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Maharashtra

Under fire Abu Azmi retracts objectionable remarks on Aurangzeb

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Mumbai, March 4: Abu Azmi, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA and party unit’s chief in Maharashtra, on Tuesday withdrew his controversial remarks in praise of tyrant Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, after facing intense backlash from leaders across all parties.

Azmi clarified that his statements were “twisted” and that he had no intention of disrespecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

Azmi had earlier sparked a political firestorm by asserting that Aurangzeb was “not a cruel leader.” His remarks were widely condemned, with critics accusing him of insulting revered Maratha figures. Many leaders called him “anti-national” and demanded a case of sedition being registered against him.

Following the uproar, Azmi posted a video on X defending his position.

“Yesterday, on March 3, when the Assembly ended and I came out, the media told me that the Chief Minister of Assam had compared Rahul Gandhi to Aurangzeb. In response, I spoke about Aurangzeb, but my words were blown out of proportion as if a storm had come. I have not insulted anyone,” he said.

He further emphasised his respect for national icons, stating, “I respect Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Maharaj, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar, and all great men who stood for equality in society.”

Clarifying his comments on Aurangzeb, Azmi said, “When I quoted a historian’s book about Aurangzeb, I never spoke ill of any of our great men. But if my statements, which have been distorted, have offended anyone, I take them back. The Assembly has important work to do, and it should not be disrupted over this issue.”

Azmi’s retraction came after an FIR was filed against him at Thane’s Wagle Estate Police Station on a complaint by Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske. He has been booked under Sections 299, 302, 356(1), and 356(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the case has since been transferred to Marine Drive Police Station.

The controversy erupted when Azmi, addressing reporters in Mumbai at the start of the Maharashtra Assembly session, responded to Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s comparison of Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee to Aurangzeb.

“Aurangzeb got several temples built. In Varanasi, he saved a Hindu girl from a priest who had an evil eye on her. He had the priest trampled by elephants,” Azmi had claimed.

He had further stated, “I don’t consider Aurangzeb a cruel ruler. During that era, power struggles were political, not religious. Aurangzeb’s army had many Hindus, just as Chhatrapati Shivaji’s army had several Muslims.”

Crime

‘He Kicked Her, Inquired About Her Name & Then Committed Obscene Act’: Navi Mumbai Police Arrest 35-Year-Old Man For Molesting Minor Girl In Rabale

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Navi Mumbai: Police have arrested a 35-year-old man for allegedly molesting a minor girl in the Rabale area on Saturday morning.

The incident took place on 4 April 2026 at around 8:35 AM, when the complainant’s young daughter was walking along the road. According to the complaint, the accused approached the girl from behind, kicked her, inquired about her name, and then committed an obscene act.

Based on the girl’s complaint, Rabale Police Station registered a case (C.R. No. 293/2026) against the accused under Section 74 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Senior Police Inspector Balkrishna Sawant supervised the investigation, with active involvement from PI (Administration) Bansode and PI (Crime) Sachin Gawali.

Crime Detection Officer API Dipak Kharat and his team immediately examined the crime scene and reviewed CCTV footage from the surrounding area. Using technical analysis and inputs from informants, officers successfully traced the suspect within hours.

The accused, identified as Vivek Gajanan Kadam, an office boy residing in Ghansoli, Navi Mumbai, was taken into custody. During interrogation, he reportedly confessed to the crime.

The operation was carried out by API Deepak Kharat along with police personnel Darshan Katke, Mayur Sonawane, Ganesh Veer, Dhanaji Bhangare, Yadavrao Ghule, and Manoj Dede.

Local residents have expressed concern over the safety of children in the area, especially during morning hours. Police have assured strict action against such offences and appealed to citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities immediately.

The accused has been remanded in police custody for further investigation and legal proceedings.

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Maharashtra

Abu Asim Azmi demands to start new bus service from Mankhurd to Kalina Vidyapeeth

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abu aasim aazmi

Mumbai: Hundreds of poor and needy students of Mankhurd Shivaji Nagar constituency are studying in the Kalina campus of Mumbai University. Only, or the lack of BEST buses for the transportation of students, the transportation tickets are high. Taking this issue seriously, Samajwadi Party state president and MLA Abu Asim Azmi has written a letter to the chairman of the ‘BEST’ committee and demanded the start of a new bus service. Azmi said in his letter that due to the non-availability of buses for timely travel, students have to travel urgently between 10 am and 12 pm and 5 pm to 6 pm, but despite this, the students have to wait. Due to which the students suffer academically and they have to endure physical and mental trauma. He has requested the administration to provide a new bus service from the new bus stand located on 90 feet road to Kalina Vidyapeeth and provide more buses at the right time.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Two arrested for involvement in online terrorist group ‘Soldiers of Khilafat’

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Delhi Special Cell have claimed to have arrested two Muslim youths on charges of involvement in terrorist activities during raids in Thane and Mumbai. They have been identified as 18-year-old Hammad Siddiqui, a resident of Kurla, and 32-year-old Musaib Ahmed alias Iftahar Ahmed alias Kalam Sonu, a resident of Kalyan. An electric gazette has also been recovered from both of them and their mobile phones have also been seized. The ATS claimed that a raid was conducted in the early hours of April 3, during which this arrest was made. Along with this, Yasir Muslim Khan was taken into custody from the police station and the house of a 15-year-old minor from Kandivali was also searched. During this, items were also seized from their houses. The ATS said that the Delhi Special Cell has summoned both of them for questioning. In this case, the Delhi Special Cell and the ATS are further investigating to see who else was in their contact. Not only were they active on social media, they were also associated with a group called Caliphate Soldiers. There is a fear of more arrests in this case. Along with this, there has been a sensation after the ATS operation. Many such youths are now on the radar of the ATS who are suspected of belonging to terrorist groups and are in contact with these organizations. It is said that Jaish-e-Mohammed and ISIS have started misleading propaganda and misleading the youth on social media. In such a situation, the ATS has appealed to the youth to avoid such extremist groups.

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