National News
Uttar Pradesh: BJP Shifts Strategy, Aims To Muslim Voters Ahead Of 2024 General Elections
In a departure from its previous approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to focus on garnering support from Muslim voters in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Historically, the party had refrained from fielding Muslim candidates in both the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections in UP, as well as the assembly polls of 2017 and 2022.
BJP’s ‘Mission Modi Mitra’
However, with an eye on winning all 80 Lok Sabha (LS) seats in UP, the BJP has devised “Mission Modi Mitra” to actively engage with the minority community. As part of this mission, the party aims to recruit 5000 Muslim party volunteers, known as “Modi Mitras,” in each of the 80 parliamentary segments across UP. The overall goal is to enroll four lakh Muslim Modi Mitras in the state.
To achieve this, the BJP’s minority wing in UP has appointed 400 in-charges who will spearhead a special mass contact drive. These in-charges will ensure the observance of International Yoga Day on June 21 in approximately 900 Madrasas throughout UP. Members of the BJP’s minority cell, accompanied by Sufi sect members, will visit Madrasas to interact with Muslims and inform them about the welfare schemes introduced by the Modi government.
Muslim voters hold sway in 25 seats
A senior BJP leader in UP highlighted the significance of Muslim voters, particularly in the western part of the state, where they hold sway in 25 seats. The party will place special emphasis on this region, as Muslim voters play a decisive role in the outcome of seats such as Meerut, Amroha, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Nagina. The BJP aims to make significant strides in these areas through its outreach program.
Ashraf Saifi, the Chairman of the UP Minority Commission and a senior BJP leader, pointed out that the party had already given tickets to members of the Muslim community in the recent urban local body elections. Many of them emerged victorious, indicating that Muslims are no longer hesitant to vote for the BJP. The party is now actively reaching out to Muslim doctors, engineers, and intellectuals, and plans to collaborate with Muslim religious leaders for the success of Mission Modi Mitra. Sufi conventions will also be organized in various locations across UP.
As part of the mass contact program, the BJP is distributing one lakh printed booklets containing Prime Minister Modi’s speeches from the “Mann Ki Baat” program to the Muslim community in UP. The party’s comprehensive efforts are set to continue until June 30.
Mumbai Press Exclusive News
Nigerian arrested with cocaine in Mumbai

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

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

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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