MUMBAI: With the state’s political situation fluid, the BJP’s Mumbai unit has begun mobilising its cadre “for all eventualities”. On Sunday, the party’s 16 MLAs, five MLCs and members of Parliament held a meeting of 500 office bearers in every assembly constituency, laying the ground work for the developments the coming days may see. Party workers were cautioned not to be overenthusiastic as the fight was between two Shiv Sena groups and the BJP had nothing to do with it. “The executive committee meeting was held in all 36 assembly constituencies in the city. The MLAs held the meeting in their assembly constituencies and the MLCs and MPs in those constituencies where the party does not have MLAs. The BMC elections were discussed as also how to tackle violence if any,” sources said. Party workers have been told to gather in large numbers at the airport on July 3 when the rebel MLAs are slated to arrive from Guwahati, said sources. “With violence that is spreading and the language being used by Sena leaders, we have to be prepared,” they added. On Sunday, members of the party’s state core committee met at the residence of opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis to discuss future strategy. Among those present were state BJP president Chandrakant Patil and MLAs Girish Mahajan and Ashish Shelar. Another MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar attended the meeting virtually. Sources said no decision had been taken on the BJP staking a claim to form the government in Maharashtra. On reports that rebel MLAs had demanded that Eknath Shinde be made the CM, sources said the party had no opinion on it.
Mumbai: With the state’s political situation fluid, the BJP’s Mumbai unit has begun mobilising its cadre “for all eventualities”. On Sunday, the party’s 16 MLAs, five MLCs and members of Parliament held a meeting of 500 office bearers in every assembly constituency, laying the ground work for the developments the coming days may see. Party workers were cautioned not to be overenthusiastic as the fight was between two Shiv Sena groups and the BJP had nothing to do with it. “The executive committee meeting was held in all 36 assembly constituencies in the city. The MLAs held the meeting in their assembly constituencies and the MLCs and MPs in those constituencies where the party does not have MLAs. The BMC elections were discussed as also how to tackle violence if any,” sources said.Party workers have been told to gather in large numbers at the airport on July 3 when the rebel MLAs are slated to arrive from Guwahati, said sources. “With violence that is spreading and the language being used by Sena leaders, we have to be prepared,” they added. On Sunday, members of the party’s state core committee met at the residence of opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis to discuss future strategy. Among those present were state BJP president Chandrakant Patil and MLAs Girish Mahajan and Ashish Shelar. Another MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar attended the meeting virtually. Sources said no decision had been taken on the BJP staking a claim to form the government in Maharashtra. On reports that rebel MLAs had demanded that Eknath Shinde be made the CM, sources said the party had no opinion on it.
Mumbai: Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Saturday knocked at the doors of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, home minister Dilip Walse Patil and DGP Rajnish Seth to express concerns over the alleged withdrawal of security provided to legislators supporting him. “We are the sitting legislators. However, the security provided to us at our residence as well as to our family members as per protocol has been illegally and unlawfully withdrawn as an act of revenge. Needless to mention, the sinister move is another attempt to break our resolve and arm-twist us to give into demands of MVA government,” Shinde said in his letter. The letter was signed by 38 legislators. Dilip Walse Patil denied the charge, saying security of no legislator has been withdrawn and no such orders have been given by the home department. “Shinde’s contention is wrong. Besides security to legislators, we have asked law enforcement agencies to provide security to family members of the legislators,” Walse Patil said in a statement. Shinde said the rebel MLAs had leave Maharashtra in view of threat to their lives. “We state that not only security of our families and relatives have been compromised by removing the security personnel, but also there is an ongoing agenda wherein various leaders of the MVA government are instigating the cadres of their respective parties to take up violence to further intimidate us, which is evident from media reports,” Shinde said, quoting the statement of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut. He also attached a link of Raut’s statement. Shinde said the impact of Raut’s statement was borne by his two members as their offices were completely vandalised by the cadres of Shiv Sena immediately after the security cover was withdrawn. “In the recent past, the same scenario had happened in Punjab, where a prominent politician was murdered after his security cover was withdrawn, I feel, Maharashtra too may witness a similar situation. If any harm is caused to our family members, then the CM, Sharad Pawar, Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray will be responsible for the same,” Shinde said. Refuting the allegations of Shinde, Walse Patil said as per rules, if the legislators leave, then the security cover provided to them go back to the barrack and they are assigned different work. “There is no politics in it, we are following the rules and protocol, there is absolutely no law-and-order problem in the state, the entire police is on high alert,” Walse Patil said.
