October 27, 2025

Mumbai is buzzing with a fresh political twist! The Shiv Sena (UBT) has taken a sharp dig at Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Why? Because revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule openly warned BJP workers that their mobile phones and WhatsApp groups are "under surveillance." This warning hasn’t gone unnoticed. Saamna, the Shiv Sena (UBT) mouthpiece, didn't hold back. In its fiery editorial, it pointed out that since Bawankule is a key member of ‘Team Devendra,' his phone tapping claim can't be ignored or treated lightly. The editorial asked a strong question, "Devendra has made more enemies within the party. Fadnavis is not in home minister Amit Shah's ‘good books'. Therefore, is Amit Shah's name in the list of those whose phones are being tapped?" It’s not just a casual warning; Saamna claims that BJP has created digital cages to trap its rivals. The editorial says, "The drama of ‘silence, phones are being tapped’ is going on in the state." The writers warn that if only opposition phones are tapped, it is expected. But if BJP workers themselves are under this digital house arrest, it means the ruler is scared! Adding more spice, Saamna called Maharashtra a hotbed of illegal activity and scams. It said, "Fake courts, fake ED, CBI teams were made in Gujarat, so why should Maharashtra lag? It has already gone ahead of Gujarat!" It demanded strict action against Bawankule under the India Telegraph Act. The editorial also threw light on history. In 2019, even before BJP came to power fully, the then police chief worked for Fadnavis to secretly tap opposition leaders’ phones. An investigation began but fizzled out once Fadnavis was back. Amazingly, the same police chief still holds the post, and now a minister admits phones are being tapped openly. Saamna added a jaw-dropping detail: "If BJP has spent Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 crores building secret ‘Pegasus’ operation centres in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, then Bawankule deserves a civic salute for unknowingly revealing this secret!" Meanwhile, on the political battlefield, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut met MNS chief Raj Thackeray to plan a big protest. On November 1, opposition parties including Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP, Congress, and MNS will march against what they call the "arbitrary and corrupt administration of the Election Commission." Sparks are flying and Maharashtra politics is heating up like never before!

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Tags: Shiv sena-ubt, Devendra fadnavis, Chandrashekhar bawankule, Phone tapping, Bjp, Maharashtra politics,