"The decision to informally hand over the reins of VHP to Togadia has been taken in view of my advancing age and poor health," VHP chief Ashok Singhal told reporters in Allahabad.
A young Hindu tea garden worker was found murdered in Bangladesh, raising concerns amid upcoming parliamentary elections and a series of attacks against the Hindu community.
A Hindu man was lynched in Bangladesh over alleged extortion, days after another man from the minority religion was lynched in the country. The incident took place in Rajbari town's Pangsha upazila. The deceased, identified as Amrit Mondal, had allegedly formed a criminal gang and was involved in extortion and other criminal activities.
"The incident took place on Monday (29 December) at around 6:30 pm at Sultana Sweaters Limited factory in the Mehrabari area of the upazila", the report said.
The headmistress of a government school in Chhattisgarh has been suspended after a question in a Class IV English question paper allegedly set by her triggered allegations of hurting religious sentiments, officials said on Sunday.
Baselios Marthoma Mathews III, head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, condemns attacks against Christians in India and urges government authorities to control religious fanatics. He highlights the constitutional right to religious freedom and criticizes the silence of governing bodies in the face of increasing attacks.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has strongly protested about the controversial model-actress Poonam Pandey portraying Ravana's wife Mandodari in Delhi's UNESCO-endorsed Ram Leela.
Odisha Police conducted a flag march in sensitive areas of Cuttack ahead of a mass prayer, warning against spreading rumors on social media and threatening strict action, including sedition charges, against those disrupting communal harmony.
Award-winning Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu's recent remarks on Lord Ram have sparked controversy, drawing condemnation from the BJP and VHP.
The district court in Shimla on Thursday upheld the municipal commissioner court's decision to demolish the entire structure of Sanjauli mosque, rejecting a plea by the Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board and the Sanjauli Mosque Committee.
All along, we were told SIR was an essential exercise carried out as part of the Election Commission's regular duties. But now that the ideological mentor of the ruling party has declared that SIR is a means of detecting infiltrators, one understands the unseemly haste with which it is being carried out, notes Jyoti Punwani.
A Durga Puja committee in Ranchi modified its Vatican City-themed marquee after objections from a Hindu group. The image of Jesus Christ was replaced with Lord Krishna.
The Odisha government imposed prohibitory orders and suspended internet services in Cuttack following violence after a Durga idol immersion procession. Clashes erupted, injuring several people, including police personnel. Authorities are taking strict action against misinformation spread on social media.
Following calls for the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's grave, authorities in Maharashtra, India, have increased security at the site. Visitors are now required to show identification before entering. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has staged protests and submitted memorandums demanding the grave's removal, citing Aurangzeb's history of conflict with the Marathas and his persecution of other religious groups. The caretaker of the grave has maintained that the situation is peaceful and that visitor numbers have declined since the controversy arose.
A fundraiser launched to support Nagamallaiah's wife, Nisha, and 18-year-old son, Gaurav - who witnessed the attack - has raised nearly $200,000, at last reckoning, to help cover funeral expenses and Gaurav's college education.
The real surprise in these results came from Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM. Of the 29 Muslim candidates who got elected to the 227-strong BMC, the Congress and the AIMIM between them bagged 22.
Cuttack remains tense following violence during a Durga idol immersion procession. Internet services are suspended, and political leaders appeal for communal harmony.
Minority Democratic Party (MDP) leader Fahim Khan has been arrested in connection with the violence that erupted in Nagpur on Monday after Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) workers staged an agitation for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb. Khan's name is mentioned in one of six FIRs registered so far, along with 50 others. Police are investigating whether Khan played any role in instigating the riots. Khan, along with eight others, had allegedly gathered outside a police station and submitted a memorandum against the VHP's protest. Subsequently, he went to another area where a large group of people from a minority community had gathered. Police are searching for those named in the FIRs and are investigating whether the accused had any role in planning the violence. The violence erupted amid rumors that a 'chadar' with holy inscriptions was burnt during the VHP's protest.
A Bangladeshi national, Azizul Nizanul Rahman, was arrested in Mumbai for staying illegally in India. Police are investigating if he was involved in the March 17 violence in Nagpur. Rahman, a daily wage labourer, admitted to obtaining an Aadhaar card using forged documents. Police are analyzing his mobile phone location and have shared information with Nagpur authorities.
