Amid the suspense over Maharashtra’s new Chief Minister, Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar will meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday in New Delhi.

The BJP-led NDA has called a meeting in the capital on November 28. Shinde, Fadnavis and Pawar will attend the meeting to discuss the allocation of the Chief Minister’s post, cabinet shares, and ministerial berths with the top BJP leadership.

Speaking to the media, Shinde said: “A meeting of all three parties (of Mahayuti) will be held with Amit Shah tomorrow. Detailed discussions will be held in that meeting. After that, a decision will be made.”

The suspense over the next chief minister started with BJP’s stellar performance in the recently concluded Maharashtra election gaining 132 seats, while Shinde Sena 57 and Ajit Pawar’s NCP 41 seats of the 288 seats. All three parties contested under the Mahayuti alliance.

Shinde resigned as Chief Minister on Tuesday and is currently serving as the caretaker CM till the new one is sworn in. The term of the current government ended on November 26.

Ahead of the meeting with Shah, Shinde said that he and his party will fully support the top BJP leadership’s decision on the next chief minister of state.

During a media briefing, Shinde mentioned that he had talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, assuring them that he would not hinder the formation of the government and that he would support their decision.

“I informed the Prime Minister that if my presence poses any issue in forming the government, there should be no hesitation. We will respect any decision you make regarding the chief minister’s position. We will accept the choice made by the BJP leadership,” he stated.

Earlier today, Naresh Mhaske, an MP from the Shinde-led faction of Shiv Sena, arrived to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah at Parliament, where MPs from the Shinde faction were in attendance.

Reports suggest that Devendra Fadnavis, who previously served as Deputy Chief Minister under Shinde, is likely to take on the role of Chief Minister again. Fadnavis is noted as the second individual, after Vasantrao Naik, to complete a full term as chief minister from 2014 to 2019.

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday highlighted the urgent need to make existing laws more stringent to curb vulgar content on social media platforms.

Responding to questions by BJP MP Arun Govil in the Lok Sabha, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said: “We are living in the era of social media and OTT platforms. However, the democratic institutions and traditional forms of the press that once relied on editorial checks to ensure accountability and correctness of content, have seen these checks diminish over time.”

Vaishnaw noted that due to the absence of such editorial oversight, social media has become a platform for freedom of press on one hand, but on the other hand, it has also become a space for uncontrolled expression, which often includes vulgar content.

The Union Minister urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee to take up the issue and also called for a consensus to frame more strict laws in this regard.

During question hour, the Meerut MP asked about existing mechanisms to check the illegal broadcast of vulgar and sex-related content through social media platforms and whether the government proposes to make the existing laws more stringent, keeping in view the fact that the said laws are not effective in stopping the misuse of these platforms.

“Earlier, there were editorial checks and it was decided whether something was right or wrong but those checks have ended. Today, social media is a platform for freedom of press but it is uncontrolled and there is vulgar content,” the Minister responded.

There is a need to make existing laws more stringent laws to curb vulgar content on social media platforms, Vaishnaw said amid din in the House.

Acknowledging the distinct cultural differences between India and the geographies where these platforms originated, Vaishnaw emphasised, “The cultural sensitivities of India vastly differ from those of the regions where these platforms were created. This makes it imperative for India to make existing laws more stricter and he urged everyone to come to a consensus on this matter.

“There should be societal consensus on it, along with stricter laws to address this challenge,” Vaishnaw said.

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to recover the cost of damages to public property from protestors involved in the Sambhal violence. The posters of stone pelters will also be displayed at prominent public locations.

In Sambhal’s Kot Garvi area, a court ordered survey of Shahi Jama Masjid prompted by a petition claiming a Harihar temple once stood at the site resulted in a massive violence, leaving four people dead and several injured. 

Reportedly, an official spokesperson of the Uttar Pradesh government said that the state is adopting a firm stance against the individuals involved in the Sambhal violence. The official stated that the posters of stone pelters and miscreants will be displayed publicly, and recovery of damages will be sought. Furthermore, a reward may also be announced for information leading to their arrest.

Notably, the government had earlier displayed posters of individuals accused of vandalism during the anti-CAA protests in 2020, putting them across key locations including the state capital.  Nonetheless, the posters were eventually taken down following a court directive.

Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal witnessed massive violence on Sunday when a large crowd assembled near a mosque and began chanting slogans as a survey team resumed its work. The situation intensified as protesters clashed with security forces, allegedly set vehicles ablaze and hurled stones.

Reports said that the Police have arrested 25 individuals and registered seven FIRs, naming Zia-ur-Rehman Barq, the Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal, Sohail Iqbal, son of the party’s local MLA Iqbal Mehmood, together with more than 2,750 unidentified suspects.

Meanwhile, a magisterial inquiry is ongoing, and superintendent of police Krishna Kumar Vishnoi confirmed on Monday that the situation is now under control, ensuring that strict action will be taken against those responsible for the unrest.

The opposition parties have slammed the ruling BJP at both the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh following Sunday’s violence. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav accused the state government of staging a riot, while senior Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra claimed that the ruling party was fueling divisions between Hindus and Muslims.