MUMBAI: Amid ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra, rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde on Saturday alleged that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has withdrawn security of 38 MLAs who have joined him in Guwahati. Shinde, a minister in the Thackeray cabinet and a heavyweight from Thane district, has rebelled against the party, pushing the MVA government to the brink of collapse. The rebel Sena leader tweeted a letter undersigned by 38 MLAs alleging 'malicious withdrawal of security of family members of the 38 MLAs'. The letter said that chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, Sena leaders Sanjay Raut and Aaditya Thackeray will be responsible for any harm were to come to family of MLAs. The letter also alleged that withdrawal of security is an act of revenge, attempt to break our resolve and arm twist them to give into the demands of the MVA government comprising of NCP and INC goons. The letter also referred to the withdrawal of the security in Punjab due to which high profile persons became the targets of goons and gangsters. However, Maharashtra home minister Dilip-Walse Patil clarified that no orders have been issued by the chief minister or home department to remove the security of any MLA. "The allegations are totally false and misleading," minister tweeted. राज्यातील कोणत्याही आमदाराचे संरक्षण काढण्याचे आदेश मुख्यमंत्री वा गृहविभागाने दिलेले नाहीत. या संदर्भात ट्विटरद्वा… https://t.co/0ZgfP7b8mk— HMO Maharashtra (@maharashtra_hmo) 1656136559000On Friday, addressing a meeting of Sena's district heads and others, Uddhav Thackeray said that he has left the official residence 'Varsha', but not lost his "will to fight" for the party. Slamming the rebels' leader Eknath Shinde, he recalled how he did a lot for him, yet Shinde was hurling a series of baseless allegations against the Sena and Thackeray.
Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Saturday denied claims made by rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde that the Maha Vikas Aghadi government led by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had withdrawn the security cover provided to him and other dissident MLAs camping with him in Guwahati, Assam.“There have been no orders issued either by the CM or the Home Ministry to withdraw the security of any MLA. Allegations being levelled to this effect are mischievous and false,” Patil tweeted on Saturday, hours after Shinde accused the state government of withdrawing security.राज्यातील कोणत्याही आमदाराचे संरक्षण काढण्याचे आदेश मुख्यमंत्री वा गृहविभागाने दिलेले नाहीत. या संदर्भात ट्विटरद्वारे केले जाणारे आरोप पूर्णपणे चुकीचे व दिशाभूल करणारे आहेत, असे गृहमंत्री दिलीप वळसे पाटील यांनी स्पष्ट केले. @Dwalsepatil— HMO Maharashtra (@maharashtra_hmo) June 25, 2022Shinde’s allegations were detailed in a letter to CM Thackeray, Home Minister Patil, Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Singh and all commissioners of police in the state. Tweeting this letter, he wrote, “The protection of Shiv Sena MLAs has been withdrawn by order of the Chief Minister and the Home Minister. The government is responsible for protecting them and their families.”Amid escalating political turmoil in the state, Shinde alleged the “sinister move” was aimed at breaking their resolve and pushing them to accept the demands of the MVA government. In his letter, Shinde said MVA leaders — Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya Thackeray — would be responsible if any harm is done to the family members of the rebel MLAs.Meanwhile, responding to his allegations, Sena leader Sanjay Raut said, “You are an MLA, so security has been provided to you. Your family members can’t be provided with the same.”
