Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said the BJP-led Mahayuti would identify and deport “Bangladeshi infiltrators” from Mumbai and ensure the country’s financial capital gets a mayor who is a Marathi and Hindu.

He also said the government would create a ₹17,000-crore environmental budget for Mumbai to make it the most environmentally sustainable city in the country, and that details of the scheme would be announced soon.

Mr. Fadnavis was on Saturday (January 3, 2025) addressing the first rally of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance for the January 15 Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, which he said would determine the future of the metropolis and added that every Mumbaikar living in the city would have a home here.

“We will identify Bangladeshi infiltrators in Mumbai and send them back, making the city safer. In the last seven months, many Bangladeshis have already been sent back from Mumbai, and we will not stop until all such infiltrators are deported,” he said.

Referring to the mayoral post, Fadnavis said, “Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and I have made it clear that Mumbai’s mayor will be a Marathi and a Hindu. Some people spoke about a burqa-clad woman becoming mayor, but those who claim to champion Marathi pride did not object. We are clear. Mumbai’s mayor will be a Marathi-Hindu.”

The issue had snowballed after Mumbai BJP president Ameet Satam recently remarked that his party would not allow any “Khan” to become the city’s mayor, triggering sharp reactions from the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

After uniting with Sena (UBT) chief and his cousin Uddhav Thackeray, MNS president Raj Thackeray had declared that “Mumbai’s mayor will be Marathi, and he will be ours”.

Mr. Fadnavis said the January 15 polling date coincides with the culturally significant Uttarayan period, when days begin to lengthen, and described the civic elections as one that would usher in a new phase for Mumbai.

“The BMC elections are about changing Mumbai’s image and future. January 16 marks the coronation anniversary of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, and it should symbolise Mumbai being won by the Mahayuti,” he said during the rally in the Worli area.

Elections to 29 civic bodies, including BMC, will be held on January 15, and votes will be counted on January 16. The BMC has 227 electoral wards.

Taking a swipe at Opposition promises, Mr. Fadnavis said voters were accustomed to “tall claims” ahead of elections, but the Mahayuti was offering a credible alternative.

Referring to assurances by Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS leaders on free electricity and property tax waivers, he said the BJP-led alliance believes in delivering on commitments rather than making unrealistic announcements.

Whenever elections approach, the BJP faces the allegations that it wants to separate Mumbai from Maharashtra, he said.

“I checked while returning to Mumbai whether it had been separated from Maharashtra. Mumbai is very much there and will remain so. Some people lose their balance when elections are near,” he said.

Mr. Fadnavis also criticised campaigns centred on linguistic identity, saying no one could detach Mumbai from the rest of the state and that Mumbaikars want development. “This election is about Mumbai and its people, who are awake and want progress,” he said.

He said thousands of mill workers were forced to leave the city due to inaction by those who previously controlled the BMC. Questioning the utility of the BMC’s large fixed deposits, he asked, “What is the use of ₹70,000 crore in FDs if Marathi people had to leave Mumbai out of desperation?”

Citing the redevelopment of BDD (Bombay Development Department) chawls in Worli in central Mumbai, Mr. Fadnavis said the state government had provided 500 sq ft homes to Marathi families, earlier lived in 100 sq ft units, at no extra cost, benefiting around 80,000 people.

“This is the kind of work we want to do for Mumbaikars,” he said.

“We have resolved that every Mumbaikar living in the city will have a home in Mumbai. Slum dwellers, too, will be provided with good-quality housing,” Mr. Fadnavis added.

The CM said the government is building a 450-km-long Metro network, of which 150 km is already operational, making the commute more comfortable for Mumbaikars.

“Each year, we are adding between 50 and 100 km of Metro lines across Mumbai and the MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region) so that people can travel from one end of the MMR to the other in a maximum of 59 minutes. This is how the entire network has been designed and planned,” said Mr. Fadnavis.

Published – January 04, 2026 10:03 am IST

New Delhi:

Maharashtra could join the list of states that have a law against forced conversions and “love jihad” with the state government setting up a panel to study the aspects that can be covered under a future legislation. The seven-member panel will be headed by the director general of police, the top cop in the state, and include officials from the women and child welfare, minority affairs, law and judiciary, social justice, special assistance and Home departments. 

“Love jihad” is a term used by some to allege a conspiracy by Muslim men to lure Hindu women to marry them and then convert them to Islam.

In a government resolution issued on Friday, the BJP-led government in Maharashtra said the committee will suggest steps to deal with complaints of forced conversions and “love jihad”, and study the laws of other states to recommend legislation to prevent such acts. 

Thanking Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra minister and senior BJP leader Mangal Prabhat Lodha said the state government is taking steps to curb incidents of “love jihad”. 

