated in the Upper House The Dy CM assured that Indian companies would complete the projectFadnavis said a few local people did not want the refinery but they too would be convinced ldquoBut the people who donrsquot want the country to progress are seen in the protests They are seen at the Aarey and Bullet train protests they are seen at the Barsu protest and some of them are also seen at the Narmada andolan The same people are found everywhere and surprisingly they visit Bangalore frequentlyThey get funding from Bangalore We have a record They have connections with a banned organisation Greenpeacerdquo he told the house The home minister said the government would protect lsquogeoglyphsrsquo petroglyphs a form of prehistoric rock art which is part of UNESCO list at the site of the proposed refinery ldquoWe have to think about the country and we all should come togetherrdquoAurangzeb rowFadnavis informed the house that there was a design to destabilise the state by way of glorifying the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb ldquoIt wasnrsquot a coincidence that Aurangzebrsquos picture was set as a social media status at the same time by many in various districts It was a design a conspiracyrdquo he said insisting that it was handiwork of some divisive forcesldquoAurangzeb cannot be a hero for Indian Muslims whose heroes are Shivaji Maharaj APJ Abdul Kalam Indian Muslims are not from Aurangzebrsquos TurkicMongol tribe that has a meagre presence in Pakistan and Indiardquo he added saying the police have deciphered the conspiracy and ldquopersons glorifying Aurangzeb will not be sparedrdquoNew police stationsThe HM said as per a new policy the distance between two urban police stations should not be more than 4 km and for rural places the cap was 10 km ldquoThis will lead to creation of new police stations The special regions such as commercialfinancial hubs educational campuses religious places courts dams power projects and nuclear power projects will get new police stationsrdquo he said adding that the number of crimes in a particular area will also be a parameter for setting up new stationsPolice stationsrsquo diaries will go digital and police personnel will be given a mobile app to track data of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems CCTNS the second phase work of which is in full swingReady for local pollsFadnavis said the ruling parties were ready for the local body polls but could do nothing about it because of the cases pending before the Supreme Court ldquoThe government is not authorised to conduct polls the election commission is The court has stayed elections till the cases are decidedrdquo he told the Shiv Sena UBT members in particular ldquoWe also want polls We are ready If you want you can approach the election commission to seek information And if you want we all can go to the commission together and request it to hold the electionsrdquoNow probe in BMCrsquos medicine purchaseThe government has promised yet another probe in the Mumbai civic corporationrsquos workingsThis time the BMCrsquos healthcare expenses Rs 4000 crore per year will be examined The announcement came in reply to MLA Ashish Shelarrsquos allegations that despite spending Rs 20000 cr in the past five years corruption doesnrsquot allow ease for undergoing treatment affordable diagnostics and medicines at civic hospitalsShelar said taxpayers didnrsquot get what they expected from the BMC ldquoPatients donrsquot get medicine but are told to buy it from outside Patients are sent outside for radiology investigations This must be investigated for corruptionrdquoShelar demanded a white paper on the cityrsquos healthcare system that has state or centrerun civic charity private and corporate hospitals ldquoThere is no coordination between these facilities We donrsquot know whether we have sufficient number of hospitals and what kind of money is spent on these hospitals that are used by people from outside as wellShelar said charity hospitals were flouting government rules and regulations ldquoPrivate hospitals charge exorbitantly for treatment and medicine There is no governmentapproved rate cardrdquo he said Industry Minister Uday Samant accepted the suggestion to publish a white paper and assured a highlevel probe in the BMC healthcaremedicine purchaseCongress Oppn celebrate Rahul verdictMumbai Regional Congress Committee president Varsha Gaikwad and party workers celebrate the SC decision on Friday PicAshish RajeThe state Congress and Opposition parties welcomed the SCrsquos stay on Rahul Gandhirsquos prison sentence They distributed sweets on the Vidhan Sabha premises State Congress president Nana Patole termed it a victory of truth and democracy ldquoThe Congress stands unfazed against dictatorship Rahulji was framed in a false complaint But it has been proved today that the judiciary is still alive in the country Itrsquos a slap in the face of dictatorshiprdquo he told reportersINDIA meeting in cityThe news came ahead of the state leadership of INDIA that has been preparing to host the Oppositionrsquos 26party frontrsquos third meeting in Mumbai Sources said the meeting will be held on August 31 and September 1 MVA leaders are expected to discuss arrangements on Saturday at a meeting convened by Sharad Pawar The front will appoint an 11member coordination panel at the Mumbai meeting