Both Hindu and Muslim parties involved in the Gyanvapi dispute have rejected the Supreme Court's mediation initiative, stating that the matter should be resolved through judicial adjudication. This decision came during a session at a Varanasi court, where both sides expressed their preference for a court verdict over an out-of-court settlement.
As time went by, different facets of the Hindi cinema started showing the complicated identity of Muslim -- sometimes tendentious and at other times perverse and unreliable.
Hindutva influencer Swatantra Bhardwaj, known for provocative social media posts and claims of political proximity, has been detained in Bulandshahr. His detention follows a viral video where he boasted about assaulting a Jantar Mantar protester's father, leaving him with severe injuries, and claiming to have avoided jail due to political connections. Police acted after public outcry and protests.
The question for the next 20 years is not whether India can become a $5 trillion or $10 trillion economy. Those are attractive targets, but the real question is whether India can create enough productive jobs, educate its children properly, make its cities liveable, and give hundreds of millions of people a substantially better life, asserts Ramesh Menon.
Maharana Pratap became a hero not because he won a battle, but because he continued fighting after he lost one, asserts Harishchandra.
As a ruler he was a pragmatist and adaptable, and trying all the time to strengthen and perpetuate the empire that he and his forefathers had built.He seldom, if ever, allowed his policies to be determined by his religious beliefs, notes Rudrangshu Mukherjee.
Efforts to resolve three major religious site disputes in Uttar Pradesh - Gyanvapi, Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Eidgah, and Sambhal Shahi Jama Masjid - through out-of-court settlements have failed, with all parties insisting on judicial adjudication.
'Whenever present-day politics do get involved, history sinks to the level of a morality play, with advocates for this or that cause seeking to praise their heroes or condemn their villains.'
Go once. You will know, even before you board the flight home, that you will return.
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.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called on King Charles III to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a contentious issue between India and the UK.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called on King Charles III to return the Koh-i-Noor diamond, a contentious issue between India and the UK.
A space designated or reserved for communal Eid day prayers, year after year is called an Eidgah or an Idgah and many an Indian city has a landmark, historic Eidgah.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
' Hakim Khan Suri sacrificed his life in the battle of Haldighati, fighting against the Mughals. Madari, a Muslim youth, was Shivaji Maharaj's bodyguard'
Riteish Deshmukh's Shivaji may not be a flawless portrayal, but still remains engaging throughout, applauds Mayur Sanap.
Ajit's remarks came at a time when Maharashtra is witnessing heated political debates over the Mahayuti government's demand to remove Mughal empire Aurangzeb's grave from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
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.
'I am determined now to celebrate all festivals together.' 'People don't respond much when you try to convince them by talking about principles of secularism etc. But if we revive our shared cultural practices, specially food, we may get a better response.'
'If the Mughals, who ruled for over 800 years are no longer around, what makes you think the BJP will last?'
Members of a Buddhist outfit allegedly vandalised road signboards named after Mughal and Delhi Sultanate rulers in Lutyens' Delhi on Friday. The Bharatiya Baudh Sangh members covered the signboards that come under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) with black spray paint. Veer Savarkar Marg was pasted over the signboard of Shahjahan Road, Ahilya Bai Marg was pasted over Tughlaq Lane, Maharishi Valmiki Marg was pasted over Akbar Road and Balasaheb Thackeray Marg over Humayun Road. The incident follows the March 20 defacement of Akbar Road's signboard by unidentified individuals protesting the alleged vandalism of Maharana Pratap's statue at Kashmiri Gate ISBT.
The year had a variety of films to choose from. Not all of them were successful at the box office, but had merit.
The book, to be introduced in schools from the 2025-2026 academic year, marks a shift in tone in its portrayal of the Mughal emperors, offering detailed accounts of conquest, religious decisions, cultural contributions, and brutality.
The Republican Party of India-Athawale leader said that removing Aurangzeb's tomb would not solve anything.
Kabir cut a ceremonial ribbon alongside visiting clerics on the dais as slogans of "Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar" were raised at the venue, where thousands had gathered since morning.
'When I undertook a study of temple desecration in precolonial India, it was not enough simply to document what temples were desecrated, by whom, when, and where.' 'It was also important to explore the total historical context of such incidents, with a view to discovering patterns, which in turn could reveal the reasons why they occurred.'
'Raj Thackeray is working at the behest of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.'
Even after 50 years, Sholay remains a lasting reminder of unity, shared memories and the joy of cinema, notes Mohammad Asim Siddiqui.
Home Minister Amit Shah stated in the Rajya Sabha that the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack were killed in Operation Mahadev. He also criticized the Congress party's stance on national security.
'With Chhaava, we had to look from a different lens.' 'We had to write it in such a way that apart from the sacrifice, the fight and the war, there's a lot more to understand about the history of the Marathas.'
'Second-class citizenship would have been meaningless to a Hindu in the Mughal empire.'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday attacked the Congress over party president Mallikarjun Kharge's recent remark on Lord Ram and Lord Shiva, and accused the opposition party of trying to divide Hindus for its appeasement politics.
Tolerant Muslims can be counted on fingers. I think their number is not even in the thousands, the Union minister of state for law and justice said.
'The Mughals became completely Indian in every sense and united the vast Indian subcontinent, not only territorially, but also the hearts and minds of people with multiple religio-cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversities' 'The Mughals, arguably, made India an enviable superpower in the then world.' 'Are the Hindutva rulers of today scared of acknowledging Mughal accomplishments?' asks Mohammad Sajjad.
Asserting that religion should not used to get political mileage, Azad said whoever takes refuge in religion in politics is weak.
A journalist in Mumbai has refused to take down videos of a Ram Navami procession that featured participants shouting profanities and making threats against Muslims. The journalist, Kunal Purohit, has asserted that he is only "documenting hate." Mumbai police have registered an FIR against three individuals for using a loudspeaker to play obscene songs during the procession.
Maharashtra has witnessed 823 incidents of communal unrest since January this year, with demands for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb and the spread of distorted facts on social media fomenting fresh trouble. Districts like Nandurbar, Pune (Rural), Ratnagiri, Sangli, Beed, and Satara have seen communal unrest in recent days due to right-wing organizations' demands for the demolition of the Mughal emperor's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The state witnessed 4,836 Hindu-Muslim related communal crimes in 2024, with 170 incidents classified as cognisable and 3,106 as non-cognisable cases. The violence in Nagpur, triggered by protests demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, highlights the role of social media in spreading inflammatory content and instigating people. While the state has taken measures to curb the spread of misinformation, concerns remain over the impact on communities and the need for promoting peace and understanding.
Drawing examples from history to prove his point, Vijayan said a Muslim man named Azimullah Khan had coined the slogan 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.
Before the violence and rioting that erupted in Nagpur on Monday, March 17, over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb came provocative statements from various political leaders.
