Members of Hindu right-wing outfits allegedly created ruckus at a mausoleum in Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh, demanding permission to offer prayers and claiming a temple had previously existed at the site. The incident has led to heightened security and political reactions.
Several petitions were filed in the apex court challenging the Act, contending that it was discriminatory towards the Muslim community and violated their fundamental rights.
'Arundhati Roy is like a ballerina performing on a high wire, cool, supremely at ease but conscious of all the adoring eyes on her,' notes P Vijaya Kumar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Congress again of planning to redistribute people's property if it is voted to power, but stopped short of saying that the wealth would go to Muslims.
Muslim organisations in Dharwad have given a call for a 'bandh' (strike) on Monday, condemning the murder of 23-year-old college student Neha Hiremath in Hubballi recently.
'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.'
'The BJP lacks a credible mass leader who matches Mamata Banerjee's popularity.' 'Given the division of votes among Opposition parties, the West Bengal government's dole-giving strategy, and the consolidation of the poor, significant sections of scheduled caste groups and Muslim minorities behind the ruling party, it will be difficult to dislodge the Trinamool from power.'
One quiet moment stood out amid the jubilant scenes -- Mohammed Shami stepping off the stage just as his team-mates began spraying champagne.
Arun Beereddy (37), a native of Telangana's Hyderabad, was arrested from Delhi. He handles the 'Spirit of Congress' account on X, the official said.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane criticizes MNS after alleged assault on a man for not speaking Marathi, sparking political controversy.
Earlier this week, the group led by Radha Dhoni who objected to the display of the posters, forcibly entered the shop saying that the man no right to display the posters of Hindu deities as he is a Muslim.
Puzzled about the Waqf Bill? Syed Firdaus Ashraf explains how the amended Waqf law will plug loopholes in the existing legislation.
'The quality of justice is directly linked to the quality of judges -- if that suffers, justice delivery suffers.'
More than 100 people were booked on charges of stone-pelting and rioting on Thursday night while a man belonging to a right-wing outfit was detained for questioning in connection with the vandalism outside the station.
In a letter to Kharge, Khan said he will not campaign for party candidates for the remaining phases of the Lok Sabha polls and is also resigning from the state Congress campaign committee.
A proposed statue of Maharana Pratap in front of a mosque in Sujanpur Tira town, Himachal Pradesh, has sparked tensions between the Hindu and Muslim communities. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has called for the statue to be erected at the approved spot, while a delegation of Muslims has submitted a memorandum to the local administration requesting it not to be installed in front of the mosque. The deputy commissioner has asked the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) to look into the issue and resolve it.
This is important because he is to be seen as a sure winner before criss-crossing the state to campaign for candidates of the party or an alliance, highlights N Sathiya Moorthy.
The Allahabad High Court has ruled that simply liking a social media post does not constitute publishing obscene material under Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. The court quashed criminal proceedings against a man who was accused of liking a post that led to a gathering of people. The court found that the man had merely liked a message and no offensive content was found on his social media accounts.
'The situation in Nuh could have easily returned to normalcy if the trader class wished so, but they didn't.'
A man was arrested and three minors were detained on Sunday after a video surfaced on social media purportedly showing a group of people, while playing with colours, harassing a man and two women of the Muslim community.
The picture, without naming Modi, shows a figure in saffron kurta and white churidar with its head and palms missing.
Bookstore owners were cautioned against keeping or distributing the books. Police personnel briefed the bookstore owners about the legal consequences of violating the ban.
The mayor of Darbhanga, Bihar, has sparked a controversy by suggesting a two-hour break in Holi celebrations to accommodate Friday prayers during Ramzan. Her proposal has drawn criticism from a BJP MLA, who accused her of calling for 'Ghazwa-e-Hind'. Meanwhile, other politicians have condemned the mayor's suggestion and emphasized the need for communal harmony.
'BSP will remain a player, but only a marginal player, as long as the BJP is extremely dominant in North India politics.'
Speculation swirls in Pakistan regarding potential changes in the political landscape, fueled by rumors of the army chief's possible presidential aspirations and discussions between top civilian and military leaders.
'What makes this tragedy even more painful is the attempt by some to weaponise it, to paint an entire community with the brush of guilt. This is not just irresponsible. It is dangerous.'
The opposition Peoples' Democratic Party and Peoples' Conference targeted the ruling National Conference over the meeting, and accused it of surrendering to the Bharatiya Janata Party without even a pretence over the passage of the Waqf act.
