Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane criticizes Uddhav and Raj Thackeray's joint rally, calling it divisive and anti-Hindu. Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar offers a more conciliatory view.
The first national flag in Independent India was hoisted at Fort St George in Madras, not at Delhi's Red Fort.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified that he never stated he would retire or that others should retire at 75, addressing speculation following his recent remarks.
'The new Waqf bill sows the seed for conflict in every town and village of India.'
The Republican Party of India-Athawale leader said that removing Aurangzeb's tomb would not solve anything.
'Stage five of this catastrophe has begun: Starvation.'
It also cautioned that if the legislation is passed, the "two crutches" on which the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government is running at the Centre would not be able to escape responsibility.
'A Muslim is lynched somewhere, and you forward the video of the lynching through WhatsApp.' 'So, you participate in that lynching without actually doing it. You endorse it without being a party to it.'
Anybody living in India is a Hindu, Bhagwat said.
Kejriwal said he appeals to the Centre with "folded hands" to roll back the "controversial legislation".
'...to build a consensus, not conflict or struggle.'
For Malegaon's Muslims, Rahul Gandhi's remarks were simply one more indication that the party they once supported no longer cares for them, notes Jyoti Punwani.
New Zealand Sikh Society spokesman Daljit Singh, who was in contact with some of the missing pilgrims, said the Indians claimed to be victims of an immigration racket and were charged thousands of dollars by an agent in India on a false promise of permanent residency.
The current situation in Kerala politics is perhaps best described as a case of the state's traditional two front politics now seeing a third front (the BJP) muscling in with the potential outcome being either a messy three front affair or a renewed endorsement of the two front pattern but with one of the old fronts compromised or quashed, observes Shyam G Menon.
He further said that people were converted from Hindus to Muslims and appealed Muslims to reconsider whoever considers Arabs as ideal.
In the backdrop of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's 'I'm a Hindu nationalist' remark, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of dividing Hindus and Muslims.
'A time will come when the white structure in Mathura that hurts every Hindu will be removed with the help of the court'
'In this assembly election, Muslims here will vote for one who works, but also one who safeguards their identity.' 'Their existence is more important they feel, than a faulty light meter. So yes, a Muslim representative will make a difference.'
In a major victory for the Hindu side, a Varanasi court on Wednesday allowed Hindu devotees to offer prayers inside the 'Vyas ka Tekhana' area inside the Gyanvapi mosque complex.
The Grand Mufti said that in Islam, there is a law which allows the victim's family to pardon the murderer.
"This fight is against the hatred that the BJP and RSS are spreading throughout the country. They have tried to create conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, and Hindus and Christians just to hold onto power. But they are failing and their strategy is not working," he said.
'It is not as if Hindus are not being touched at all, and only Muslims are.'
Muslims' share in the reservation will keep on increasing also because of "conversion and infiltration because they are having a secular cover from them (the Congress)", he added.
'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.'
The "Indian Muslims for peace" say they would prefer an out of court settlement so that both Hindus and Muslims remain happy and no party feels aggrieved.
Mahamandleshwar Swami Dharamdev said the yatra conveyed a powerful message of Hindu-Muslim brotherhood across the country.
'Nowhere does the CAA state that Muslims will be deprived of their Indian citizenship.'
'Christians, for example, make up 2 per cent of India's population but an estimated 16 per cent of those who were born in India now reside elsewhere,' said Pew.
In a statement, the Population Foundation of India said it is deeply concerned about recent media reports "misreporting" the findings from the study to spread alarm regarding the growth of the Muslim population in the country.
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.
Various Hindu families, including children and women, from the interior parts of Sindh, reached the Wagah border on Tuesday for going to India on the visas for religious pilgrimage, The Express Tribune reported.
'They are happy for the Hindu community as Ram Lalla is consecrated in Ayodhya.'
'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.'
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.
'The ruling elite are supporting those attacking the people of Gaza.' 'As a nation we should not cooperate with the oppressor regime that is allowing mass starvation as a weapon of war.'
One must wonder whether Mr Modi's efforts to wine and dine the Big Two of today's world were seen as a sign of weakness rather than a proffered arm of friendship, points out R Jagannathan.
'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.'
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.
In an obvious bid to cast himself in a new statesman-like mould, Gujarat Chief Minister and Bhartiya Janata Party's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi on Saturday stressed upon the need for India to rise above politics of caste and religion and to build a nation with equal participation of both Hindus and Muslims. Sharat Pradhan reports.
'BSP will remain a player, but only a marginal player, as long as the BJP is extremely dominant in North India politics.'
