Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed has claimed victory in Michigan's Senate race, making him the first Muslim elected to the United States Senate, a historic win amidst a nationwide Democratic sweep in the 2026 midterm elections.
A businessman in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, organised a mass wedding for 101 underprivileged Hindu and Muslim couples, providing not only the ceremony but also household items. Inspired by his lack of a sister, Vinay Agarwal's initiative has grown significantly since 2018, offering crucial support to families struggling with wedding expenses.
Social media influencer Javed Khan cancelled his Garba performances in Jaipur on October 17 and 18 after allegedly receiving threats from Hindu outfits. The organisations reportedly warned event organisers of protests if a Muslim artist performed. Khan returned advance payments and plans to file a police complaint regarding the incident.
Historian Ramachandra Guha, at the launch of his book "Arguments with Gandhi", discussed Mahatma Gandhi's use of "Ram Rajya", acknowledging it could be "off-putting to Muslims" despite Gandhi's interfaith practice. Guha highlighted Gandhi's pluralistic approach, his efforts to protect minorities after Partition, and his contributions to the anti-untouchability campaign, often overlooked in contemporary discourse. The book also examines Gandhi's disagreements with figures like Ambedkar, Savarkar, Nehru, and Bhagat Singh.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Monday called for "regional unity" as he met top defence officials from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan in Tehran to discuss the regional situation, amid escalating tensions in the region.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi and Azad Samaj Party chief Chandrashekhar Azad are set to announce a new alliance for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh elections, aiming to consolidate Dalit and minority votes. This move comes after Owaisi's exclusion from the INDIA bloc's seat-sharing pact in UP.
Sonia Gandhi's memoir, "Belonging: A Journey Of Love," reveals her conversations with then-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi regarding the controversial Shah Bano case and the escalating Ram Janmabhoomi dispute. The book details Rajiv's attempts to navigate these complex issues, his rationale behind decisions, and the political fallout, including criticism from the BJP and the eventual destruction of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Gandhi also criticises the RSS's vision of a 'Hindu nation' and its impact on India's social fabric.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has disposed of writ appeals concerning the partial demolition of Ujjain's Shahi Masjid for road widening ahead of Simhastha Kumbh Mela 2028, following an agreement between the Muslim side and the Ujjain Municipal Corporation. The agreement involves removing a smaller portion of the mosque than initially planned, relocating its minaret, and providing alternative shops. This resolution comes after earlier protests and arrests.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticised Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for describing Diwali as 'khushiyon ka Eid' (Eid of happiness), accusing the Congress of appeasement politics and hurting Hindu sentiments. Congress leader Pawan Khera defended Kharge, stating that 'Eid' literally means 'festival'.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has announced that Muslims will be barred from participating in 'garba' and 'dandiya' events during the upcoming Navratri festival in Maharashtra. The organisation has also issued guidelines for organisers, including checking Aadhaar cards and applying 'tilak' to verify Hindu identity, citing the religious nature of the festival.
Amruta Fadnavis, wife of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, has stated that festivals like Navratri are inclusive and there is nothing wrong with Muslim individuals attending the celebrations, despite the Vishva Hindu Parishad's call to bar Muslims from such events and BJP leader Nitesh Rane's support for the ban.
Satyaki Savarkar, grandnephew of V D Savarkar, testified in a Pune court, stating that Rahul Gandhi's remarks portrayed Savarkar as a "Muslim hater" and "mob lyncher," which he claims is false. Savarkar asserted that his granduncle's writings promoted Muslim progress. The testimony was part of a defamation case filed against Gandhi concerning his alleged statements about Savarkar's writings.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra has formally complained to the UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, alleging that senior Muslim IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal were deliberately excluded from official events attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Moitra claims these officers were sidelined due to their religion, a pattern she describes as discriminatory and potentially damaging to minority confidence in security establishments.
Along with austerity and humility, Ahmed Saeed Uraizee displayed a rock solid self-respect and integrity, recalls Jyoti Punwani.
A long-standing Janmashtami celebration in Kolkata's Mominpore, known for its syncretic culture with significant Muslim participation, is undergoing a major change. BJP leader Rakesh Singh has taken charge, forming an exclusively Hindu organising committee, sparking a debate about religious harmony, political influence, and the nature of shared festivals in the city.
Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday in a money laundering case. This arrest occurred shortly after he and his son were released on bail in a separate dual PAN cards case. Khan will be produced before a special PMLA court, as the ED investigates 58 FIRs against him, including allegations of diverting government funds for his private university.
India-born Democrat Saba Haider has made history by winning the election to the Illinois House of Representatives, becoming the first South Asian woman to be elected to the state's General Assembly.
Police in Malappuram, Keralam, have registered a case against 15 Muslim Students Federation (MSF) activists for allegedly attacking Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders, Adhil and Sujith, at a hospital. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, left the SFI leaders with serious injuries, including fractures and broken teeth. The incident followed clashes during the Calicut University students' union election on Wednesday. A separate case was also filed for damage to the hospital. Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the violence, accusing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and MSF, and criticised police for alleged protection of attackers.
Police in Malappuram, Keralam, have registered a case against 15 Muslim Students Federation (MSF) activists for allegedly attacking Students Federation of India (SFI) leaders, Adhil and Sujith, at a hospital. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, left the SFI leaders with serious injuries, including fractures and broken teeth. The incident followed clashes during the Calicut University students' union election on Wednesday. A separate case was also filed for damage to the hospital. Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan condemned the violence, accusing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and MSF, and criticised police for alleged protection of attackers.
India celebrated Diwali with traditional fervour, marked by diverse festivities across the nation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated with security personnel in Chhattisgarh's Bastar, while other political leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Yogi Adityanath also shared their celebrations. Meanwhile, Delhi faced challenges with 'very poor' air quality and strict vigil on firecracker bursting.