Fourteen persons were arrested on Friday in connection with the violence in Nagpur earlier this week, taking the total number those held so far to 105, a senior police official said. Those held include 10 juveniles, as per police. Three more FIRs have been registered in connection with the incident, he added. Large-scale stone pelting and arson was reported in several parts of Nagpur on March 17 over rumours that a chadar' with holy inscriptions was burnt during protests led by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) seeking the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, which is in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district. "The 14 accused have been arrested from different parts of the city in connection with the riots. Three more FIRs have been registered related to the riots," Nagpur police commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal said. The decision on lifting curfew from some parts of the city will be taken after a high-level review meeting, he added. Singhal, meanwhile, held a meeting at Police Bhavan in Civil Lines here to take stock of the situation. Thirty-three police personnel including three Deputy Commissioner of Police-rank officers were injured during the violence. Key accused Fahim Khan is among those booked for sedition.
Posters with the message "Free Gaza, Free Palestine" and calls to boycott Israeli goods were found in the Narauli town of Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh, India. Police are investigating the incident based on CCTV footage and information gathered from shop owners. The posters emerged following Israel's offensive in Gaza, launched after Hamas militants attacked southern Israel in October 2023.
US President Donald Trump has condemned the murder of an Indian-origin motel manager in Dallas, allegedly by an undocumented Cuban immigrant, blaming the Biden administration's immigration policies.
Devotees celebrated Holi at the Kartikeya Mahadev Temple in Khaggu Sarai, Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh for the first time in 46 years. The temple, which was reopened last December after being closed since 1978, saw enthusiastic participation from social and Hindu organisations. The event was held under tight security following communal violence in the area in 2024.
A delegation representing the Ram Temple Trust on Friday called on President Droupadi Murmu and formally invited her to attend the consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22.
In seniority in the BJP leadership team, V K Malhotra, who passed into the ages this week, was next only to Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani and Nanaji Deshmukh, notes Sudhir Bisht.
Bajrangi has been an accused in the case of Nuh violence that had started in July last year after a procession organised by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad was attacked by a mob.
The incident happened on Friday at Lajpat Bhavan in Swaroop Nagar when private guards and volunteer staff were checking the visitors' identities to prevent any non-Hindus from entering the venue, they said.
Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao on Tuesday said that the state government constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT) will temporarily stall its probe into the alleged 'adulteration' of Tirupati laddus with animal fats case as the matter is sub judice in the Supreme Court.
The cyber police in Nagpur have booked local leader Fahim Khan and five others on charges of sedition and spreading misinformation on social media during the violence that erupted in the city on Monday. The department has also sought information from Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube authorities about 230 profiles and requested their blocking.
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.
The announcement comes days after an incident of violent disruption by protestors carrying Khalistani flags at a consular event co-organised by the Hindu Sabha temple in Brampton and the Indian Consulate.
In the Marxists-ruled Kerala, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad Kerala chapter has launched a helpline offering assistance to "Hindus in distress". Named Shivaji Hindu Helpline, the service particularly offers "help for Hindu girls who are being lured into what they call the trap of "love-jihad".
Allahabad High Court judge Justice Shekhar Yadav, who was embroiled in controversy for his speech at a VHP event in December, has opted out of a seminar on the Ram temple movement in the Kumbh Mela area on January 22. Yadav was scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the seminar, which is being held to mark the first anniversary of the consecration ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla in the Ayodhya temple.
Dharnas, rallies and fast are the means through which the protest is being expressed.
Addressing a 'Hindu Panchayat' in Sitapur, Togadia said Hindus hesitate from openly speaking on the issues concerning their society.
Bharti had been in the forefront of the 'Hindu andolan' especially during the Ayyodhya movement, he said.
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is planning to introduce toll-free helpline in Hindu pilgrim centres across the country.
It was an "attack" on Hindu culture and a conspiracy to inspire Hindu children to adopt Christianity, it alleged.
A petition filed by Vishwa Hindu Parishad against Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's "Hindu terror" remarks was dismissed by the Allahabad high court on Tuesday.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has denied rumours that a cloth with Quranic verses was burnt during a protest in Nagpur. He attributed the subsequent violence to a planned attempt to disrupt social harmony and vowed to punish those who attacked police. Fadnavis stated that the violence was triggered by false rumours about the burning of a 'chadar' with Quranic verses during a protest demanding the removal of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb's tomb.
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