Just a few hours before Maharashtra conducts the assembly elections, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), a regional party, accused BJP leaders, including general secretary and former minister Vinod Tawde, of distributing cash at a hotel in Virar in Palghar district. 

The BVA has alleged that BJP candidate from Nalasopara Rajan Naik was distributing cash, allegedly to influence voters, in the presence of former minister Vinod Tawde. Kshitij Thakur, who is the sitting BVA MLA , reached the hotel with his supporters and a high drama followed.

Reportedly, the BVA supporters gheraoed Vinod Tawde and raised slogans. The supporters claimed that they found envelopes with cash and diaries at the meeting venue. Several viral videos show BVA supporters waving currency notes in front of Vinod Tawde. 

Reports said that an FIR has been registered in this connection. BVA President Hitendra Thakur alleged that a sum of Rs 5 crore was distributed at the Virar hotel. He added that former minister Tawde had a diary that carried details of the cash.

Furthermore, the Congress has also shared a video from the hotel and accused the BJP of trying to use money power to influence the election. The party added that even top leaders are involved, and asked the Election Commission to take note and strict action.

Meanwhile, the BJP has trashed the allegations and termed them baseless and a political stunt by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi on the eve of elections. The BJP said that Vinod Tawde was at the hotel for a meeting with party workers to discuss poll preparations. It also said the Election Commission must investigate the matter and scan CCTV footage to get to the root of the matter. 

Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra Kiran Kulkarni has said they have received a complaint in this connection and necessary action will be taken.

Maharashtra will vote on November 20, and the counting of votes will take place on November 23.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Tuesday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit India soon, and the announcement of dates will also be made soon.

He added that specific dates of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India will soon be announced and Russia will begin preparing for it. He noted that they will work out the precise date of his visit soon. He continued that after two visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have a visit of President Vladimir Putin to India.

Notably, the Russian President is under an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Ukraine. Earlier in March 2023, nearly a year after the conflict began, the ICC issued arrest warrants against both Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for child rights, for the alleged war crimes.

Reportedly, under the Rome Statute, the court’s binding treaty, individuals against whom an ICC warrant has been issued, must be detained if the person visits a country, which is a member state of the ICC. Nonetheless, India has not signed or ratified the Rome Statue. Therefore, the ex-KGB agent cannot be arrested here.

Additionally, India has repeatedly abstained from voting against Moscow on resolutions in the United Nations on the Ukraine war. Also, India has continued to purchase oil from Russia, adding to the annoyance of the United States-led western bloc of nations.

Earlier in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Russia’s Kazan for the annual summit of the leaders of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group of nations. Both the two leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit.

During the summit, Russian President Vladimir Putin also discussed India’s economic growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his participation in the three-day summit.

The Russian President said that all the countries talk about the need to ensure high economic growth rates but India has been doing it successfully for several years. He hailed that achieving high economic growth of 7.5 per cent sets an example for other countries.

Amid worsening air quality, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday wrote to the Centre, seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention for artificial rain in the national capital in an effort to combat the worsening air pollution levels in the national capital.

Addressing a press conference, the Environment Minister said that layers of smog have covered North India, and artificial rain is the only solution to get rid of smog. He added that this is a medical emergency. The AAP Minister further stated that PM Modi should intervene, and that it is his moral responsibility to act. He continued that the Centre should take steps to control pollution.

His remarks come as the city remains the most polluted in the country today, with a thick layer of smog blanketing the national capital. Reportedly, the Air Quality Index spiked to an alarming 494 under the ‘severe plus’ category. Despite the implementation of the strictest Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) IV restrictions in the national capital, multiple air monitoring stations touched the 500 mark.

Gopal Rai also slammed Union Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav, saying the latter has not called a single meeting on artificial rain despite his four letters sent in August, September, October and today. He asserted that PM Modi should ask his Environment Minister to convene a meeting on artificial rain. He added that the Prime Minister should either give a solution or a clear path for artificial rains. If the Centre government cannot act, their minister should resign, he continued.

Speaking on measures taken by the Delhi government, Gopal Rai said that they have banned BS-III petrol four wheelers and BS-IV diesel vehicles. He added that all trucks and diesel buses coming from outside have been banned. He continued that schools have been closed for classes 10 and 12 as well, and timings have been staggered for offices. He further mentioned that they are working to take decisions about work from home. 

Environment Minister Gopal Rai’s letter to the Centre seeking a nod for artificial rain came a day after the Supreme Court directed authorities in Delhi NCR not to lift the Stage 4 pollution curbs under GRAP even if the AQI fell below the 450 mark. The top court flagged a delay in the implementation of stricter measures to check air pollution.

Artificial rain involves the dispersion of substances such as silver iodide, potassium iodide, and dry ice into the atmosphere to stimulate the formation of rain or snow. The process typically takes about half an hour to generate rain.

Earlier in November 2023 as well, the Delhi government moved the Supreme Court to discuss the possibility of inducing artificial rain through cloud seeding to bring down the AQI levels in the city.

However, the top court asked the AAP government to instead approach the Centre and seek permission for the implementation.