Aishwarya, daughter of BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda, has publicly apologised to a woman police sub-inspector whom she slapped at a temple in Mandya. The apology comes after the High Court directed her to do so before applying for bail in connection with the incident, which occurred on August 12 and went viral via CCTV footage. An FIR was registered against Aishwarya for assault and obstructing duty, while she also filed a counter-complaint.
Madhya Pradesh BJP MLA Usha Thakur has sparked controversy by claiming that 4.5 lakh girls elope with non-Hindu men during Garba celebrations annually, leading to demographic change. She advocated banning non-Hindus from Garba pandals, a stance supported by the VHP, which suggests Aadhaar checks to prevent "love jihad." The Congress has condemned her remarks, demanding an apology, and highlighted similar controversial statements from another BJP MLA.
Police in Thane have formed six teams to apprehend former BJP MLA Narendra Pawar and dismissed police officer Shailendra Patil, who are accused of raping a 22-year-old woman at a farmhouse. The duo has been absconding since the FIR was registered, and crucial CCTV footage from the farmhouse is also missing.
A school owned by a BJP MLA in Thane advised students not to bring root vegetables in lunchboxes during the Jain Paryushan festival, sparking a controversy. The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) objected, while the MLA clarified it was a request, not a mandatory order, aimed at respecting religious sentiments and promoting healthy eating.
An 81-year-old man, Asgarali Vohra, who claims to be a schoolmate of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has found relief in a long-standing land dispute. After Vohra met PM Modi to appeal for a CBI probe, a firm linked to a BJP MLA, Seven Eleven Construction, backed down, surrendering its construction permit and withdrawing a police complaint against Vohra. The dispute involved a prime plot in Palghar district that Vohra bought in 1989, which he alleged was encroached upon by two firms.
A Congress MLA in Madhya Pradesh has sparked a major controversy by alleging that staff at Rewa's Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital mortuary sexually abused the corpses of "beautiful" women and extorted money for post-mortems. The hospital administration has vehemently denied these claims as baseless, while the MLA insists an investigation will reveal the truth, citing a past incident where employees were sacked for irregularities.
A former BJP MLA, Narendra Pawar, and a dismissed police constable, Shailesh Patil, have been booked in Thane for allegedly gangraping a 22-year-old woman after holding her captive at gunpoint at a farmhouse. The woman was reportedly coerced into consuming alcohol before the assault.
A TMC office, former MLA and councillor residences, and a CPI(M) memorial were allegedly vandalised in Jadavpur, Kolkata. The Trinamool Congress and the Left Front have accused BJP workers of the attacks, while the BJP has denied involvement, attributing the incidents to internal TMC disputes.
Congress MLA Ramya Haridas was involved in a scuffle with local party workers in Chirayinkeezhu, Thiruvananthapuram, leading to injuries and police cases. Both Haridas and the party workers, including district panchayat member Sajith Muttambalam and leader Sajad, have filed complaints, each presenting a different account of the incident which reportedly stemmed from a dispute over a WhatsApp post and the role of Haridas' staff member.
Jan Suraaj Party Founder Prashant Kishor took the oath as the Bankipur MLA in Patna on Monday, August 17, 2026.
AAP MLA Kuldeep Kumar, who was allegedly 'picked up' by plainclothes police officers, has been released, police informed the Delhi High Court. His family had filed a habeas corpus petition alleging illegal detention, claiming he was taken from his home while leading a protest for a murdered sanitation worker.
An FIR has been registered against Aishwarya, daughter of Karnataka BJP MLA B Suresh Gowda, for allegedly abusing and assaulting a woman police sub-inspector at a temple in Mandya. The incident occurred when Aishwarya reportedly sought to bypass a queue, leading to an altercation. While Aishwarya has also filed a counter-complaint, her father has apologised for her conduct and called for an inquiry into the matter, advocating for an end to VIP protocols at temples.
FICCI FLO and UP BJP MLA Rajeshwar Singh are collaborating to train 100 women as 'drone pilots' in Lucknow. This initiative aims to provide employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in the burgeoning drone economy. The announcement was made at an event where MLA Singh also highlighted his efforts in public grievance redressal and establishing women's empowerment centres in his constituency.
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh has been arrested in Odisha in connection with the alleged hurried cremation of a doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata in 2024. The arrest follows a fresh complaint by the victim's father, accusing Ghosh of involvement in the destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced official vehicles and a monthly allowance for MLAs to address public grievances and monitor government projects in their constituencies. This initiative aims to reduce financial burden, improve transparency, and ensure grassroots service delivery.
Supporters of Congress MLA S N Subba Reddy launched a violent protest in Chikkaballapura, Karnataka, after he was excluded from the state cabinet. The agitation, which included a bandh, road blockades, and an attempted self-immolation, highlights a wider rebellion within the ruling Congress over ministerial berth denials following the recent cabinet expansion.
Former TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh was assaulted by a mob in West Bengal after his arrest in connection with the alleged "hurried cremation" of an RG Kar hospital doctor. Ghosh, along with another accused, Sanjib Mukherjee, faced public anger and physical attacks while being escorted by police. The arrests follow a fresh complaint by the victim's father, alleging the former MLA's influence in forcing the cremation, an aspect now under renewed investigation.
The mother of the RG Kar hospital rape-murder victim on Monday rejected Trinamool Congres MLA Kunal Ghosh's comparison between the Rs 10 lakh given to the family of a party worker who died in police custody in Halisahar, and the same amount of compensation announced after her daughter's death.
