OFF THE RECORD review on some of today’s headlines / Vikrant Joshi (www.vikrantjoshi.com)
1. 6 kids die in Bandra bldg collapse-Hindustan Times
Uddhavji, right in your backyard where you stay (BANDRA), the area is a hub for illegal constructions & encroachments since years. If such things are looked upon with closed eyes, how can a common man believe that SS has no part in promoting illegal constructions of Mumbai? What different is the Behrampada collapse than the collapses in Mazgaon, Mumbra, and Bhiwandi? We blamed a blue eyed NCP leader from Thane then for being partner to half of Mumbra’s constructions, who is to be blamed now? The building proposal department of the BMC, that is controlled by the Shivsena, is the main culprit. How are these slum dwellers allowed to raise floors & floors on a house which is meant for ground+1? Are the BMC guys sleeping? BMC has made a list of structurally dangerous buildings of Mumbai. If you say notices have been issued to vacate the buildings, and if the occupants of the same are migrants (wherein 90% are) then why aren’t they just thrown out of Mumbai? Who supports them & goes to courts & gets a stay? Corporators & MLA’s…. whose vote banks are these illegal migrants. No value for any human life. Uddhavji, when have you last passed Government Colony building? These buildings are at stone throw distance from where you stay. Have you noticed the encroachments inside these building premises? Or near the Collector Building? Who advocated these? Your late MLA Bala Sawant. Gyms, beauty parlours, eateries are flourishing. Goons have made this as their “addas”. It is embarrassing for so many top class or Class 1 officers to see this happening everyday, where they reside. They are the ones who control Maharashtra, but can’t do jack shit about these encroachments.
2. Cong to move no-confidence motion against BMC chief
Hindustan Times & Times Of India have reported two different things. One says Congress is bringing the no confidence motion & the other paper is blaming Shivsena. In actual it is Congress which is bringing in the no confidence motion against BMC -MC Ajoy Mehta supported by all parties except BJP. The reason, Ajoy Mehta is backed by CM Devendra Fadnavis & the BJP. His mistake is only that he exposed the BMC’s wrong doings and disturbed the “Marwadi” contractor lobby. He called spade a spade! All these contractors since years have been Shivsena loyal (don’t have to be a scientist to understand this). Tell me, was Ajoy Mehta responsible for potholes in Mumbai? No. In fact he was the one who asked the government to prosecute two additional Municipal Commissioner’s who were behind this racket. What have ex-Municipal Commissioner’s done? Roads are not built in a day. The technology which goes in was finalised by ex MC & AMC. In fact, everything right from the tendering process to the payments made, everything is controlled by the Marwadi BMC contractors. AND yes only 6 of them control the whole BMC. Ajoy Mehta went against the tide. How will anyone tolerate if their cash cows are disturbed?
4. Sena picks Shahs & Mehtas as office bearers-Mumbai Mirror
This was apparent two months ago when PRO Harshal Pradhan launched a book on 50 years of SS. The publisher of the book was a “Shah”. Today it is open, but the Gujrati’s, Marwadi’s & the Kutchi’s formed a close circle of Uddhav Thackrey & family since years. Which caste do the contractor lobby of the BMC & the TMC belong to? Nitesh Rane had started a stir against them, but it died the next day.
5. On rocky ground? Mumbai Mirror
Actress Shraddha Kapoor is not happy with a song she has sung and wants it edited or deleted from the upcoming Rock-ON 2. Apparently the Director who agrees with Shraddha is agreeing but the GHOST director & boyfriend of Shradha Kapoor (because of this relationship marriage of Adhuna & Farhan Akhtar was broken) Farhan Akhtar is in no mood to delete this song. Reason. ” LOU ” they say when you are in LOU, even if the girlfriend farts, it showers fragrance to the boyfriend! For your information, Farhan himself is such a big stammer, that he can’t even sing a line in one tune. Technology is what makes Farhan a great singer!
6.When you find the right girl, love is inevitable-Neil Nitin Mukesh-Bombay Times
Yes NNM. Something is better than nothing. It is common practice in Bollywood that if acting is not happening & you aren’t getting any roles, get engaged. Next you will be in news when you get married, & next when you will have your first baby. Till then make some appearances or do some ribbon cutting like Imran Khan, Ayushmann Khurrana and many more. Vivek Oberoi was the smart one. He got into property business & is very close to the PM & CM.
7. We want to coexists-HT CAFE
Kay Kay Menon, Manoj Bajpayee made this statement. They meant their kind of parallel cinema should be getting recognition & monies. But friends out of 10 movies you guys make, only 2 make sense to me. Rest either are so intellectual that it goes beyond Indian audiences heads, and the others don’t get a release. Your kind of cinema should have a big production house backing the scripts. Try UTV.
8. सकल मोर्चांवर सवलतींचा उतारा- लोकसत्ता
There you go. Didn’t I say earlier, that CM Devendra Fadnavis is extending an olive branch to Uddhav Thackrey. Both of them want to go together in BMC. But starting from Pro’s to the city chief’s everyone is against this happening. What better than UT made a demand at the Dusshera rally 3 days ago & it gets approved in state cabinet yesterday.
9. संयमाची भूमिका घ्या- मटा
This is said by Ajit Pawar. Anyone in media will agree, what language & attitude did AJIT Pawar follow when he was the DCM? Senior journalists also feared his temper & arrogance. Yesterday Nawab Malik made a derogatory statement. Also how can anyone forget, when Maharashtra was facing severe draught, Ajit Pawar had threatened to urinate in dams to get it filled. Such people are asking to take it easy against Jankar who has sworn by all 33 crore Hindu gods & goddesses that he hasn’t spoke anything unparliamentary. I feel it was the aura of Pankaja Munde that day, in which the Minister went overboard.
