National News
Defame, abuse Muslims: Abu Azmi slams Nitesh Rane’s remarks on madrasas
Mumbai, Feb 13: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA, Abu Azmi on Thursday launched a sharp attack on Minister Nitesh Rane over his demand for an investigation into madrasas across the state, accusing him of consistently trying to “defame Muslims.”
Rane had raised concerns about an illegal madrasa in Nandurbar’s Akkalkuwa taluka, where a Yemeni national was allegedly planning terror activities.
He urged the Maharashtra government to probe all madrasas in the state to ensure they were not promoting terrorism, specifically warning against links to extremist groups like the Taliban.
Reacting to Rane’s statements, Azmi told media, “I think Nitesh Rane should be given a position where his job is to shock and trouble Muslims, defame them, and abuse them. Every morning, he wakes up thinking of new ways to stay in the news.”
“I don’t think we need to respond to every statement made by Nitesh Rane. But I want to tell people that madrasas teach good values — they teach brotherhood, they teach love for the country. An individual can be wrong, but a madrasa cannot be wrong,” he said.
Azmi argued that the presence of illegal immigrants in a madrasa should not justify filing cases against all madrasas.
“For example, many Indians live illegally in America, the UK, or Saudi Arabia after their visas expire. They work for others, but cases are not filed against those who employ them. This is just his cheap politics,” he remarked.
Dismissing Rane’s allegations, Azmi suggested installing CCTV cameras in madrasas to prove that they focus on education rather than illegal activities. “People will then see that madrasas teach good things,” he added.
Earlier, Rane had told media, “I have written to our Chief Minister, requesting a thorough investigation into all madrasas in Maharashtra to determine whether they are genuinely focussed on education or involved in terrorist activities. There are concerns that they may be promoting groups like the Taliban. Are they trying to make students or trying to make (Osama) Bin Laden?”
“If such anti-national activities continue in Maharashtra’s madrasas, then all of them should be shut down,” he had asserted.
He also highlighted recent action taken by the Maharashtra government in Akkalkuwa taluka, where an illegal madrasa was being run.
“A Yemeni citizen was involved in planning terrorist activities there. The investigation is being conducted by our Maharashtra police,” he had stated.
Rane had previously courted controversy in January when he called for a ban on burqas during Board examinations, citing concerns about potential malpractices.
In a letter to School Education Minister Dada Bhuse, Rane argued that allowing girl students to wear burqas inside examination halls could facilitate cheating and pose security risks.
Mumbai Press Exclusive News
Nigerian arrested with cocaine in Mumbai

Mumbai: Police has claimed to have arrested a Nigerian with cocaine in the limits of Maloney police station and 180 grams of cocaine have been seized from his possession. Police searched Manuchi Agwa alias Oliver Agwa, 27, during a patrol and recovered cocaine from his possession. Along with the cocaine, a total of Rs 72 lakhs has been seized from the possession of the Nigerian. The police have registered a case under the NDPS Act and started investigation.
Business
Rs 7,253 crore spent so far in 2025-26 on sprucing up railway stations in India: Vaishnaw

New Delhi, Dec 5: The government has spent Rs 7,253 crore so far (up to October), of the total budgetary allocation of Rs 12,118 crore for 2025–26, on the redevelopment of railway stations across the country under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Friday.
The minister stated in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha that work is in progress at a good pace for the development of stations such as Tirupati, Yesvantpur, Rameswaram, and Safdarjung station in Delhi..
So far, 1,337 stations have been identified for development under this scheme since it was launched, of which 155 stations have been completed till now.
Vaishnaw said that the station development projects under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme are primarily conceptualised with budgetary support. However, 15 stations have been identified to be explored for development under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode also and based on the experience gained from the same, further evolution of the scheme is envisaged.
He further stated that the ownership of stations and operations-related activity will be with the Indian Railways. However, for some identified major stations, specific activities or groups of activities may be entrusted to outside sources for specified tenures depending upon the type of activity, requirements of the station, demand, etc. The terms of the contract are decided on a case-by-case basis.
He said that the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for the redevelopment of stations has been launched with a long-term approach.
The scheme involves the preparation of master plans and their implementation in phases to improve the stations. The master planning includes improvement of access to the station and circulating areas, integration of the station with both sides of the city, improvement of the station building and improvement of waiting halls, toilets, sitting arrangement, and water booths.
The redevelopment plans also include provision of wider foot over bridge or air concourse commensurate with passenger traffic, provision of lifts, escalators and ramps, improvement of platform surface and cover over platforms and provision of kiosks for local products through schemes like ‘One Station One Product’.
Besides, the construction of parking areas, multimodal integration, amenities for Divyangjans, better passenger information systems, provision of executive lounges, nominated spaces for business meetings and landscaping is being taken up, keeping in view the necessity at each station, Vaishnaw said.
The scheme also envisages sustainable and environment-friendly solutions, provision of ballastless tracks, etc., as per necessity, phasing and feasibility and creation of a city centre at the station in the long term, the minister added.
National News
Palghar Illegal Building Collapse: Civic Official Arrested For Failing To Act On Unsafe Structure

Palghar: In a major development nearly three months after the collapse of an illegal residential building that claimed 17 lives, Assistant Commissioner Gilson Gonsalves has been arrested for allegedly failing to take timely action against the dangerous structure.
According to police, Gonsalves, who headed Ward-C of the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC), did not initiate mandatory action against the unauthorised and unsafe Ramabai Apartment, nor did he file a case under the MRTP Act within the stipulated period. His inaction, officials say, contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
The four-storey Ramabai Apartment, located in Vijay Nagar, Virar (East), collapsed on 26 August 2025 during the Ganesh festival, triggering shock and panic across the city. The incident killed 17 residents and left nine others injured. The building, which contained 50 flats, had deteriorated severely in just a few years.
Investigators revealed that the developer had misled residents into believing the structure was authorised, leading them to continue paying municipal taxes. Following the collapse, police registered a case against builder Nital Sane, the landowner, and three others. Five individuals, including the builder, were arrested, although four have since been granted bail.
Police Commissioner Niket Kaushik had handed the investigation over to Crime Branch Unit-3, which continued to probe municipal lapses. During the inquiry, it emerged that despite the building being declared dangerous, Gonsalves did not ensure the evacuation of residents or pursue legal action against the developer.
As a result, Crime Branch officials registered a case against him and arrested him at around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday night. Although Gonsalves had applied for anticipatory bail in the Vasai court, his plea was rejected.
The arrest marks a significant step in the ongoing probe, as authorities face increasing pressure from residents and activists to hold both builders and civic officials accountable for the region’s growing number of unsafe and unauthorised structures.
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