Union Minister Kiren Rijiju strongly condemned the alleged desecration of the Indian flag and pro-Khalistan slogans by protesters outside Madison Square Garden in New York, where RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Indian-American community. Rijiju warned against insulting the nation and its flag, while Bhagwat spoke on unity in diversity.
The West Bengal Fire Department has ordered the evacuation of the basement and two floors of a high-rise building in central Kolkata, which houses TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee's office, due to a lack of fire safety measures. The order follows the expiry of the building's fire safety certificate and non-compliance with mandatory regulations, posing a threat to life and property.
'Our leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, are in touch with all Opposition parties, including the DMK and the AAP.'
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak met with students leading a "reservation reform" movement, assuring them that their demands would be presented to the BJP's central leadership and a Union minister. The movement, led by anti-reservation activists, seeks equal opportunities, while Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticised the "reform" as a plot against the PDA community, asserting the permanence of reservation rights.
Activist Manish Brahmbhatt has launched the Cockroach Janta Party-Democratic (CJP-D) as an alternative to the existing Cockroach Janta Party (CJP). Brahmbhatt alleges that the CJP, led by Abhijeet Dipke, has deviated from its student-led origins, becoming too aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and failing to represent its diverse volunteer base, particularly regarding issues like examination paper leaks.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has announced his decision to contest the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar. He frames the bypoll as a "referendum" on the performance of the current BJP-led government under Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. Kishor, a former poll strategist, aims to challenge the established parties in a seat traditionally held by the BJP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'dimagi Naxal' (intellectual Naxal) remark, made during his Independence Day address, has ignited a significant political debate, with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju clarifying that the comment targets those who support Maoists and separatists, not opposition leaders, while opposition figures like P Chidambaram have embraced the label in defiance.
A political controversy has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused state Congress chief Ajay Rai of participating in a fish feast in Ayodhya during the holy month of Shravan, near the Ram temple. Rai has vehemently denied the allegations, challenging Adityanath to provide proof and threatening to resign if proven, while also demanding the CM's resignation if no evidence is found. The Congress party has defended the event, stating it was a Nishad community gathering with their own food traditions.
A Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) team, inspecting a government school in Rampura Kanwarpura village, Rajasthan, as part of its 'School Thik Karo' campaign, was allegedly attacked by villagers and BJP workers. CJP co-convener Ashutosh Ranka claimed their workers were assaulted, vehicles damaged, and women supporters roughed up, accusing the state police of inaction.
'Wages have not risen. Rural wages have stagnated. The growth was 0.7 per cent last year. For casual and irregular labour, the wage growth is negative.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise his government by trying to split the National Conference. He alleged that the BJP is using financial incentives and promises of ministerial berths and statehood to lure his MLAs, with one MLA reportedly offered up to Rs 30 crore. Abdullah asserted that his party's legislators would not compromise their integrity.
Uttar Pradesh assembly Speaker Satish Mahana has found himself at the centre of a controversy after he was seen walking away while the national anthem was played at an event in Unnao, drawing flak from the opposition. Mahana, however, claimed that the anthem was not played where he was given the guard of honour.
A five-storey boys' hostel in Satya Niketan, Delhi, collapsed, killing three students and trapping others, leading to widespread condemnation from opposition parties. Leaders from Congress and AAP criticised both the central and Delhi governments, highlighting inadequate hostel facilities and demanding accountability for student safety.
Three former Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, including Sushmita Dev and Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday and, within hours, were named the saffron party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha bypolls from West Bengal, underlining both their political rehabilitation and the party's calibrated shift in inducting leaders from the erstwhile ruling dispensation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party's new national team integrates women, minority leaders, and regional representatives to strengthen its organisational structure and national appeal.
The Congress party has strongly condemned the 'purification' of a rally venue in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, after a public meeting addressed by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, alleging it reflects an 'anti-Dalit' mindset of the BJP and RSS.
The wife of slain Haryanvi singer and YouTuber Ankit Balyan on Friday threatened to self-immolate if the police fail to arrest her husband's killers within four days.
Vidyanand Bapat, a Pune-based activist advocating for a ban on high-decibel DJ systems and loudspeakers during festivals, was publicly assaulted by a man named Santosh Chavan while speaking to media persons.
Bharatiya Janata Party President Nitin Nabin has made his first significant mark on the BJP's national apparatus with a major organisational reshuffle, bringing back key figures like Smriti Irani and Ram Madhav while removing Nadda-era functionaries, signalling a strategic move ahead of crucial state elections.
