1. Shiv Sena Wants Shivaji Statue Moved From ITC Hotel to T2
After breaking down the toll booth at Terminal 2 of the Mumbai airport, the Shiv Sena has trained its target on yet another airport issue. They are now demanding that the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) shift the statue of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji, after whom the airport is named, back to its rightful place – at a spot right opposite Terminal 2.
Chhatrapati Shivaji’s statue atop a horse was moved near the ITC hotel at the airport, from the entrance of the old airport when the MIAL began makeover and construction of its new, swanky Terminal 2 in August 2011.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
2. Brad Pitt Chats With Shah Rukh Khan in Mumbai
Brad Pitt is in Mumbai to promote his upcoming film, War Machine. And the Hollywood star is chatting with superstar, Shah Rukh Khan!
In his chat, SRK spoke about his favourite Brad films; Benjamin Button, Twelve Monkeys and Burn After Reading.
Also Read: ‘War Machine’ Review: An SNL Sketch With Empty Movie Calories
SRK took to Twitter to talk about his meeting with the Hollywood star.
(Source: The Quint)
3. BMC to Spend Rs 94.2 Lakh to Keep Away Ragpickers, Garbage Mafia From Deonar
Mumbai's civic body appears to be dead serious about wiping away anti-social elements from the city's largest dumping ground. After appointing the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) to tighten security in and around the Deonar dumpyard, the BMC is planning to install mobile high-mast lights to survey the area. Eight such lights will be stationed at specific spots to check for illegal activity inside the ground.
The move comes close on the heels of a massive fire at the dumpyard last year, which caused a drastic rise in pollution levels and severely inconvenienced locals in the area. According to civic officials, the garbage mafia, which was trying to extract metals at the dumpyard, had triggered the fire.
The proposal for hiring the eight mobile high-mast lights will be tabled before the Standing Committee meeting on Friday for approval. The civic body will be shelling out Rs 94.26 lakh every year to deploy the mobile high-mast lights.
(Source: Mid-Day)
4. Cop’s Wife Hacked To Death, “Tired of Her” Found Written in Blood
Deepali Ganore, the wife of police inspector Dyaneshwar Ganore, was found stabbed to death at her Vakola residence in Mumbai’s Santa Cruz, police said on 24 May.
The incident occurred late on Tuesday night in Prabhat Colony. Dyaneshwar Ganore, 42, was a part of the team probing the sensational Sheena Bora murder case.
(Source: The Quint)
5. Paresh Rawal Defiant: 'No Question of Deleting Tweet on Arundhati Roy'
The controversial tweet by actor-BJP MP Paresh Rawal on author Arundhati Roy is missing from his Twitter wall, but Rawal said he hadn’t deleted it, and that his Twitter account had been suspended. Earlier this week, Rawal kicked up a row with remark that Roy should be tied to an army jeep instead of a stone-pelter, a reference to an incident in Kashmir where a man was used as a shield by security personnel to prevent a mob from attacking them. “Instead of tying stone pelter on the army jeep tie Arundhati Roy,” he had tweeted.
The 66-year-old actor-politician, however, said that he hasn’t deleted the post. “They (Twitter) said you delete your tweet and we will activate your account. But there is no way I am going to delete the tweet. No, I haven't deleted the tweet.”
When asked if his Twitter account was active, Rawal said, “It's active, but it's blocked kind of a thing. The moment I delete the tweet it'll be active.” Rawal claimed that he received an SMS from “somebody, who said Twitter head of India is some guy who doesn't have any sympathetic view about India. I don't know whether that is right or wrong.” The politician said his is a “chosen case” as a lot of people have posted “abusive” material on Twitter but no action was taken against them.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
6. 55 Pc Voting in Bhiwandi, Malegaon, Panvel Civic Polls
Around 55 per cent average voting was reported in municipal corporation elections in Bhiwandi, Malegaon and Panvel in Maharashtra on Wednesday, the State Election Commission said here.
Around 77.9 per cent average polling was recorded in four nagar panchayat and nagar parishad elections in Chandrapur, Ahmednagar, Latur and Sangli districts, the SEC said.
Polling began at 7.30 am and ended at 5.30 pm. The results will be declared on May 26. Altogether 1,251candidates were in fray in the three municipal corporations.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
7. 'Jogeshwari Man Worked for ISI'
Jogeshwari man Sheikh Nabi Ahmed, who was arrested in Islamabad on May 19 for not possessing valid travel papers, worked for Pakistan’s military spy agency ISI for over a decade and had led at least half-a-dozen operations against India, Indian security officials have said.
They also claimed that he crossed over to Pakistan via Bangladesh after his first bid through Kashmir failed.
A highly placed security official, speaking to Mumbai Mirror on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity, said that Ahmed, alias Taaj, had been roped in by the ISI to spearhead terror operations against India. He also confirmed that Ahmed, who lived with his family in Jogeshwari before disappearing in 2006, acted as a “frontline SIMI activist”.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
8. Virat, Anushka, SRK: ‘Sachin’ Premiere Was a Star-Studded Event
Sachin Tendulkar’s biopic, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is finally set to release on 26 May. The premiere was a star-studded event and was attended by Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, MS Dhoni and the rest of the Indian team in Mumbai.
(Source: The Quint)
9. Committee Rejects Plan For Jetty At Marine Drive
In a big setback for the city’s first floating hotel in South Mumbai, a committee appointed by the High Court has rejected the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation’s (MTDCs) application to construct a jetty at Marine Drive. This means that the luxury cruise liner, Orient Queen, may not be able to anchor off the coast of South Mumbai and neither will customers be able to reach the floating hotel from Marine Drive. The floating hotel was set to be anchored two nautical miles off Raj Bhavan by October.
The high level committee comprising of BMC Commissioner Ajoy Mehta, Police Commissioner Datta Padsalgikar and Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) chairman Ramanath Jha has asked the MTDC to relocate the jetty from Marine Drive. “The committee is of the view that we can’t allow any construction at Marine Drive,” said a senior member of the panel. “We want to make sure that the common people of Mumbai and tourists have unfettered access and enjoyment of Marine Drive. So it won’t be possible to allow such a jetty.” He added that the jetty for the floating hotel could be constructed beyond the heritage precinct.
(Source: Mumbai Mirror)
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