DMK MLA G V Markandeyan was arrested for allegedly making defamatory remarks and threatening Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay, leading to strong condemnation from DMK president M K Stalin, who accused the ruling TVK of political vendetta.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has accused the BJP of being 'anti-religion' following an alleged 'purification' ritual after his speech in Uttarakhand, and challenged the ruling party's claims of patriotism, questioning their involvement in India's independence struggle.
Karnataka's two-month-old government saw its first cabinet expansion with 19 MLAs sworn in as ministers, leading to immediate discontent and the resignation of one Congress legislator over his exclusion.
A journalist from a Tamil news channel was questioned by Chennai police and his mobile phone seized in connection with an alleged bribery case involving a ruling TVK MLA. The MLA claimed he was offered Rs 35 crore to vote against his party in a no-confidence motion, part of a larger "Meghalaya Project" to destabilise the government. The Chennai Press Club has condemned the police action, citing concerns over press freedom.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has removed over 4,700 books, including banned publications, from colleges across the Union Territory after a comprehensive review of nearly 2.2 million publications. This action follows a controversy over objectionable content and aims to uphold constitutional values and national integrity in higher education institutions.
BJP legislators in Karnataka protested during a special legislative session by reciting the full version of Vande Mataram after the official recording played in the Assembly and Council ended after only two stanzas. The Congress government in the state has a standing order to play only the first two stanzas at its programmes, except for high-profile events.
A local BJP leader, Uma Bhushan Tanti, was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants in Bhagalpur, Bihar. Police suspect political enmity and have formed four teams to investigate the murder, with family members naming suspects.
The BJP has announced new in-charges and co-in-charges for all 28 states and eight Union territories, including prominent leaders like Smriti Irani, Ram Madhav, and Sunil Bansal. The party also reshuffled its communication department, elevating Anil Baluni and Ashish Usha Agrawal. These appointments are effective immediately and come ahead of assembly polls in several states next year.
A doctor at Berhampur circle jail in Odisha has been suspended for allegedly facilitating a murder-accused BJD leader, Bikram Kumar Panda, to threaten a witness over the phone from inside the prison. The incident led to a fresh case against the doctor, the BJD leader, and his aide.
Mention Anant Nag to almost anyone in Karnataka and the reaction is immediate: 'Anant? Oh my God! What a fascinating man!' 'Such an intellectual. Such a great speaker. Brilliant actor.'
Police have registered cases against senior DMK leaders A Raja, P K Sekar Babu, and Vasantham Karthikeyan for allegedly making defamatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmal Kumar during recent party protests. The controversy stems from CM Vijay's comments questioning DMK chief M K Stalin's MISA detention during the Emergency, which the DMK claims is a long-standing narrative.
BJP MLC Parinay Fuke claimed NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar was considering joining the Congress, citing deteriorating relations with Supriya Sule. In response, Pawar accused Fuke of shielding alleged corruption, particularly concerning illegal sand businesses, paddy procurement issues, and irregularities in an employment guarantee scheme, challenging him to address farmers' concerns instead of making baseless claims.
The Election Commission has announced that elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal will take place on October 16. This includes 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh, one from Uttarakhand, and a bypoll in West Bengal, with significant implications for party representation, particularly for the BJP and BSP.
The Election Commission has announced elections for 12 Rajya Sabha seats across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal on October 16. The BJP is expected to retain eight seats in UP and gain one in West Bengal, increasing its overall strength. The Samajwadi Party is also likely to gain one seat in UP, while Mayawati's BSP faces the prospect of losing its representation in Parliament.
Satish Salian, father of the late celebrity manager Disha Salian, has served a Rs 500-crore defamation notice to Aaditya Thackeray.
The Nationalist Congress Party in Maharashtra has swiftly distanced itself from MLA Sana Malik's controversial statements on talaq and polygamy, reiterating its firm commitment to women's rights and constitutional principles.
A special NIA court in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district has sentenced all 10 convicts in the 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack to death. The attack, which occurred on May 25, 2013, resulted in the deaths of 29 people, including prominent Congress leaders.
Sanju Samson has been appointed Brand Ambassador of Jan Kaushal Kendra, Moti Nagar, with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta highlighting his connection with the capital and role inspiring youth.
Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray has threatened legal action if the "character assassination" campaign targeting his family over the 2020 Disha Salian death case does not cease. His son, Aaditya Thackeray, also denied any connection to Salian, whose death is now under CBI investigation following a Bombay High Court order.
A TVK MLA from Srivaikuntam, G Saravanan, has publicly alleged that he was offered up to Rs 100 crore to defect to the DMK and faced death threats when he refused. He claims to possess concrete evidence of these "horse-trading" attempts, including a specific Rs 30 crore bribe offer involving a Tirunelveli theatre owner and supporters of a former minister. Saravanan also recounted a deliberate attempt to crash a lorry into his vehicle.
More than a dozen Shiv Sena functionaries, including district and city unit chiefs and an MLA's son, have been booked for allegedly assaulting, abusing, and threatening hospital staff in Palghar. The incident occurred after 'govindas' injured during Dahi Handi celebrations were brought for treatment, and a dispute arose over medical bills. The NCP (SP) has condemned the incident, calling it an attack on the medical system and the rule of law, and demanded strict action.
A Samajwadi Party office bearer, Mohammad Usman, has been booked by police in Moradabad for allegedly offering namaz without permission at the Circuit House and obstructing traffic. The action followed a viral video and complaints from Hindu organisations, leading to charges under BNS sections for public nuisance and obstruction.
