Mumbai: Addressing journalists at Vidhan Bhavan after a video of children being beaten up in a madrasa in Maharashtra went viral, Maharashtra Minister Nitish 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. Nitish 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. Nitish 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, Nitish 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 major move toward strengthening the city’s primary and secondary schooling infrastructure, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday officially tabled its education budget for the fiscal year 2026-27.

Presented by Additional Municipal Commissioner Avinash Dhakne, the Budget Estimate ‘E’ (Fund Code – 30) outlines a total expenditure of Rs 4,248.08 crore, marking a robust upward trend in the city’s investment in its students.

The new budget represents a substantial increase over the previous year’s figures. For the 2025-26 fiscal year, while the initial estimates were higher, the Revised Estimates eventually stood at Rs 3,674.10 crore. The jump to over Rs 4,248 crore for the upcoming year reflects the civic body’s commitment to meeting rising operational costs and expanding educational services across the metropolis.

The budget is bifurcated into Revenue and Capital accounts, ensuring both daily operations and long-term infrastructure projects are funded. The lion’s share of the funds, totalling Rs 3,758.08 crore, is allocated to Revenue Expenditure.

This covers recurring costs such as teacher salaries, school maintenance and administrative expenses. This is an increase from the Rs 3,287.32 crore recorded in the 2025-26 Revised Estimates.

BMC students will undergo cyber literacy training in civic schools, with a budget allocation of Rs 11.08 crore each for the primary and secondary sections. Students who complete the program will earn academic credits. By next month, 57 civic school buildings which are under repairs, under construction, redevelopment and new construction are expected to be completed.

Focused on the future, the BMC proposed Rs 490.00 crore for Capital Expenditure. These funds are typically utilised for the construction of new school buildings, major structural repairs and the procurement of high-value equipment like digital classrooms and laboratory tech.