“Love jihad is a serious issue, and the state government is working towards preventing such incidents. The committee established to address cases of love jihad will work for the protection of women and preservation of cultural values,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. 

Mr Lodha also pointed out that when he was in charge of the Women and Child Development department under the previous government led by Eknath Shinde, he had set up the Interfaith Marriage Coordination Committee, which helped bring such incidents to light. 

“Shraddha Walkar was brutally murdered by Aftab Amin. Rupali Chandanshive was killed by Iqbal Sheikh. Poonam Kshirsagar was murdered by Nizam Khan. Yashashree Shinde from Uran was killed by Dawood Sheikh. Sonam Shukla from Malad lost her life at the hands of Shahjib Ansari,” he said. 

Lok Sabha MP and NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) Working President Supriya Sule, however, said the government should focus on tackling economic issues rather than love and marriage, which are personal choices. 

“If the economy is impacted, the entire country will suffer,” she said. 

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat are among the states that already have laws to deal with cases of “love jihad”.

Last year, the Uttar Pradesh Assembly had passed the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2024 with provisions for 20-year imprisonment or a life sentence if a person was converted under threat or a promise of marriage.  

Mumbai:

The examination centres where mass copying for classes 10 and 12 board exams is reported will be barred permanently, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said.

Forty two cases of copying were reported on the first day of the HSC examination for class 12 on Tuesday, according to the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE).

Mr Fadnavis on Tuesday asked officials to monitor sensitive examination centres through drones and video cameras. He directed the sacking of school employees or teachers if they were involved in facilitating copying.

The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Mr Fadnavis also interacted with all district collectors and police officials and took stock of the preparation for exams.

The chief minister said district collectors should form special squads which should reach examination centres an hour before the exam starts and wait until the answer sheets are submitted to the custodian.

It is the joint responsibility of the district collector, superintendent of police, and chief executive officer of the Zilla parishad to prevent copying in exams. Similarly, in urban areas, it will be the responsibility of the municipal commissioner and police commissioner, he said.

Mr Fadnavis also directed district collectors, superintendents of police and chief executive officers of Zilla Parishads to visit sensitive examination centres on the days when English, Mathematics and Science papers are scheduled.

The Class 12 board exams commenced at 3,373 centres in the state. The exams will continue till March 18.

Mr Fadnavis said any unauthorised person should not be allowed in 100 metres from the examination centre.

Steps should be taken to ensure students do not carry any material that can lead to copying in exams, he said.

It is also expected from the flying squad to effectively take steps to ensure copy-free examination, the Chief Minister said.

The State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education stated, “42 cases of copying were reported on the first day of HSC examination.” More than 15 lakh students appeared for the first paper, English, at more than 3,000 exam centres in the state.

Out of 42 cases of copying (malpractices), 26 were reported from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, eight in Pune, three in Nashik, two each in Amravati and Nagpur and one in Latur.

Mumbai, Konkan, and Kolhapur registered zero cases of malpractice.

Meanwhile, a student appearing for the exam at a centre in Pune’s Narhe area tried to jump from the second floor. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital, officials said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

The Maharashtra Home Department has formed a Special Investigation Team to investigate whether the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government headed by Uddhav Thackeray was planning to arrest then Leader of the Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde and in a fake case. 

The probe team was announced in the assembly on Tuesday by senior cabinet minister Shambhuraje Desai, who said it would be headed by a senior IPS officer.

The move came after a businessman, Sanjay Punamiya, claimed the media has aired sting operations in which a former police officer, during a telephonic conversation, said the former Mumbai Police chief was preparing to get Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde arrested. 

The arrest, he claimed, would be linked to a case against him.
Following the claims, BJP MLC Pravin Darekar demanded that a SIT be set up to investigate the conspiracy. 

He even presented a pen drive in the legislative council, claiming it contains videos of a sting operation that revealed the plan. 

This SIT – which has been asked to submit its report to the government within 30 days — will be headed by Mumbai police officer Satyanarayan Chaudhary.

The Opposition has scoffed at the claims, questioning why the Mahayuthi government is making this move now, despite being in power for more than three years. 

Davos/New Delhi:

Maharashtra, one of the largest states in India, has a huge presence at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. The team is led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who told NDTV electric vehicles (EVs) are an area where the state has a major focus. He also called for embracing AI and not ignoring the impending disruptions.

“EVs are the future. We are getting a lot of investments in EV manufacturing. GSW, Mahindra, Toyota are building plants; many global players plan to build EVs in our state,” Mr Fadnavis said.

“Having said that, we are focussing on public transport and including a lot of EVs. The BMC (civic agency) has placed an order for 5,000 EVs. Pune already has a fleet of 1,000 EVs. The MSRTC, which is our state transport, has placed an order for 5,000 electric vehicles. The entire transition of public transport to EV is going on,” the Chief Minister said.

