The monsoon session of Parliament will set the tone for how the Hindu community feels about what happened at the Ram Mandir. Whether emotions will be stirred within the voters of India lies solely at the oratory skills of the Congressis and Samajwadis, notes Zainab Sikander.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath criticised the ruling TMC in West Bengal, alleging corruption, extortion, and the rise of 'mafia rule' have led to an 'identity crisis' in the state.
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who has skipped the Bharatiya Janata Party's poll campaign in Punjab and Uttarakhand, will drum up support for the party in Uttar Pradesh elections.
If the BJP wants to win 60 out of UP's 80 seats, it will need a jump of 30 percent in its vote share -- which is a mammoth task.
Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and seers have filed police complaints and FIRs against Rahul Gandhi, Pappu Yadav, and Awadhesh Prasad for a skit performed in Parliament, alleging it mocked Sanatan culture and ridiculed Indian traditions concerning Ram Temple donations.
The Supreme Court has dismissed Ashish Mishra's application to relax his bail conditions in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence case, preventing him from attending family functions. The court also addressed concerns raised by victim farmers' advocate Prashant Bhushan regarding the trial's conduct and witness intimidation, directing such grievances to the trial court.
The All India Mahila Congress has demanded a fresh probe into the 2020 Hathras gang-rape and murder case, citing revelations made in a new documentary film. The party also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government's handling of the case and alleged a cover-up.
The controversy surrounding the Parliament Ram Mandir skit intensified on Sunday after a clash broke out at the residence of Purnia MP Pappu Yadav, who had portrayed a temple priest wearing saffron robes during the performance in Parliament on Friday.
A BJP MP from Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, has alleged that his son was subjected to casteist abuse and misbehaviour. The MP claims the incident occurred on April 27, but no formal complaint has been filed. Police have arrested the accused's brother in connection with a separate case.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has accused the BJP government of mistreating his party workers in Ghazipur, following allegations of sexual assault and murder of a 17-year-old girl. Yadav also criticised the police investigation and announced financial assistance to the victim's family.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared jhalmuri with NDA leaders at the Bharat Mandapam conclave, bringing the popular Bengali snack back into the political spotlight. This act revived memories of his West Bengal election campaign where a jhalmuri break became a political talking point and a subtle jab at the Trinamool Congress.
The BJP team under the new national president Nitin Nabin, who took charge in January, is expected to be announced within this month, with sources suggesting that some holding positions in the government may move to the party.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav criticised the BJP government's record on women's safety, alleging increased crimes and discrimination.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has voiced his support for the TMC and DMK after their losses in recent assembly elections, while criticising the Congress party.
'For the rest of his tenure, people will start with the assumption that even Modi can be forced to bow down'
Dharmendra Pradhan's political career faced an unexpected jolt as he resigned as Education Minister following nationwide protests over the NEET paper leak, marking a significant departure from the government's initial dismissive response to the agitation.
A police constable in Himachal Pradesh was allegedly assaulted in a road rage incident in Paonta, Sirmaur district. The accused, identified as Farman from Saharanpur, has been arrested, and a case registered under the BNS. The incident has sparked political criticism regarding the state's law and order situation.
Netas in Uttar Pradesh are using Rajkumar Hirani's film PK to play the politics of polarization.
Taking the cue from Mulayam Singh Yadav are his sworn rivals in the Bhartiya Janata Party, whose leaders could never tire of flaying not only him but also the Congress and the Nehru-Gandhi clan for promoting their respective families in UP.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh once told then Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi in 2012, "I will commit suicide," expressing his deep anguish over ministers' "loose talk" criticising the Election Commission's functioning, a revelation made in Quraishi's upcoming book.
'SIT means nothing because the BJP government of Uttar Pradesh and Ram Janmabhoomi Trust are the same people.'
BJP MLA Dhirendra Singh has urged the Uttar Pradesh government to formulate a comprehensive policy covering education, healthcare, housing and social security for labourers.
There are strong possibilities of some Union ministers being sent to take organisational roles in the BJP and party office-bearers being inducted into the Modi ministry.
While the Samajwadi Party largely banks on its Muslim-Yadav support base, the Bharatiya Janata Party is trying to counter it with the Modi-Yogi combo in the state assembly polls.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has accused the TMC of pursuing appeasement policies in West Bengal, urging voters to support a BJP government for inclusive governance and development.
Political leaders across party lines have expressed their condolences following the death of Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav. Prateek Yadav passed away at the age of 38 under mysterious circumstances.
A 15-day protest against the Ken-Betwa Link Project and other development initiatives in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, concluded after police cleared the agitation site and dispersed protesters. While police denied arrests, protesters alleged their leader, Amit Bhatnagar, was detained amidst claims of project irregularities and corruption. The project aims to provide irrigation and drinking water to the drought-prone Bundelkhand region.
Senior BJP leader Kalraj Misra said, "Every time, we have deviated from the hindutva path, the party has suffered a setback. So some rethinking needs to be done."
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called for a high-level investigation into the alleged rape and murder of a girl in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, demanding immediate justice and protection for the victim's family.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticised the BJP, accusing it of betraying Hindus by allegedly embezzling donations for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He vowed to lead protests for "BJP-mukt Ram" and questioned the BJP's Hindutva, calling it a "Pakistan Janata Party" for its alleged party-splitting tactics and questioning citizenship. Thackeray also targeted rebel MPs, including Sanjay Deshmukh, for their defection.
Vande Mataram, the national song that has stirred passions and political controversies for more than a century, received legal protection on Thursday with Parliament passing a bill making any insult to it a punishable offence, rekindling the long-running debate over its place in India's history and identity.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing of a girl in Hardoi's Bilgram area, asserting that Uttar Pradesh has become 'number one' in crimes against women under the BJP rule.
West Bengal Police intensify their investigation into the murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, recovering a second motorcycle and searching for a car suspected to be involved in the crime.
Police and eyewitnesses have revealed that the car used in the murder of Chandranath Rath, an aide to West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, was purchased in Ballia. The CBI and Uttar Pradesh STF are intensifying raids to locate Gyanendra Pratap Singh, a key figure in the case.
Authorities in Ghaziabad intensified verification drives and sealed three unrecognised madrassas in the Khoda area following the murder of a 17-year-old boy. The incident has led to heightened security measures and political reactions.
Mamata Banerjee accuses the BJP of importing voters for the Assam elections and plotting similar interference in West Bengal, raising concerns about electoral integrity and potential cultural restrictions.
Despite recent gains, the BJP-led NDA is unlikely to achieve a two-thirds majority in the Rajya Sabha in the near future, highlighting the challenges in passing key legislation requiring constitutional amendments.
"We are going to contest assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh," All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi said.
Prateek Yadav, the younger son of Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav, has died at the age of 38 due to cardiac-lung complications. The news has prompted condolences from across the political spectrum in Uttar Pradesh.
Nitin Tyagi is a young farmer in Budhagaon village of Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. A few years ago, Tyagi left his fairly lucrative job in the medical industry and shifted base to his ancestral village to look after his land and property. He opened a small shop selling farm inputs in the village and also started taking a greater interest in agricultural matters which had so far been looked after by his father and uncles. Tyagi and his brothers primarily grow sugarcane, potato and wheat on nearly 10 acres of land with sugarcane taking up most of his time and effort. Being one of the most important and lucrative cash crops of the region, sugarcane is directly linked to the fate of millions of farmers in west UP and with it, the electoral fortunes of political parties seeking their votes in the coming assembly polls.
