Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s slogan Batenge To Katenge triggered a row within the Mahayuti alliance. Several leaders in the alliance opposed the slogan, mentioning it not to be in good taste, while other leaders defended it.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday responded to Ajit Pawar criticism of the slogan, saying that it will take time for the NCP leader to understand the mood of the people. Deputy CM Fadnavis said that for decades, Ajit Pawar has stayed with such ideologies which are secular and anti-Hindu. He continued that Pawar has been with people for whom opposing Hindutva is secularism, adding that there is no real secularism among those who call them secular. 

Devendra Fadnavis further mentioned that it will take some time for Ajit Pawar to understand the mood of the public. He stated that the leaders who opposed the slogan either did not understand the sentiments of the public or did not understand the statement or they probably wanted to say something else.

Ajit Pawar, who is also a Deputy Chief Minister in the Eknath Shinde led government, opposed the slogan, and said that such slogans will not work in Maharashtra. He added that the state works on the principles of B R Ambedkar. 

Daughter of late BJP veteran Gopinath Munde, Pankaja Munde also criticized the slogan, mentioning that her politics is different and that she will not support the slogan, just because she belongs to the party. She added that they need to focus on development and work towards uniting every individual in Maharashtra. BJP leader Ashok Chavan also said that slogans like this have no relevance in Maharashtra and are not in good taste. 

The Mahayuti alliance comprises the BJP, Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar led NCP. The Maharashtra Assembly Election will be held on November 20, and the counting of votes will take place on November 23. 

West Bengal government has formed a Special Investigating Team (SIT) to probe into a fraud in which government funds meant for students to purchase tabs or mobile phones were diverted elsewhere, said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday.

Speaking to reporters at the Bagdogra airport in the northern part of the state, the West Bengal Chief Minister said six people were arrested in this case.

The fraud has sparked significant concern after several students spoke about their funds being diverted. According to investigations, at least 300 students have been impacted, including 88 from Purba Bardhaman, 65 from Purba Medinipur, and 149 from Malda district.

The government had transferred Rs 10,000 to the bank accounts of each higher secondary and matric student in government schools to purchase tablets or mobile phones; however, many did not receive the funds due to alleged malpractices.

“An SIT has been formed. Our administration is very strong. They have already arrested six people and will do whatever is required. The group (involved in the case) is from Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Such groups exist in almost all other states,” Banerjee said.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also mentioned that her government has begun distributing funds to those who did not receive them.

On Tuesday, Education Minister Bratya Basu stated that the state government is committed to identifying those involved in the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for purchasing tablets for students in classes 11 and 12. State Education Secretary Vinod Kumar assured that stringent measures would be taken against those responsible and that a departmental investigation is currently underway.

In the allegations of tablet fraud, the Malda district police filed five more FIRs and formed an SIT to investigate the claims. On Thursday, the Malda police froze 181 bank accounts linked to the case. In several cases, the funds have been traced to bank accounts outside the state.

The Taruner Swapno Scheme is an initiative introduced by the state government to address the digital divide faced by students in West Bengal. This programme provides financial assistance to students in purchasing smartphones and tablets for educational purposes.

Under this scheme, a one-time grant of Rs 10,000 is deposited into the bank accounts of students in higher secondary classes. For the financial year 2024-25, the West Bengal government has allocated approximately Rs 900 crore for this program, according to reports.

Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Friday announced staggered timings for government offices across the city in an attempt to tackle the city’s worsening air quality. This decision aims to reduce traffic congestion and pollution. The development follows as the national capital’s air quality remained in the severe category for three consecutive days. 

The GRAP III restrictions have been imposed by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), due to the city’s air quality remaining severe.  Reportedly, the Air Quality Index (AQI) at 9 am stood at 411, well within the severe range of 400-500.

Notably, the GRAP for Delhi-NCR is divided into four stages of air quality, namely Stage 1 for poor Air Quality Index (AQI) ranging between 201 and 300, Stage 2 for very poor AQI of 301-400, Stage 3 for severe AQI of 401-450 and Stage 4 for severe plus AQI more than 450.

In a bid to control the situation, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi has announced that government offices will function at different timings with immediate effect in order to reduce the congestion. As per the government order, Municipal Corporation of Delhi will operate from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Central Government offices will operate from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, Delhi Government offices will operate from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.

This decision is reportedly a part of a broader plan to minimize the emissions from transport, one of the primary contributors to the city’s poor air quality. Meanwhile, other GRAP Stage III restrictions include ban on non-essential construction and demolition, closure of stone crushers and mining activities in Delhi-NCR, and prohibition on inter-state buses from NCR states, except electric, CNG, and BS-VI diesel buses.

Furthermore, if the AQI worsens further, Stage IV restrictions may be imposed, which would include, stringent ban on construction and demolition activities, suspension of mining-related activities, shifting to online classes for students up to Class V, and daily water sprinkling on major roads.