Mumbai: Addressing journalists at Vidhan Bhavan after a video of children being beaten up in a madrasa in Maharashtra went viral, Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane has poured venom against madrasas, calling them a base for terrorism and demanding their closure and has said that instead of madrasas, Marathi and other language schools should be allowed. He said that what is the need for madrasas in a Hindu nation? Are we allowed to teach Bhagavad Gita in Muslim countries? He said that the way children have been beaten up in a madrasa is completely wrong. If this incident of beating had happened in my constituency, what would have happened to it? Then no one would dare to torture a child. Nitesh Rane said that the way only Urdu is taught in madrasas and only Quran and Sharia are taught, that is why the students of madrasas are ignorant of other languages. Nitesh Rane said that in the same way that the Chief Minister in Assam has imposed audit and other conditions on madrassas, in Maharashtra too, audit of all madrassas should be made mandatory and monitoring should be kept on them. This demand will be made to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis soon. This country is a Hindu Rashtra, the rights of Hindus will be discussed here. Commenting on Kerala Story 2, Nitesh Rane targeted Muslims and said that those who do love jihad will not like this film because it has exposed love jihad and presented the facts. He said that this film is based on how Hindu girls are oppressed after love jihad. If there is an objection to the film, then stop love jihad.

Mumbai: The B-4 entry/exit gate of the Vidhan Bhavan Metro Station on the Mumbai Metro 3 (Aqua Line) has been reopened to passengers, while Gate B-5 continues to remain closed as per instructions issued by the Mumbai Police. The update was shared by Mumbai Metro Line 3 authorities on the social media platform X on Wednesday. Commuters have been advised to plan their travel accordingly.

The B-4 and B-5 gates were temporarily shut from February 23 to February 25 following directives from the Mumbai Police due to heightened security measures around the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly’s Budget Session. Both gates provide direct access to the Vidhan Bhavan complex, where proceedings of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council are currently underway.

Given the presence of several senior political leaders and ministers in the vicinity during the session, authorities had tightened access points around the complex as a precautionary measure.

At present, Gate B-4 has resumed operations for public use, while Gate B-5 remains inaccessible until further notice. In addition to B-4, commuters can use alternate entry and exit points, including A1, A2, A3, B1, B2 and B3 gates of the Vidhan Bhavan Metro Station.

Officials have urged passengers to factor in possible movement restrictions and minor delays while planning their commute through the station during the session period.

The Maharashtra Budget session commenced on Monday, 23rd of February, with the traditional joint sitting of both Houses, addressed by Acharya Devvrat. His address began after the House resonated with Vande Mataram, the National Anthem and the State anthem Jai Jai Maharashtra Maza.

The state budget for 2026 is scheduled to be presented on March 6 by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Notably, this session marks a rare instance in the state’s legislative history, with the post of Leader of Opposition lying vacant in both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.

Mumbai: In a fresh crackdown on illegal immigration, Mumbai Police arrested 25 Bangladeshi nationals from the Yuri Nagar area of Andheri West.

The operation was conducted by the Versova division of the Mumbai Police in coordination with the Anti-Terrorism Cell (ATC), following specific intelligence inputs.

Police sources said the team carried out a targeted operation in the locality, leading to the detention of the 25 individuals for allegedly residing in the city without valid documents.

Further investigations are underway to trace others who may be part of the network and to identify those who allegedly facilitated their illegal entry and stay in Mumbai, the police said.

The action comes amid an intensified drive against undocumented foreign nationals in the city. Earlier this week, a Bangladeshi woman was arrested in Vile Parle. It was later discovered that the same woman was deported to Bangladesh 6 months ago when she was discovered living illegally in Mira Bhayandar for 25 Years. Authorities have initiated fresh deportation proceedings against her.

Police indicated that porous border security and alleged collusion by certain personnel along the West Bengal border remain key concerns contributing to illegal infiltration.

Data shared by the police highlights the scale of the issue. Over the past three years, 1,758 Bangladeshi nationals have been detained in Mumbai for allegedly residing without valid documentation. Of these, 1,238 have already been deported, while the remaining cases are at various stages of legal processing.

As part of the ongoing crackdown, between January 1 and February 20, 2026, the police detained 113 Bangladeshi nationals. So far, 27 have been deported, and legal formalities are underway for the others.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Satyanarayan Chaudhary stated that in 2025 alone, 1,100 Bangladeshi nationals were deported. During the year, 150 cases were registered involving 224 accused. All cases are currently pending before the court and deportation proceedings will be completed after obtaining the necessary judicial orders.

Police have reiterated that the drive will continue in the coming weeks.