Mira Road stabbing: BJP's Nitesh Rane calls for 'Op Sindoor' against 'jihadis'
Synopsis
A stabbing in Mira Road's Naya Nagar — where an accused allegedly asked security guards to recite the Kalma before attacking them — has triggered BJP minister Nitesh Rane to invoke Operation Sindoor domestically, calling for the elimination of 'jihadis' from the area and drawing a direct parallel with the Pahalgam terror attack.
Key Takeaways
Accused Zaib Zuber Ansari allegedly stabbed two security guards at an under-construction building in Naya Nagar, Mira Road on 28 April .
The accused reportedly asked the guards to recite the Kalma before the attack, according to reports.
BJP leader and Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane invoked Operation Sindoor , calling for similar action against what he termed 'jihadis' in Naya Nagar.
Rane drew a parallel with the Pahalgam attack , where victims were also allegedly asked to recite the Kalma.
Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam confirmed the case is under investigation and action will follow in due course.
Maharashtra Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitesh Rane on Tuesday, 28 April called for another Operation Sindoor to eliminate what he termed 'jihadis' from the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road, following a stabbing incident in which two security guards were attacked at an under-construction building in the locality.
The Stabbing Incident
The accused, identified as Zaib Zuber Ansari, allegedly stabbed two security guards posted at an under-construction building in Naya Nagar, Mira Road. According to reports, Ansari reportedly asked the guards to recite the Kalma — a key Islamic declaration of faith — before launching the attack. The case is currently under investigation, according to Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam.
What Nitesh Rane Said
Rane drew a direct parallel between the Mira Road stabbing and the Pahalgam terror attack, noting that victims in Pahalgam were also allegedly asked to recite the Kalma before being targeted. "I have always said that Jihadis want to make the Naya Nagar area in Mira Road a mini-Pakistan," Rane told IANS.
"Just like Operation Sindoor was done after the attack, the time has come to undertake another Operation Sindoor in Naya Nagar area," he said. Rane further alleged that there exists a "Jihadi mindset" aimed at turning India into an Islamic state by 2047, claiming that Naya Nagar was being used as a starting point for such efforts.
"This Naya Nagar belongs to 'Bhagwadharis' (Hindus). The place is in 'Hindu Rashtra', nobody should attempt to dilute its character," he warned. "I can assure that this Jihadi mindset will be eliminated from Naya Nagar itself," Rane asserted.
Government's Response
Maharashtra's Minister of State for Home, Yogesh Kadam, struck a more measured tone, stating that the stabbing case is currently under investigation and that appropriate action will be taken in due course. He did not directly address Rane's inflammatory remarks.
Broader Context
Rane's comments come in the charged political atmosphere following Operation Sindoor — India's military strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — which followed the Pahalgam attack. Critics are likely to argue that invoking a military operation's name in the context of a domestic law-and-order incident conflates two distinct situations and risks further communal polarisation. This is not the first time Rane has made incendiary remarks about the Naya Nagar area; he has previously described it as a hub of what he calls 'jihadi' activity. The stabbing case remains under active police investigation, and no additional details about the accused's motive have been officially confirmed.
Point of View
A framing that risks deepening communal fault lines in an already sensitive suburban pocket. Notably, the government's own home ministry representative, Yogesh Kadam, pointedly did not endorse Rane's language, signalling at least some internal discomfort. The pattern of politicians leveraging high-profile security operations as rhetorical templates for domestic politics is worth scrutinising — it sets a precedent where the bar for invoking military language in civilian contexts is progressively lowered.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Mira Road Naya Nagar stabbing?
An accused identified as Zaib Zuber Ansari allegedly stabbed two security guards posted at an under-construction building in Naya Nagar, Mira Road on 28 April. He reportedly asked the guards to recite the Kalma before attacking them, according to reports. The case is currently under police investigation.
What did Nitesh Rane say about the Mira Road stabbing?
Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane called for another 'Operation Sindoor' to eliminate what he termed 'jihadis' from the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road. He drew a parallel with the Pahalgam terror attack and alleged a broader conspiracy to turn India into an Islamic state by 2047.
What is Operation Sindoor and why did Rane invoke it?
Operation Sindoor refers to India's military strikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the Pahalgam attack. Rane invoked the term to call for similar decisive action against what he described as 'jihadi' elements in Mira Road's Naya Nagar locality.
What has the Maharashtra government officially said about the stabbing?
Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam confirmed that the stabbing case is under investigation and that action will be taken in due course. He did not comment on Nitesh Rane's remarks invoking Operation Sindoor.
Is Naya Nagar in Mira Road a communally sensitive area?
Nitesh Rane has previously described Naya Nagar as a hub of what he calls 'jihadi' activity, and has referred to it as a 'mini-Pakistan' on prior occasions. However, these are political characterisations; no official government designation of the area as communally sensitive has been reported.
