The BJP has announced eight candidates, including minister Dharam Pal Singh, for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh. These elections, scheduled for October 16, will fill 10 seats from Uttar Pradesh, one from Uttarakhand, and a bypoll in West Bengal, with several prominent members retiring.
Nurpur police froze assets worth Rs 74.12 lakh belonging to Ramesh Kumar, an accused in an NDPS Act case. The frozen assets include a building and a tractor, acquired through alleged illicit drug trade, as part of a broader campaign against drug trafficking in the state.
The Punjab government has established a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a rape case in Anandpur Sahib involving former SGPC member Amarjit Singh Chawla. The SIT, headed by Gurbans Singh Bains, aims to answer critical questions surrounding the woman's arrival from Bahrain, her stay at an SGPC lodge, and the circumstances of the alleged incident. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann assured a transparent and time-bound investigation.
The Punjab government has constituted a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe a rape case in Anandpur Sahib involving former SGPC member Amarjit Singh Chawla. The SIT aims to address several unanswered questions regarding the alleged incident, including the complainant's arrival from Bahrain and her stay at an SGPC-managed lodge. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has assured a swift, transparent, and in-depth investigation.
A state-wide bandh was observed across Punjab on Thursday following the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa. Markets and educational institutions remained shut, and roads were blocked by protesters, disrupting traffic. Jhota was shot on Tuesday for questioning the illegal sale of addictive drugs. His family, supported by various political parties and farmer unions, has refused to perform his last rites until justice is delivered, demanding resignations of top officials and a CBI probe. The incident has intensified the political debate on drug menace and law and order in Punjab.
'Today, even the greatest artistes are guided by monetary impulses. For Hrishida, relationships mattered the most.'
A 'Punjab Bandh' was observed on Thursday, leading to widespread closures of shops and private schools and road blockades across several districts, following the murder of anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhota in Mansa on Tuesday. Jhota was shot by a chemist owner for questioning the sale of addictive drugs. The incident has triggered significant political backlash against the Aam Aadmi Party government, with various organisations and opposition parties demanding accountability and a CBI probe.
From Tumbbad to Kantara, these folklore-fuelled films prove Indian cinema has plenty of strange, spooky and spectacular myths to bring to the big screen.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has issued a strong warning to disgruntled Congress MLAs threatening to resign after the cabinet expansion.
Karnataka Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddi stated that Islam is "greater" than other religions and expressed a desire to visit Mecca, despite being a non-Muslim. These remarks, made at a mass marriage event, drew sharp criticism from BJP leader R Ashoka, who accused the minister of portraying Sanatana Dharma in an inferior light and demanded his apology or removal from the cabinet by Chief Minister DK Shivakumar.
'Whether you will bring this down and cause hurt to senior citizens, who are probably living on that little interest rate that they earn out of it... But equally, if I just look at the kitty of the National Small Savings Fund, it is from that same kitty that I'm borrowing.'
Celebrate the comedic genius of Johnny Lever on his 69th birthday on August 14 by revisiting his most iconic and side-splitting on-screen phone call scenes that highlight his unparalleled talent for mimicry, slapstick, and animated expressions.
'Your warm protective hugs that felt like the cosiest blanket, holding your soft yet strong hands which had unspoken messages and your voice calling out my name that followed with endless conversations, laughter and shayaris.'
'The industry has lost a legend... and we've lost someone who shaped the very soul of our cinema.'
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.
Seers in Ayodhya are demanding that bureaucrats be excluded from the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust following allegations of donation embezzlement and the resignations of two key members, Champat Rai and Anil Mishra. While some seers call for the trust to be run solely by religious figures to prevent corruption, others defend the integrity of the resigned officials, highlighting a division within the spiritual community regarding the trust's management and accountability.
In her address to the nation on the eve of the country's 80th Independence Day, the president stressed that just as government and society remain united to ensure national security, everyone must contribute through joint and concerted efforts to safeguard the present and future of students.
'One of the dignified aspects of their relationship is that Hema reportedly told Dharamji that she would never disturb his first family.'
BJP corporators in Jalna clashed over the passing of a development contract, leading to a police case being registered in connection with the violence.
A Delhi court has ordered the framing of charges against actress Jacqueline Fernandez, Sukesh Chandrashekhar, and 15 others in connection with a Rs 200-crore money laundering case.
Unidentified men allegedly snatched the mobile phone of BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik during his morning walk in Raipur, leading to a political row over law and order in Chhattisgarh.
A police station in Rajasthan's Alwar district was allegedly attacked by a mob late Wednesday over the detention of two youths, leaving four police personnel injured.
A 19-year-old man allegedly snatched the mobile phone of BJP MLA Dharamlal Kaushik during his morning walk in Raipur. The accused was arrested within eight hours, but the incident has sparked political controversy.
Siddaramaiah, a veteran politician with roots in the Janata Parivar, has had a remarkable journey, consolidating his position in the Congress party to become the longest-serving Chief Minister of Karnataka.
A Delhi court has convicted two men for attempting to rob an Amazon delivery agent at gunpoint in the Bhajanpura area in 2018. The court found the prosecution successfully proved the accused were armed with deadly weapons during the incident.
The Supreme Court of India has stated that the current legal framework is sufficient to address hate speech, declining to intervene and create new offences.
AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge addressed speculation about a change in Karnataka's Chief Minister, stating that there would be no change 'for now' and that the leadership issue would be resolved soon. The statement comes amid rumours of a possible leadership change and cabinet reshuffle after the results of assembly elections in other states are announced.
An assistant sub-inspector was injured after two alleged burglars attacked a Delhi Police team with a knife during an early morning raid in west Delhi's Hari Nagar area.
Allu Sirish and Nayanika's wedding festivities have officially commenced with a traditional pelli koduku ceremony in Hyderabad.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his two-day state visit to Mauritius, presented President Dharam Gokhool with Gangajal from the Maha Kumbh Mela. The visit marks Modi's return to Mauritius after nearly a decade, showcasing the strong relationship between India and Mauritius.
'At parties and premieres, Meena openly showered affection towards Dharam. Sometimes she would even take his hand and the next day it would be in print. On one occasion, mischievously almost, she recited a love couplet from Ghalib, which left no doubt in the audience's mind about Dharmendra's position in her heart.'
'At times when the pressure, glitz and glam felt horribly garish, there he was with no pretences or guile. A sweet reminder that life is about the real things not the fluff.'
Veteran playback singer and actress Sulakshana Pandit passed away on Thursday evening after a prolonged illness, her family said. She was 71.
'Asha Parekh once said he never really went beyond the villager he originally was.'
Hema's father couldn't contain his rage and almost physically pushed Dharmendra out of the house. 'Why don't you get out of my daughter's life? You are a married man, you can't marry my daughter,' he repeatedly yelled. But a pleading, helplessly sentimental and slightly inebriated Dharam could not be budged.
'I have always broken my image every time I went on screen. I don't know what it means to be a Greek God but people used to call me one.'
Dharmendra's oeuvre was so phenomenal that there was never a phase in his professional life when he was in danger of falling into a rut, in terms of either the kind of films he starred in or the sort of co-actors he worked with.
Dharmendra remained one of the most loved stars of all time, even when his movies tapered off, and age caught up with him.
As the year draws to a close, Rediff's Senior Contributor Roshmila Bhattacharya takes a look at the hits and misses, the highs and lows, the newsmakers and the dealbreakers in alphabetical order.