At least 10 incidents of violence by Shiv Sena workers against rebel MLAs have been reported across Maharashtra till 8 pm on Saturday. This comes amid the Mumbai Police extending its June 4 order of banning unlawful assembly of five or more persons in the city till July 10.While incidents of violence took place in Pune, Navi Mumbai, Parbhani, Osmanabad, Satara, Thane, Nagpur city, Nanded, Palghar and Kolhapur, a senior state police officer said that except for the cases of violence in Pune and Thane, the rest were “minor” incidents. The local police have lodged FIRs in connection to all the 10 incidents.In Pune, Sena workers attacked the office of rebel Tanaji Sawant at Katraj on Saturday. Sawant runs the Bhairavnath Sugar Work Limited Company, which has a registered office at Katraj in Pune. Vishal Dhanawde, a Sena corporator from Pune, and other party workers ransacked the Katraj office around 11 am.At Thane’s Ulhasnagar, at least five Shiv Sena supporters were detained on Saturday for allegedly pelting stones at the office of Shrikant Shinde, the Lok Sabha MP from Kalyan and the son of rebel leader Eknath Shinde.The incident took place at Shrikant’s Gol Maidan office. A video that has gone viral on the social media showed some persons throwing stones at the office, damaging a board and raising pro-Uddhav Thackeray slogans.Besides, posters of Eknath Shinde were blackened in Navi Mumbai, Nagpur and Nashik. A demonstration was also held against all rebel MLAs at Hadapsar in Pune.At Navi Mumbai and Parbhani, effigies of Eknath Shinde and other MLAs like Bharat Gogawale, Mahendra Dalvi, Mahendra Thorve and Gulabrao Patil, were burnt. At Osmanabad, while the Sena again targeted Tanaji Sawant, party workers threw chappals on Sawant’s poster in Satara.In Nagpur, Sena workers blackened and tore posters of Eknath Shinde outside his office. While at Nanded, the workers tried to burn the effigy of MLA Balaji Kalyankar, at four places of Boisar in Palghar, Sainiks threw ink on the posters of Shinde.On Friday afternoon, the Nehru Nagar police had taken local Sena leader Dilip More and 19 workers from Kurla in Mumbai into custody for damaging a board outside the office of rebel MLA Mangesh Kudalkar.The Mumbai Police, meanwhile, has stepped up security at the residences and offices of ministers, MPs, MLAs andcorporators.
Guwahati: The drama outside Radisson Blu Hotel here on Friday was as intense as the one unfolding inside on the third day since Eknath Shinde and his men started checking in to challenge Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray’s leadership.The day was marked by bouquets for Shinde and his men from ally Ramdas Bandu Athawale’s Republican Party of India and brickbats for BJP and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma from Congress and AAP.But the one who hogged the limelight was a lone figure from Maharashtra, who identified himself as Sanjay Bhosle, deputy chief of Shiv Sena’s Satara district unit. He was carrying a placard urging Shinde to return to ‘Matoshree’.“I came here to tell him just one thing that you remember the last words of Balashaeb Thackeray to stand with Uddhav and Aditya and return. Like Shinde, I am also a diehard party worker. I want to tell Shinde that Shiv Sena has given him a lot and he should return to Matoshree,” Bhosale told the media.Bhosle was whisked away in a police vehicle to the nearest police station where he is stated to have been detained.
TOP officers of the Maharashtra Police held meetings with commissioners and SPs across the state, asking them to be on alert in the wake of the political crisis prevailing the state. Officers have been asked to identify possible troublemakers and ensure there is no breakdown of law and order in the state.An IPS officer said, “We are concerned about any law-and-order situation in the state especially when the rebel faction comes to the state. We are also keeping an eye out for any possible violence by the Shiv Sainiks against some of the MLAs, who have joined ranks with Shinde.”The officer added that so far, there have been three instances in Mumbai and one in Kolhapur linked to the political crisis. In Mumbai, Shiv Sena workers damaged the offices of rebel MLAs Kudalkar, Sada Sarvankar and Dilip Lande on Friday when their posters blackened. “Local police stations have been asked to ensure that family members of rebel leaders are not attacked,” an officer said.The officer added that they are wary of any street fights between supporters of either side, especially in areas like Thane, which is Shinde’s stronghold. “We have kept reserve police like the State Reserve Police Force on standby to ensure that if there is any issue, prompt action can be taken,” an officer said.“Generally, every MLA in his constituency has rivals, who we fear will use the situation to their advantage in cases where the legislator has defected,” an IPS officer told The Indian Express.There are indications that the Union government may provide the rebel MLAs CRPF cover when they come to Mumbai. “It is the prerogative of the Centre to provide security to any individual or group that it deems fit,” the officer added.