Newly appointed BJP Minority Morcha national president Kunwar Basit Ali announced a strategic focus on approximately 100 Uttar Pradesh assembly seats, aiming to connect the Muslim community with the BJP by highlighting government welfare schemes and dispelling "misconceptions" about the party.
A special CBI court in Kochi is set to deliver its verdict on November 12 in the 2012 Ariyil Shukoor murder case. CPI(M) leaders P Jayarajan and T V Rajesh are among the accused in the killing of Muslim Youth League activist Shukoor, which the CBI alleges was in retaliation for an attack on Jayarajan. The case has garnered significant political attention.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and others regarding a plea challenging the validity of 'Talaq-e-Hasan' and other forms of unilateral divorce under Muslim personal law. The petition also seeks uniform procedural safeguards, economic protection for divorced women, and questions the constitutionality of Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, as well as the lack of safeguards against polygamy.
A man and five family members in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, have been booked after he allegedly pronounced triple talaq to his wife over the phone following dowry demands. The victim, Ruksar, filed a complaint stating she was harassed for dowry and then given triple talaq when she refused.
An expatriate businessman, Abdul Rafeeq, has been arrested in a controversial POCSO case in Kerala after the High Court upheld the cancellation of his bail. His arrest led to jubilant celebrations and demands for justice from local residents in Maniyoor, who had previously protested alleged police inaction and Rafeeq's initial bail.
The Supreme Court has ruled that social backwardness is not transferable from a Hindu social order to a non-Hindu social order upon religious conversion, meaning individuals converting to Islam cannot claim reservation benefits under the Backward Class (Muslim) category solely due to conversion.
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has declared that the results of the US midterm elections and shifts between American political parties will not alter Iran's defensive strategy or soften Washington's long-standing hostility toward the Iranian nation.
Gujarati folk singer Aditya Gadhvi has publicly distanced himself from an incident where non-Hindus and Muslims were asked to leave a high-end garba event in Ahmedabad during Navratri. The announcement was made from the stage by anchor-RJ Akash Trivedi, reportedly at the behest of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) volunteers. Gadhvi stated that the action was not his doing or message, emphasising that his stage is for music and devotion, and garba welcomes everyone with love and respect for Maa Durga.
An Islamic cleric issued a fatwa against actress Sara Ali Khan, demanding she repent for offering prayers at the Kedarnath temple.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stated that a true Hindu believes in the unity of humanity and that all religious paths lead to the same goal, asserting that 'if any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu'.
The Supreme Court has reserved its decision on a plea by the Tamil Nadu government challenging a Madras High Court verdict. The High Court had ruled that individuals converting to Islam are not automatically entitled to reservation benefits under the Backward Class (Muslim) category solely based on their conversion.
The Kerala High Court has dismissed a petition seeking to quash criminal proceedings against a man accused of repeatedly raping a 17-year-old girl. The court ruled that even if a marriage was solemnised under Muslim religious rites, it would not protect the accused from criminal liability under the POCSO Act, reinforcing that the Act applies when one party is a minor, irrespective of personal law.
'Many women lose control of properties after their husband's death.'
Srinagar Lok Sabha member Syed Aga Ruhullah Mehdi has resigned from the National Conference, accusing its leadership of abandoning key election promises, particularly the restoration of Article 370. He also hinted at forming a new political outfit in Jammu and Kashmir, criticising NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah for their alleged betrayal of public trust and incompetence.
India strongly criticised Pakistan at the United Nations, accusing it of hypocrisy regarding religious freedom and funeral rights. India's First Secretary Bhavika Mangalanandan highlighted Pakistan's refusal to accept the bodies of its own soldiers killed in the 1999 Kargil war, contrasting it with Pakistan's current criticism of India. She also pointed to Pakistan's poor record on minority rights and criticised a UN report for selectively targeting India.
French President Emmanuel Macron criticised unnamed foreign leaders, including Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, for making "stupid comments" and exploiting recent domestic unrest in France for their own political campaigns. Speaking in Doha, Macron condemned the use of misinformation and AI-generated content to misrepresent the situation, asserting there was no foreign interference in the events but manipulation of information afterwards. He specifically called out Trump's claims about France being "under siege" and Netanyahu's assertion of an "invasion of extremist Islam."
Kunwar Basit Ali, national president of BJP Minority Morcha, stated that the demolition of religious structures for development should not be viewed communally, citing examples from Uttar Pradesh and Muslim nations. He accused the Congress of misleading Muslims and instigating unrest. Ali also expressed confidence in the BJP forming the next government in Jammu and Kashmir and addressed concerns regarding the delay in statehood restoration, asserting that the central government would make the best decisions for Kashmir.
Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has accused Chief Minister VD Satheesan of "selective secularism" following the arrest of a YouTuber for allegedly making communal remarks about a Fort Kochi cafe. Chandrasekhar questioned the ruling Congress and CPI(M)'s political culture, which he claims disrespects religious sentiments, while other leaders like Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala and MP Hibi Eden condemned the communal remarks and defended Kerala's secular fabric and tourism.
Americans are voting in crucial midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on Donald Trump's presidency. The elections will determine control of the House and Senate, with Democrats hoping to gain power. Key races include governorships and numerous Indian-American candidates. Trump's last-minute policy announcements and campaigning efforts are highlighted, as analysts predict a potential shift in power that could limit his agenda.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has claimed actor Imran Khan, who participated in a protest, holds US citizenship and questioned his motive. Somaiya lodged a complaint, alleging a conspiracy to create anarchy through protests against electoral roll revisions and stating police assured him of summoning Khan for citizenship documents.