The Supreme Court slammed the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday for not counselling students who were allegedly instructed by their school teacher to slap a Muslim boy for not doing his homework.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin announced that his party will file a case in the Supreme Court against the Waqf Bill passed in the Lok Sabha. The opposition AIADMK expressed solidarity with the DMK's stance, while the BJP members staged a walkout from the Assembly in protest. The CM argued that the amendment was passed at the behest of a few allies despite opposition from majority parties and that it is an attack on the Constitution and religious harmony. The DMK claims the bill threatens the autonomy of the Waqf Board and the Muslim minority population.
A Pune-based woman, whose husband was killed by terrorists in Pahalgam, recounted how she and other women in the group quickly removed bindis from their foreheads and began chanting "Allahu Akbar" when they saw the attackers asking men to recite 'azaan'. But the frantic attempts to hide their religious identity failed to help as the gun-wielding terrorists did not spare the woman's husband and his friend, who was also from Pune. Sangita Ganbote, the wife of Kaustubh Ganbote who was among the 26 persons killed by terrorists at Baisaran near Pahalgam, also said that when a local Muslim man confronted the attackers and asked why they were killing innocent people, they stripped him and shot him dead.
An Indian delegation led by the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad will tour key European capitals to expose Pakistan's role in cross-border terrorism and State-sponsored extremism.
'Talking about boycotting polls is simply a move to galvanise party leaders, workers, and supporters for the big political fight.'
No author in the Malayalam literary canon has influenced and profoundly changed the way normal people interact with each other than the ever-relevant, eclectic yet elusive body of work left behind by MT Vasudevan Nair, notes Arjun Menon.
'Not only are Muslim homes and shops being bulldozed, but the cops are filing random FIRs even against people who died two-three years ago, against those who have moved to neighbouring states since almost two years to work there.'
"As long as PoK exists, terrorist activities will continue. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if Pakistan does not hand over PoK, we must declare war against them," Athawale said, calling for another surgical strike against the neighbouring country.
A chance meeting between Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union minister Kiren Rijiju at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar has sparked a political storm, with opposition parties accusing the National Conference of laying out a red carpet for the BJP leader in the aftermath of the Waqf Amendment Act. While NC sources termed the interaction as a purely coincidental encounter, opposition parties like the PDP and Peoples' Conference condemned the meeting, accusing the NC of surrendering to the BJP. The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, passed by Parliament last week, aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.
Senior leaders of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in India are calling for action against Rajya Sabha MP and national spokesperson Sasmit Patra for allegedly creating confusion among lawmakers regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The controversy arose after Patra, despite the party's announced opposition to the Bill, revealed he had voted in favor of it and stated that MPs could vote according to their conscience. The situation has led to accusations of a possible "deal" between the BJD and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The Samajwadi Party on Wednesday accused police personnel of deterring some people from casting votes in Uttar Pradesh where bypolls are underway, while the Bharatiya Janata Party alleged that the faces of some burqa-clad women voters are not matching with their IDs.
The move comes a few days after the Yunus-led government dropped the portrait of the country's founding father and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's father Mujibur Rahman from new currency notes.
The situation in Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which was marred by incidents of violence following protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, was calm and peaceful on Wednesday with no reports of any untoward incident. Prohibitory orders were clamped in and around Raghunathganj and Suti police station areas and large police force deployed in all sensitive areas of the district, especially in and around Jangipur town, where a large number of people had assembled on Tuesday afternoon, demanding the withdrawal of the legislation. Internet connectivity remained suspended within the areas under the Jangipur sub-division to prevent the spread of any disinformation. Protestors, who had gathered in large numbers on the NH-12 in the Jangipur area to protest against the Waqf Bill, hurled stones at the police who were deployed in the area, on Tuesday afternoon. A couple of vehicles belonging to the police were allegedly torched during the protest and police had to resort to lathi-charge and use tear gas shells to bring the situation under control. A few policemen were injured in the stone pelting. Police have also detained a few people in connection with the incident. West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose condemned the incident and said attempts to disturb the law and order situation in the state "should be put down with an iron hand". The opposition BJP alleged that the law and order situation in the state was "crumbling" under Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was busy with "minority appeasement". The Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday, and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament. The Act aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties (assets permanently donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes) with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare. It also seeks to improve governance by enhancing transparency in property management, streamlining coordination between Waqf boards and local authorities and protecting stakeholders' rights.