He said he hopes to see the entire public transport fleet to be fully green in three-four years.

Defence Manufacturing

The defence sector is something which is important obviously for a larger national perspective. Bharat Forge has a great deal of presence in Maharashtra. This is an area that is developing because India is now increasingly an exporter of weaponry.

In this context, Mr Fadnavis said that fortunately, Maharashtra has created an ecosystem for defence equipment manufacturing.

“This huge ecosystem has been created in Nagpur and other parts of Maharashtra. We have signed MoUs with Bharat Forge and other companies that are bringing FDI in defence manufacturing,” he said.

The Chief Minister said manufacturing got a boost due to the import obligation started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which made it obligatory for companies to have parts manufactured in India.

“That started the ecosystem and now we are actually producing equipment and even exporting equipment,” he said.

Mr Fadnavis announced his government is looking to build an “Innovation City” of 100 hectares near Mumbai.

‘Can’t Shy Away From AI’

With artificial intelligence (AI) the buzzword at Davos, Mr Fadnavis pushed for accepting AI with a wide embrace and not worrying so much about AI taking away jobs.

“See, the same argument was there when computers were Introduced and a host of our leaders also used to say that ‘we are ruining our country by accepting computers’. They would say we’ll be jobless and will never progress and many arguments were put forth.

“But I always feel that you cannot shy away from technology. We are actually a globalised community and in such a community if you say that ‘I’m not using AI’, it doesn’t work. You have to. Technology is like a horse; you have to ride it. You have to know how to ride the horse.

“I think we must know that AI is the reality. AI is going to change the job market. AI is going to create new jobs. AI is going to take away some old jobs. So upskilling and reskilling and creating a human resource, which can augment these jobs is the prime responsibility of the government,” Mr Fadnavis told NDTV.

The five-day meeting at Davos that began on Monday is exploring how to relaunch growth, harness new technologies and strengthen social and economic resilience, according to the World Economic Forum. The global meeting is seeing participation by nearly 3,000 leaders from over 130 countries, including 350 governmental leaders.

India’s participation at Davos aims to strengthen partnerships, attract investment, and position the country as a global leader in sustainable development and technological innovation. India sent five Union ministers, three chief ministers, and ministers from several other states to the WEF this time.

Mumbai:

NCP leader and Food and Civil Supplies minister Dhananjay Munde did not find a place in the list of guardian ministers released by the Maharashtra government on Saturday.

Ministers in Maharashtra are given responsibility of one or more districts. The announcement was awaited after the formation of the new BJP-NCP-Shiv Sena government last month.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also handles the Home department, would be the guardian minister of Maoist-affected Gadchiroli district, while deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has been alloted Beed district in addition to Pune, Pawar’s home district.

Dhananjay Munde, MLA from Parali in Beed, was guardian minister of this central Maharashtra district during the previous government. But recently he came under fire from both Opposition as well as local BJP MLAs over the brutal murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh in the district. Walmik Karad, Munde’s associate, has been arrested in connection with the case.

Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP, had refused to ask Mr Munde to resign over the controversy.

Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, another deputy Chief Minister, would be the guardian minister of Mumbai city as well as Thane district which is his stronghold. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said the police have gathered several clues in the case pertaining to an attack on actor Saif Ali Khan at his residence, and the culprit will be arrested soon.

Mr Fadnavis’ remarks came as at least two images of the suspect, whose face was clearly captured on CCTVs, have surfaced.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Mr Fadnavis, who holds the home portfolio in the state, said: “Police investigation is going on….they have got many clues and I feel the police will very soon zero in (on the culprit).” 

Mr Khan was grievously injured after an intruder stabbed him six times at his residence in Mumbai’s post Bandra West neighbourhood area early on Thursday. The actor, who received multiple stab injuries, including in his neck, underwent an emergency surgery at Lilavati Hospital and is currently recovering.

In one of the images of the suspected attacker that surfaced on Thursday, he is seen taking the stairs while fleeing the building after stabbing the actor. In another image that surfaced on Friday, he is seen in a new set of clothes at, according to sources, Bandra Railway Station. 

Earlier on Friday, reports emerged that a possible suspect had been detained by the police but a top officer later clarified that the man, who was taken to Bandra Police Station, had nothing to do with the case.

According to police sources, the accused had demanded Rs 1 crore after barging inside Mr Khan’s flat. 

A month after BJP’s big win in Maharashtra polls, Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday claimed that his party’s win ended the politics of betrayal and treachery started by veteran leader Sharad Pawar in 1978.