Shiv Sena workers gathered at Uddhav Thackeray's house, Matoshri, in Mumbai on Friday.Mumbai: As the crisis for Uddhav Thackeray's government deepened on Friday, police in Maharashtra went on high alert in the evening after getting information that workers of the Shiv Sena might "take to the streets in large numbers". Supporters, meanwhile, started gathering at the Thackeray family residence, Matoshree, raising slogans and beating drums to express support for the chief minister. All Police stations in Maharashtra, especially those in Mumbai, have been ordered to remain on high alert. Police received info that Shiv Sainiks can take to the streets in large numbers. To ensure that peace prevails, Police have been asked to remain alert: Maharashtra Police pic.twitter.com/V8QGL0NRYR— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022This came a short while after an emotional Uddhav Thackeray told party workers during a virtual meeting that the rebels were "trying to break" the Sena. "Without using the names of Shiv Sena and Thackeray, how will you move ahead?" Mr Thackeray said, targeting the rebels.#WATCH | Shiv Sena workers continue to remain outside Matoshree (Thackeray residence) in Mumbai as a meeting between CM Uddhav Thackeray and NCP leaders, including party chief Sharad Pawar, continues. #MaharashtraPoliticalTurmoilpic.twitter.com/5TgTr8rSEr— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2022Those gathered outside Matoshri said they came from Mulund and wanted to show support to the leader during this difficult time. Two days ago, a large number of Shiv Sainiks had gathered when Uddhav Thackeray left the official chief minister residence to shift to the family home. Despite the show of strength by party workers on Friday evening, Uddhav Thackeray's chances to keep the chair looked bleak. Latest developments suggested that the rebel leader, Eknath Shinde, has the critical number of MLAs, 37, required to split the Shiv Sena in the assembly without falling foul of the anti-defection law.PromotedListen to the latest songs, only on JioSaavn.comEknath Shinde has said the Sena's alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Congress in Maharashtra is "unnatural", and that it should restore its pact with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).But the Shiv Sena has come out aggressively against the allegation that the party had deserted Hindutva as its ideology. Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said in an interview with NDTV on Friday evening, "Which Hindutva teaches you to stab your party, which is like a family, in the back?". She said ideology is being used as an alibi for the "BJP-backed" rebellion.
MUMBAI: Police authorities in Maharashtra have issued an alert across the state as Shiv Sena supporters are likely to stage angry protests following senior leader and minister Eknath Shinde's rebellion, an official said on Friday. A couple of incidents of Sena workers targeting the hoardings or boards featuring rebel MLAs who are with Shinde have been reported in the state. Read AlsoShiv Sena national executive committee meet on Saturday: Top developmentsNEW DELHI: The scales seem to be tilting towards the Eknath Shinde faction in the tussle to control the Shiv Sena, with nearly 40 of the party's 55 MLA said to be rallying behind the rebel leader. Chief minister and Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray has vacated the official CM residence and moved toA general alert has been issued to all district unit commanders like superintendents of police and police commissioners, asking them to take steps to prevent any untoward incident, said an official here. Majority of Shiv Sena MLAs have shifted their loyalty to Eknath Shinde and are camping in Guwahati, plunging the MVA government led by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, who heads the Sena, into a crisis. Read AlsoIs the ‘Sena loyalist’ ready to deal the final blow?The ranks of the rebels have swelled to a point where it now appears a serious threat to the ruling coalition. Also, for the first time the rebel leader Eknath Shinde has referred to a “national party” willing to support him.In western Maharashtra's Kolhapur, Shiv Sena supporters came out on the streets in large numbers and staged protests against the rebel leaders. In Mumbai, Sena workers tried to smash a board outside Kurla MLA Mangesh Kudalkar's office. Shiv Sena workers also blackened a hoarding put up in support of Shinde in Ambedkar Nagar area of Nashik. Read AlsoMLA of Shiv Sena’s most prestigious seat joins rebel Eknath Shinde’s campThree more Shiv Sena MLAs joined the rebel camp in Guwahati on Wednesday night adding to the numbers required by the Eknath Shinde faction to form a separate unit or assert its will over the party.Considering the possibility that such protests by Thackeray loyalists may intensify in the coming days, police have been asked to take precautionary measures to maintain law and order, the official said. Security at the offices and residences of Shiv Sena MLAs who have joined the Shinde faction has been increased, he said. In Mumbai, the nerve centre of the Shiv Sena's politics, police have been asked to remain alert and deploy adequate number of personnel at all important locations. Security at the Shiv Sena Bhavan (the party headquarters in Dadar) and CM Thackeray's private residence 'Matoshree' in Bandra has also been increased.
