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Can Arif Mohd Khan give PM Modi his Kalam moment?

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Outspoken, educated in both secular and religious issues, against Islamic fundamentalism, and a career out and out in public life, is best how 71-year-old Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan can be described as.

Khan’s name has been doing rounds as a probable NDA candidate for the Presidential poll due in July. Some BJP leaders point out that Khan fits the bill of Indian Muslims, the way the party envisages, those following Islam but practicing Indian ethos.

Graduating in Arts from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), followed by a law degree from Lucknow University, the Bulandshahar born Khan has always been known for his strong views about orthodox Islamic practices and has advocated for social reforms in Muslim community.

In fact, even after being a student leader at the AMU and starting his political career with former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh’s Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Khan’s claim to fame moment came when in 1986 he famously voiced staunch opposition to the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s move of constitutional amendment to nullify the Supreme Court’s judgment in Shah Bano case.

Khan had opposed Rajiv Gandhi even when he was considered as a close aide of Rajiv Gandhi owing to his intelligence and bright acumen. His defiance of ruling Congress’ official line in this crucial case that went on to alter the Hindu Muslim equation for the country paved the way for his exit from the Congress.

He then joined V.P. Singh’s Janata Dal, which he left after some time to join Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).

In his long political career, Khan served once as a member of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and four times as a member of the Parliament. He also served as a Union minister in Rajiv Gandhi and V.P. Singh governments.

In 2004, he joined the BJP and unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha poll that year. He had left the saffron camp in 2007 but rejoined after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister in 2014.

Khan also strongly opposed the practice of Triple Talaq and hence supported the Modi government’s decision to ban it.

Many in the saffron camp believe that his opposition to the Islamic fundamentalism has earned him the post of a Governor in the NDA rule in September 2019.

Many in the BJP believe that Khan’s progressive Muslim image fits well in Prime Minister Modi’s “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas” vision and therefore he stands a good chance to be for Modi what A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was for Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002. However, the decision to field him as NDA’s presidential candidate will be taken by the party’s parliamentary board only after consultation with its alliance partners next month.

Maharashtra

Mumbai News: Central Railway’s Local Train Services Between Ambernath And Badlapur Disrupted Due To Technical Failure

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Mumbai: Local train services between Ambernath and Badlapur were severely disrupted on Friday morning following a technical failure in a goods train engine, causing inconvenience to hundreds of daily commuters on the Central Railway’s main line.

According to Central Railway officials, the incident occurred at around 5:42 am between Ambernath and Badlapur, bringing train movement to a halt in the section. The disruption led to delays and overcrowding on platforms during the crucial morning peak hours.

The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Mumbai division took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) at 7:08 am to confirm the issue and assured that teams were working to resolve the situation.

“Due to a technical issue in a goods train engine between Ambernath and Badlapur, train services are affected between Ambernath and Badlapur. Our team is working to resolve the issue at the earliest. We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused,” the post read.

The response from commuters on social media was swift and pointed. A user named Dhiraj Karande replied, “It happens every day. Trains are always late—technical fault, management failure,” highlighting recurring issues on the route.

Another commuter, Nitesh Singh, took a more sarcastic tone, posting, “Your patented comment ‘Kindly look into it’ is missing in this post… please post it…”

Railway officials managed to resolve the problem by 7:34 am, after which the DRM confirmed on X that services between Ambernath and Badlapur had been restored.

Passengers have called for better contingency planning and more transparent communication to avoid such early morning chaos in the future.

“The disruption once again highlighted the infrastructure and maintenance challenges faced by the suburban rail network, often referred to as Mumbai’s lifeline,” said Rajesh Kamble of Badlapur, a daily commuter of CR’s local train services.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Goregaon Police Arrest 26-Year-Old Within 18 Hours For Threatening Businessman While Posing As Lawrence Bishnoi Gang Member

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Mumbai: The Goregaon police have arrested a 26-year-old for allegedly giving a death threat to a businessman and his family, while claiming to be a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The accused, Tejas Shelar, was nabbed within 18 hours and he confessed that he was addicted to online gaming and had a debt of Rs3 lakh, said the police.

According to the police, Malav Shah, 58, a Juhu resident, has an office in Goregaon West, and a factory in Vasai. On Tuesday, when he was in his office, he received a call from an unknown number. The caller told Shah he has been offered Rs25 lakh and one kg of gold to kill him, said the police. The businessman said that he was further told that shooters were on their way to his office, residence andfactory.

The caller gave an offer to Shah, saying he would spare him if he paid more than the amount he is set to receive, said the police. Under the guidance of senior inspector Suryakant Kharat, the police traced the accused’s SIM location to Ambernath East, leading to Shelar’s arrest on Wednesday. He allegedly admitted that he knew about Shah’s financial status and hence threatened him.

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Crime

Mumbai Police Nab 30-Year-Old With Illegal Firearm In Vikhroli

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Mumbai: The Mumbai Police Crime units 7 has registered a case under the Arms Act after apprehending a 30-year-old man in possession of an illegal firearm near Tagore Nagar, Vikhroli West.

According to officials, on August 28 around 10:30 am, acting on confidential information, a police team intercepted a suspect near the Vikhroli Station bus stop on the highway.

The accused, identified as Irfan Mustafa Ansari (30), a garment trader and resident of Turbhe Naka, Navi Mumbai, was found carrying a country-made iron pistol valued at ₹50,000 along with two live cartridges worth ₹500, without any legal license.

Police said Ansari was in violation of the prohibitory orders issued by the Mumbai Police Commissioner regarding possession of arms. He was immediately taken into custody. A case has been registered at Vikhroli Police Station under Sections 3 and 25 of the Indian Arms Act. The seized property, totaling ₹50,500, has been taken into evidence. The case is currently being investigated further by Crime Branch, Unit-

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