“The victory (of BJP) in Maharashtra ended the politics of instability and backstabbing started by Sharad Pawar in 1978. You have buried such politics 20-foot in the ground,” said Mr Shah, addressing a state BJP convention in Shirdi.

In 1978, Sharad Pawar, who later founded Nationalist Congress Party, walked out of the Vasantdada Patil government with 40 MLAs and became the Chief Minister. Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar’s nephew, split the party in 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, in which the BJP was also a partner. 

The BJP emerged the single largest party in 2024 state polls, winning 132 seats, which is also its highest seat tally in the state. 

“From 1978 till 2024, Maharashtra was prone to political instability. You have shown the way by bringing in a stable and strong Devendra Fadnavis government,” stressed Mr Shah. 

#WATCH | Maharashtra: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, “… The victory (of BJP) in Maharashtra ended the politics of instability and backstabbing started by Sharad Pawar in 1978. Uddhav Thackeray betrayed us, he left the ideology of Balasaheb in 2019. Today you have shown him… pic.twitter.com/BzACZ9bOSJ

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2025

The Shiv Sena (undivided) and the BJP contested the 2019 assembly polls together, but Uddhav Thackeray ended the alliance over the Chief Minister’s post. The BJP has repeatedly mocked him over the move.

“Uddhav Thackeray betrayed us. He left the ideology of Balasaheb in 2019. Today you have shown him his place. He became Chief Minister by treachery,” said the Home Minister.

Mr Shah credited the BJP’s big win in the state to “Hindutva aur Modi ji ki vikas ki rajneeti  (Modiji’s politics of development).”

Calling BJP workers the real architects of the party’s victory in the state, Mr Shah said, “You are the facilitator of the party’s victory from panchayat to Parliament. You have to make BJP invincible so that no one dares to betray it again.”

Noting that the BJP’s victory in Maharashtra will have long-term consequences, Mr Shah said the historic win shattered the confidence of the opposition bloc INDIA, which has over two dozen parties.

“Our opponents were waiting that after Lok Sabha results, they will win in Maharashtra. You all have done the work of shattering these dreams of theirs,” said Mr Shah.

The Mahayuti alliance of BJP, Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) won over 230 of the state’s 288 assembly seats, while opposition’s Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance of Congress, Uddhav Thackeray’s Sena faction and Sharad Pawar’s NCP faction could win only 46 seats.

Nagpur:

After a turbulent period in Maharashtra politics that saw a rearrangement of political alliances, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has clarified the BJP’s relationship with the Thackerays. “Earlier, Uddhav Thackeray was a friend, and now Raj Thackeray is a friend, but Uddhav Thackeray is not a shatru (enemy),” he said while interacting with senior journalist Vivek Ghalsasi.

While the Thackerays share Hindutva ideology with the BJP and have been natural allies for a long time, differences with Bal Thackeray’s son Uddhav Thackeray led to a separation in 2019. The BJP lost power and Mr Thackeray became the leader of a new alliance comprising the Sena, Congress and NCP.

With the BJP and Sena parting ways, Uddhav Thackeray’s estranged cousin Raj Thackeray, who heads the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS), became closer to the BJP.

On meeting Uddhav Thackeray during the Winter Session of the Assembly, the Chief Minister said he had asserted he won’t indulge in the politics of revenge and that all leaders had responded positively.

‘Sharad Pawar Is Intelligent’

Mr Fadnavis also spoke about veteran leader Sharad Pawar’s praises for the BJP and the RSS after the election results. He said Mr Pawar has realised how the RSS overcame the fake narrative spread by the opposition.

“Before the assembly polls, many people inspired by the RSS played their role and burst the fake narrative. Sharad Pawar saheb, who is very intelligent, would have studied this and realised that this (RSS) is not a regular political power but a nationalist power. That is why he may have praised the RSS” he said, adding it is good to praise others in a competition.

The Chief Minister also spoke on the chances of Mr Pawar’s faction reuniting with the original party.

“If you see the developments between 2019 and 2024, I realised that anything can happen. Uddhav Thackeray goes to another party and Ajit Pawar comes to us. Anything can happen in politics but I am not saying this should happen,” he said at Late Vilasji Fadnis Jivhala programme in Nagpur.

Mr Fadnavis said that before becoming Eknath Shinde’s deputy in 2022, he had asked from organisational work, but senior leaders asked him to join the government.

Who Is Stricter – Modi or Shah?

Mr Fadnavis did not give a straight answer when asked who is stricter – Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Home Minister Amit Shah. He said that the Prime Minister is a very disciplined political while one can manage convince Mr Shah once in a while.

He said that after BJP got a huge mandate in Maharashtra elections, when it was proposed that the Chief Minister will be from BJP, ally Eknath Shinde agreed within minutes.