All eyes are on the results of the Rajya Sabha elections that were held for 16 vacant seats in four states — Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra. With the counting of votes underway, follow our live coverage of the high-stakes battle.Protests erupted in several parts of the country today against the derogatory remarks by former BJP spokespersons on Prophet Mohammad and the Muslim community. In Delhi, Jama Masjid’s Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari said the Masjid Committee had not made any call for a protest, adding that he did not know the identity of the protesters. He speculated that they might be members of the AIMIM. In Ranchi, the police had to resort to firing in the air to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, at least 109 people were arrested from parts of Uttar Pradesh hours after violence broke out in Prayagraj and protests were held in at least three districts – Moradabad, Saharanpur and Firozabad.Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that “history cannot be created by governments” and urged society to take the initiative to present history in its true form. Lamenting that many battles fought by the Indian kings against invaders have been forgotten, Shah said that those battles – like the ones undertaken by the Ahom kings in Assam and Shivaji-led Marathas in the north-western region – have brought India where it is now.In world news today: Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has been hospitalised for the last three weeks after his health worsened, his family said today, amid reports that he was kept on a ventilator. “He is not on the ventilator. Has been hospitalized for the last 3 weeks due to a complication of his ailment (Amyloidosis). Going through a difficult stage where recovery is not possible and organs are malfunctioning. Pray for ease in his daily living,” the family of the retired Pakistani General tweeted.The costs of gas, food and other necessities in the US jumped in May, raising inflation to a new four-decade high. Consumer prices surged 8.6 per cent last month from 12 months earlier, faster than April’s year-over-year surge of 8.3 per cent.Political PulseHe is not in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) but he is a BJP MLA. Mukul Roy’s case is getting curiouser: One year after he defected from the BJP back to the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), Roy continues to be a BJP MLA and remains at the centre of a raging row over his status as a legislator. Atri Mitra reports.The Samajwadi Party’s decision not to allot a single ticket to its allies for the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council elections has created fissures in its relationship with its allies, with the Mahan Dal led by Keshav Dev Maurya announcing its exit from the alliance and Om Prakash Rajbhar’s Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) expressing disappointment. The disgruntled allies feel the senior SP leader Azam Khan’s imprint is all over the Opposition party’s decision and SP president Akhilesh Yadav cold-shouldered them to appease his senior party colleague.Express ExplainedThe use of coal as a fuel will be banned across the National Capital Region (NCR) from January 1, 2023, the Commission for Air Quality Management has said. Once the ban is in force, coal can no longer be used for industrial or domestic purposes, but thermal power plants will be exempted from the ban. But why has coal been banned and how will it impact the air quality in the region? Abhinaya Harigovind explains.Thousands of migrants of various nationalities Monday began a 2,000-km journey on foot through southern Mexico to reach the US border in hope of escaping hardships in their home countries. The movement has been timed to coincide with the three-day Summit of the Americas, which began on June 8. Migration is one of the key concerns to be discussed at the meet. Why is the caravan taking place? How do these migrants reach Mexico? What has the caravan got to do with the Summit of the Americas? We explain.Movie reviews: This week we review Nushrratt Bharuucha starrer Janhit Mein Jaari, Colin Trevorrow’s Jurassic World Dominion, Rakshit Shetty starrer 777 Charlie, and the web series The Broken News. Should you watch them or skip them? Read our reviews to decide!ICYMI: Read the top Premium stories of this weekPresidential elections: Over 70 years, 14 Presidents, 15 big fightsRajiv Mehrishi: Finance secretary, home secretary, CAG — and now pickle-makerIs the box office failure of ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ a rejection of Bollywood’s nationalism formula?Explained: The science behind the cancer cure, and the therapy’s future in IndiaExplained: Why the Gulf matters for IndiaRoad to 2024: Friendless and snubbed, why Congress has no ally shedding tears for it
