The Delhi high court on Thursday agreed to examine former Union minister M J Akbar's appeal against the trial court order acquitting journalist Priya Ramani in his criminal defamation case over her allegations of sexual harassment.
"We saw missiles in the sky and heard bombs in our neighbourhood... We were petrified," said MBBS student Mir Khalif, his voice still trembling with fear, as he stepped out of the Delhi airport after being evacuated from war-hit Iran under Operation Sindhu.
"It was evidently a handiwork of some miscreants expressing their apparent resentment over the change of name of Allahabad," Dr Vishvakarma said, taking pains to explain that the Commission had no role in corrupting the website.
Sukanya Verma looks at instances of aristocrats falling for commoners on the silver screen.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought journalist Priya Ramani's stand on former Union minister M J Akbar's appeal against a trial court verdict in his criminal defamation case against her over sexual harassment allegations on the grounds that it was "based on surmises and conjecture".
' Hakim Khan Suri sacrificed his life in the battle of Haldighati, fighting against the Mughals. Madari, a Muslim youth, was Shivaji Maharaj's bodyguard'
He was a formidable musician but seemed utterly human, a Peter Pan who wore his genius with deceptive lightness. Sandip Roy remembers Ustad Zakir Hussain.
'Neither are Baloch insurgents capable of breaking up Pakistan, nor has Pakistan learned any lessons from the 1971 debacle that led to the country's dismemberment.'
The Congress' new headquarters located at 9A, Kotla Road in New Delhi was inaugurated on Wednesday, as the grand old party turned a page in its history after operating from its iconic 24, Akbar Road premises for the last 47 years.
Ramani had made the allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018. Senior advocate Geeta Luthra, appearing for Akbar, said: "The moment a meeting is denied, further questions are not warranted. None of the suggestions are warranted. The meeting in the hotel is denied."
The opposition party, however, said the four eminent Congress MPs and leaders who have been included at the instance of the Modi government will, of course, go with the delegations and make their contributions.
Newly appointed Assam Congress chief Gaurav Gogoi has denied allegations of having links to the Pakistani establishment, calling the claims made by the BJP a "C-grade Bollywood movie" that will "flop miserably." Gogoi said he had only visited Pakistan once 12 years ago with his wife, who was working on an international project focused on climate change. He questioned why the BJP government had not acted on the allegations in the past 11 years if there was any wrongdoing. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who made the initial allegations, said he would release further evidence on September 10 after a Special Investigation Team (SIT) completes its inquiry.
Akbar said the next general election "will be won on the basis of governance and not on journeys".
'Such a remark does not behove the Prime Minister. Also, you have brought the country's youth to this point. There are no jobs. The only option is to fix punctures or sell fritters. Muslims don't just make punctures. I can list what Muslims have made'
After 47 years, the Congress party moved to a new HQ, Indira Bhawan, on January 15, 2025.
The Congress on Sunday said it was not stopping anyone from being part of diplomatic delegations to be sent to various countries following Operation Sindoor and that its leaders who have been named at the instance of the government must listen to their conscience and contribute to the exercise.
'India's letter to Pakistan on April 24 (2025; two days after the Pahalgam terrorist attack) didn't tear up the treaty -- but it did put it on ice.'
Ending all uncertainty over the trial in the criminal defamation complaint filed by former Union minister M J Akbar against journalist Priya Ramani, a Delhi court on Thursday sent back the case to the judge who was hearing it for two years.
Ramani had made allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018.
'The Pakistani government's growing fear of Dr Mahrang's rising popularity is evident.' 'Her defiance is inspiring.'
Priya Ramani had made allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018.
Akbar had filed a defamation case against Priya Ramani for accusing him of sexual misconduct. The allegations levelled against him forced him to resign from the Union Cabinet on October 17, 2018.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it a direct assault on the values of the republic. The party accused the BJP of exploiting the tragedy to promote discord and polarization, while urging for unity and solidarity in the face of adversity. The CWC also demanded a comprehensive analysis of the intelligence failures and security lapses that led to the attack.
'It was me the victim who had to stand up in the court as an accused. I thank everyone who stood by me especially my witnesses Ghazala Wahab and Niloufer Venkatraman who came to the court and testified on my behalf'
Priests at the famed Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan have rejected a demand to stop using attires made by Muslim artisans for its deity, emphasizing that religious discrimination has no place in temple traditions. The demand was raised by a right-wing group, who argued that the deity's attire should be made only by those who adhere to "religious purity." The temple priests countered by highlighting the historical contributions of Muslim artisans to temple traditions and the impracticality of replacing them.
With at least five women accusing the minister of sexual harassment when he was an editor, sources say his position is untenable.
Akbar had filed the complaint against Ramani for allegedly defaming him by accusing him of sexual misconduct around 20 years ago when he was a journalist. Ramani had said the allegations against Akbar, made in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018, were her truth and were made in public good.
Sukanya Verma celebrates Hrithik Roshan's silver work anniversary with a playlist of 25 of his chartbusters.
Ramani, who concluded her arguments on Saturday in the complaint filed against her by Akbar, told the court through her lawyer that the #MeToo campaign was started to correct the structural wrong, which was continuing for long.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said he is "more than happy" to take responsibility for everything wrong the party did in its history, including the 1984 Sikh riots. He acknowledged that the party made "a lot of mistakes" when he was not there, but said he has publicly stated that what happened in the 80s was "wrong." The remarks were made during an interaction at Brown University in the US. The video of the interaction was uploaded on the YouTube channel of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on Saturday. The BJP has criticized Gandhi for his remarks, accusing him of "ridiculing" the beliefs of Hindus and Sikhs.
Either everyone's articles and tweets are defamatory or none is. Or are the other allegations accepted, she said.
Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has appealed against an interim order by a magistrate directing him to pay maintenance to a woman who claims to be his first wife. Munde, a leader of the NCP, maintains he was never married to Karuna Munde, who filed the case. The appeal argues the magistrate's order was erroneous and that the relationship between Munde and Karuna was personal, not marital. The court adjourned the matter to March 21, and Karuna Munde has agreed not to apply for execution of the interim maintenance order until then.
RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has criticized the Karnataka government's decision to provide four per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts, stating that the Constitution does not allow religion-based quotas. He also said that such reservations go against the wishes of B R Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. He also spoke about the controversy over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's grave in Maharashtra, stating that people who went against the ethos of India were made icons. Hosabale lauded figures like Rajput king Maharana Pratap for resisting Mughal emperor Akbar and said those who resisted invaders were also "freedom fighters". He also spoke about the RSS's idea of 'One Nation, One Culture', stating that it draws inspiration from India's rich cultural heritage and ethos.
On Wednesday, Minister of State (External Affairs) M J Akbar resigned from his post after facing a flurry of allegations of sexual harassment by women journalists. As the women journalists 'feel vindicated' following his resignation, here's a list of the women who came forward and shared their ordeal.
Uttam Ghosh offers his take on the Akbar controversy.
The court referred to a judgment passed by the Supreme Court 60 years ago wherein it was declared that in India, the angels and saints of Michelangelo do not need to be made to wear breeches before they can be viewed.
Ramani had made allegation of sexual misconduct against Akbar in the wake of #MeToo movement in 2018.
'Ramani said it was important for women to speak about sexual harassment at the workplace. She hoped that the disclosure would empower women and encourage them to speak up'
The former Union minister filed a criminal defamation case against journalist Priya Ramani after she named him in the #MeToo campaign.
"It seems that apart from Ramani, nobody else had made any allegations against Akbar. By then Ghazala Wahab had written about her experience. At 15 women had spoken up on Twitter," she said before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Ravindra Kumar.