Jailed Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik, accused in the 1990 murder of a Kashmiri Pandit woman, has submitted a 25-page affidavit. In it, he pleads not guilty, refuses to contest the case, and asks for capital punishment. Malik also announced his decision to divorce his wife, Mushaal Hussein Mullick, citing prolonged incarceration and inability to communicate. He claims the charges are fabricated and politically motivated, arguing he was critically injured at the time of the alleged murder.
The Union government has deferred census operations in Manipur, originally scheduled to begin on September 1, following persistent demands from civil society organisations for the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) to address concerns about demographic changes due to alleged illegal immigration.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi has urged people to support and strengthen the party for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, while also criticising the BJP government on issues like the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and the Vande Mataram row.
The Lok Sabha secretariat has requested a response from Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi regarding two privilege complaints filed by BJP MPs Anurag Thakur and Sanjay Jaiswal. The complaints stem from Gandhi's remarks against Home Minister Amit Shah during a debate on the anti-paper leak bill, which the BJP MPs deemed "unparliamentary" and a breach of privilege. Gandhi has until August 28 to submit his explanation to the Privileges Committee.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has launched a scathing attack on the BJP, asserting that Ayodhya will be their "Lanka" due to alleged corruption in Ram Temple donations. He also linked the issue to the NEET controversy, suggesting a wider pattern of malfeasance and predicting internal strife within the ruling party.
Ideology is dead; long live the numbers game that is being played with the sole intention of securing a two-third majority in the Lok Sabha for the NDA, observes Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra alleged that BJP workers hurled eggs and raised slogans against her during a protest in West Bengal's Nadia district. She accused the BJP of orchestrating the incident, which occurred outside a party MLA's residence. This follows a similar incident in June where BJP Mahila Morcha workers allegedly attempted to attack her.
The main accused, Naushad, in the Kaushambi firecracker factory blast that killed 11 people, including eight children, has been arrested after an encounter. Two police personnel were suspended and three sent to police lines for alleged negligence, as the factory was operating illegally despite a previous licence suspension. Authorities are taking strict action, including invoking the Gangsters Act and NSA.
Nepal's devastating flash floods have created a worrisome flood situation in Bihar.
'I know China will implode. It is scientifically impossible for China to control a nation through the barrel of a gun.'
'Some people may not like what I am saying, but shortcomings have to be pointed out. These deficiencies should be rectified within the next three months.' 'This is Gorakhpur, where our CM himself resides. If such shortcomings exist here, then what will happen?'
Jewellery brand GIVA has removed its Raksha Bandhan advertisement featuring Kriti Sanon following social media backlash over her attire.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training has reconstituted the Textbook Development Team for class 11 and 12 political science with a mandate to integrate cultural rootedness, Indian knowledge systems and inclusion, with at least four of the members having direct or indirect links with the RSS.
The Uttar Pradesh government has initiated the rehabilitation of 21 families residing within the historic Saundhan Fort in Sambhal. Each family has been allotted a 100-square-meter plot, with special provisions for widows under the Chief Minister's Housing Scheme, as part of efforts to conserve the ASI-protected Mughal-era monument and promote tourism.
Two Non-Resident Indian (NRI) women linked to Chhattisgarh have been reported missing following flash floods in Nepal, while two other women from the state who were earlier reported missing have established contact with their families, officials said on Friday.
Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) founder Abhijeet Dipke has announced a 'Season 2 of Jantar Mantar' protest, alleging that the party faced pressure from the ruling BJP, including threats to hall owners, while trying to secure a venue for a volunteers' meeting in Delhi.
Police are investigating the mysterious death of Asish Banerjee, former deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly and a prominent TMC leader, who was found hanging in a party office with a purported suicide note expressing regret over entering politics and denying corruption.
The Maharashtra government has extended the deadline for autorickshaw and taxi drivers to acquire working knowledge of Marathi by one year, a decision welcomed by unions who say it removes the immediate threat to their livelihoods.
The Centre has established a committee to draft an agreement and finalise modalities for a 'permanent political solution' to the Gorkha identity issue in the Darjeeling hills and adjoining areas, following a tripartite meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gorkha leaders, and the West Bengal government.
Poor families, she said, cut corners on their own needs to pay for coaching and fees, and when their child clears JEE, it's the happiest day the family has had in years. So why, she asked, her voice already starting to climb, does the same system that we're told is the best in the country keep pushing those very students toward what she called 'institutional deaths'?
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale has indicated a potential Union cabinet reshuffle soon and extended an invitation to eight NCP (SP) MPs to join the NDA, even if Sharad Pawar declines. He urged the opposition faction to set aside ideological differences for development. However, NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto dismissed Athawale's offer, calling him a "floater." Athawale also addressed the issue of reservation, stating it's a constitutional right.