The biennial elections to Rajya Sabha are being held to fill 57 seats in the Upper House across 15 states. As of now, 41 candidates belonging to various parties in 11 states — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab – have won unopposed. The elections in four states – Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka and Maharashtra – will be conducted on June 10. In Maharashtra, however, NCP leaders Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh will not be able to vote in the elections to six seats in the state. This is because a special court has rejected the applications filed by the two leaders seeking permission to visit Vidhan Sabha. A day before the elections, here’s a look at the poll mathematics.The schedule for presidential elections has also been announced. The polls will be held on July 18 and the counting of votes, if needed, will be done on July 21, the Election Commission announced.As uproar over remarks on the Prophet continues, India today said it has made it clear that the remarks do not reflect the views of the government. “We have made it pretty clear that tweets and comments do not reflect views of the government,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing.Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has said that All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi and controversial priest Yati Narsinghanand are named in one of the two FIRs registered by its special cell against various people for allegedly spreading hate and hurting religious sentiments. Former Delhi BJP media unit head Naveen Jindal, who was expelled from the party, and former party spokesperson Nupur Sharma, who was suspended, are among the people named in the FIRs.A recent study conducted in the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York and published in the New England Journal of Medicine has given hope that rectal cancer can be completely cured. But a larger study is needed to help shrink the estimate of possible failure, argues K Srinath Reddy, President, Public Health Foundation of India.Political Pulse“Our time has come”. That’s the buzz at Kamalam, the Punjab BJP HQs in Chandigarh. Punjab has for long been eluding BJP, which remained a junior ally of the SAD(B) for 23 years, before the alliance broke up in 2020. But the continuing influx of leaders — four former Congress ministers joined the BJP last Saturday – has given wings to the party. Manraj Grewal Sharma reports.Days after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar rejected outright any attempt by the Centre to bring in a law on population control, ally BJP believes the state must at least look at incentivising family planning. What is BJP’s argument and what incentives will it offer to the couples in the country’s third-most populous state ? BJP’s Bihar unit chief Sanjay Jaiswal tells Santosh Singh.Express ExplainedThe Union Environment Ministry on June 7 said that India is set to bring cheetahs from South Africa to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno-Palpur National Park by August this year. A senior official from the ministry said that a plan is underway to introduce 8-10 cheetahs every year. How cheetahs went extinct in India, and what is the plan to reintroduce them into the wild? We explain.It has been 50 years since Nick Ut, an American-Vietnamese photographer, clicked one of the most defining images of the Vietnam war. The photo, taken on June 8, 1972, captured a young child running to escape the impact of the Napalm bombing of a Vietnam village by the US forces. The image went on to win the Pulitzer Prize. The girl in the picture, Kim Phuc Phan Thi, is today an activist for peace and wants her legacy to be about survival.In other news: Radio signal detected coming from galaxy nearly 3 billion light-years away; Mahua Moitra on why absence of Muslim MPs & MLAs in BJP is disturbing; and Naseeruddin Shah on the three Khans’ silence on political matters.Preparing for Civil Services and other competitive examinations. Read The Indian Express’ UPSC Key and UPSC Essentials to stay informed.