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‘I Love Mohammad’ Posters Reach Mumbai, Row Intensifies With Statewide Protests

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Mumbai: The controversy over ‘I Love Mohammad’ posters, which began earlier this month in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur, has now triggered protests in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Muslim clerics and community leaders in Mumbai have also stepped in, demanding withdrawal of cases filed by Kanpur police.

At Malvani police station in Mumbai, Maulanas and clerics submitted a memorandum claiming the FIRs were unjustified. They urged the state government to act swiftly and ensure that the religious sentiments of the community were respected.

The row started on 4 September during the Barawafat (Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi) procession in Kanpur. Groups of youths marched with green flags and posters reading “I Love Muhammad”, while distributing sweets and singing devotional songs. Later that evening, similar banners appeared on shopfronts and traffic points in Beconganj and Anwarganj.

According to locals, the act was purely devotional. However, some Hindu groups objected, arguing that this was a “new tradition” not associated with Barawafat celebrations.

Tensions rose after police removed a few banners citing lack of prior permission. Videos circulating online showed arguments and scuffles between residents and police. Crowds gathered demanding reinstatement of the posters, prompting police to use mild force and detain ten people.

Soon, similar disputes surfaced across Uttar Pradesh. In Bareilly, a proposed hoarding near Dargah Ala Hazrat was blocked by police, leading to a brief sit-in. In Sambhal, municipal workers erased wall graffiti with the same slogan, sparking late-night demonstrations.

On 9 September, Kanpur police filed FIRs against 24 people, accusing them of disturbing communal harmony by introducing a “new custom” during the procession.

The controversy gained momentum after AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi criticised the FIRs, insisting that saying “I Love Muhammad” was no crime.

Meanwhile, Kanpur Police Commissioner Ramkrishan Yadav defended his force, stating that the banners were obstructing traffic and had been erected without permission. “Our action was aimed at maintaining public order, not at hurting sentiments,” he said, appealing for peaceful celebrations.

The issue quickly spread beyond Kanpur. Demonstrations were reported in Nagpur, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Uttarakhand. In Mumbai, clerics held peaceful gatherings, but in Kashipur (Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand), the protests turned violent on Sunday night.

Police alleged that the Kashipur rally was held without permission. According to SSP Manikant Mishra, the crowd attacked police personnel and vandalised vehicles when officers tried to disperse them. Seven people were arrested, ten detained, and alleged mastermind Nadeem Akhtar was questioned. The district administration also demolished several structures, terming them “illegal encroachments.”

With protests still simmering, authorities are appealing for calm while religious leaders continue to demand withdrawal of FIRs. The row has underscored the deep sensitivities around faith, tradition, and freedom of expression—issues that remain at the heart of India’s communal debates.

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Nigerian arrested with cocaine in Mumbai

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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.

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Rs 7,253 crore spent so far in 2025-26 on sprucing up railway stations in India: Vaishnaw

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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.

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Palghar Illegal Building Collapse: Civic Official Arrested For Failing To Act On Unsafe Structure

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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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