Hopefully, the BJP will realise that it's the right time for parivartan (change) in its polarising poll strategies after achieving the impossible-looking goal of winning West Bengal, argues Sheela Bhatt.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor cited the Kerala Assembly election results as an example of communal harmony, highlighting instances where voters looked beyond caste and religion.
Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), led a protest at Jantar Mantar, demanding Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation over alleged irregularities in examinations and recruitment tests, while criticising the government for focusing on their social media activity instead of addressing their demands.
The Supreme Court of India has emphasised the importance of open access to all temples and 'maths' for everyone, warning that excluding any denomination would negatively impact Hinduism and divide society. This statement was made during hearings on petitions related to discrimination against women at religious sites and the scope of religious freedom.
The Allahabad High Court has observed that throwing non-vegetarian food waste into the river Ganga could hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, while granting bail to five persons accused of throwing leftovers into the river during an iftar party on a boat in Varanasi.
'The real fault line in Assam is not Hindu versus Muslim. It is Assamese versus Bengali -- and within that, the specific anxiety about undocumented Bangladeshi settlers claiming land and altering the demographic balance of the state.'
Devotees entered the Bhojshala complex in Dhar district on Saturday to offer prayers after the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court declared the disputed Bhojshala-Kamal Maula complex a temple and granted the Hindu side the right to worship at the site.
Maharana Pratap became a hero not because he won a battle, but because he continued fighting after he lost one, asserts Harishchandra.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has declared the disputed Bhojshala complex in Dhar to be a temple dedicated to Goddess Saraswati, suggesting the Muslim community seek land elsewhere for a mosque.
The Congress leader said he has traversed across the country, "but I have not seen violence, hatred anywhere. But I see it on television all the time."
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan defended his use of the caste surname "Menon" during his swearing-in ceremony, saying he had only mentioned his father's name and saw nothing wrong in doing so on such an occasion.
The Madhya Pradesh government has challenged the legal validity of a 1935 order from the former Dhar princely state concerning the religious status of the Bhojshala Temple-Kamal Maula Mosque, arguing it cannot be considered law.
The district president of AIMIM in Aligarh has been booked under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) following a complaint alleging that he made objectionable remarks against Kanwariyas while seeking permission for Eid prayers.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of appeasing Muslims and protecting infiltrators, while the BJP promises to bring 'Ram Rajya' to the state if elected.
Opposition MPs, led by Congress MP Mohammad Jawed, have written to Home Minister Amit Shah expressing concerns over alleged threats to Muslims in Uttam Nagar, urging him to direct the Delhi Police to take decisive action against those spreading hate and creating an atmosphere of fear.
If one has to compare the tenures of the two prime ministers one must credit Nehru with laying the foundations on which Modi is building a grand edifice, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Police in Thane have registered three FIRs following a series of incidents at a housing society related to the sacrifice of goats ahead of Bakrid, including clashes and attempts to bring a pig into the complex.
For over a decade, the TMC's dominance in districts such as Murshidabad, Malda and Uttar Dinajpur rested on a near-complete consolidation of Muslim votes, a bloc that accounts for 50 per cent or more of the population in large parts of this belt.
The real surprise in these results came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. Of the 29 Muslim candidates who got elected to the 227-strong BMC, the Congress and the AIMIM between them bagged 22.
'A genuine tribute to Dr Ambedkar does not lie in selective invocation. It lies in asking a harder question: Is the Constitution still doing its job -- restraining even assertive majorities?' asks Manoj Mohanka.
Monalisa Bhonsle, an Indian actress, has married a Muslim man in Kerala against her family's wishes, leading to controversy and allegations of 'love jihad'.
A significant 7.87 per cent increase in the BJP's vote share in West Bengal, reaching 45.84 per cent, propelled the party to secure an additional 130 assembly seats, bringing their total to 207, while the Trinamool Congress experienced a 7.22 per cent decline, losing 135 seats and falling to 80.
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan faces criticism for using his caste surname 'Menon' during his swearing-in ceremony, igniting a debate on caste identity and political messaging.
Peace prevailed at the disputed 11th-century Bhojshala-Kamal Maula Mosque complex in Madhya Pradesh's Dhar district on Friday as Hindus performed puja to mark Basant Panchami festival while Muslims offered namaaz within the same premises but at a different location.
Ajit Pawar became a ray of hope for Muslims, the only man in power who could resolve their grievances.
Police in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, have launched an investigation after graffiti reading 'This road is not for Muslims' appeared on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway. Authorities are also verifying a video purportedly showing two women spray-painting the message.
Frankly, was it really necessary in the middle of a fratricidal war for External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to travel to Abu Dhabi for a one-on-one with the sheikh on April 12?Or, for National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to follow up on April 26? Or, for PM Narendra Modi to follow through today? There are no easy answers, notes Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
'In West Bengal, the BJP's ideology of Hindutva will be customised to cater to the culture and the cultural imperatives of Bengalis.'
'The Kerala of today is not the Kerala of yesterday.' 'What has seeped into this society is the feeling of hatred towards other castes and religions.'
The construction of a Babri Masjid-style mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district has become a focal point in the upcoming elections, reshaping voter loyalties and raising communal tensions.
Hindus will offer prayers from sunrise to sunset on Basant Panchami while Muslims to offer namaz from 1 pm to 3 pm on Friday.
Madame Azurie was a highly popular dancer in early Indian cinema, starring in over 700 movies.
Four TCS employees have been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing and attempting to forcibly convert a colleague, including forcing him to wear a Muslim cap and perform Namaz.
A BJP government in Bengal inherits more problems than it might care to admit at its moment of triumph, points out Ramesh Menon
'Narendra Modi -- a man with deep and vital experience of Indian politics -- has seen the BJP lose many elections between 1975 and 2015, and with every defeat, he learned lessons that made sure he would never allow his party to be defeated so easily again.'
'If the BJP becomes our political identity, our political face, if we are represented by the BJP, then what happens to our identity as Bengalis?'
Courts cannot be the only hope for those fighting hate speech. Countering its effects on the ground takes more effort. With our political parties unwilling to put in that amount of effort, it's left to citizens to do so, points out Jyoti Punwani.
A nine-judge Supreme Court bench has reserved its order on petitions related to discrimination against women at religious places, including the Sabarimala temple, and the scope of religious freedom.
'Congress needs a positive agenda rather than primarily picking up on two business houses.'
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
