Five accused wanted in connection with the July 31 communal violence were "handed over" to the police by residents of Singar village following repeated appeals by the police and administration, an official said on Monday.
A proposed polling booth reconfiguration in West Bengal has ignited a political battle, with the TMC, BJP, Congress, and CPI(M) raising concerns about bias, partisanship, and flawed processes.
The Bharatiya Janata Party and ruling Congress members clashed on Wednesday in the Rajya Sabha over the issue of attack on Christians in Orissa, leading to abrupt adjournment of the House.
The Delhi police vehemently opposed the bail pleas of activists Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam and others in the February 2020 riots case, saying it had become a trend now for doctors and engineers to engage in anti-national activities. The police cited inflammatory speeches and violent protests as reasons for opposing bail.
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.
The remarks by the court came while dismissing the bail pleas in three cases of former Aam Aadmi Party councillor Tahir Hussain, who allegedly abused his "muscle power" and "political clout" to foment communal violence.
The Supreme Court of India has declined to interfere with the bail granted to 17 members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) in connection with the 2022 murder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Srinivasan in Kerala. The court noted that the Kerala High Court, which granted bail, has the power to revoke it if the conditions are violated. The NIA had sought cancellation of the bail, alleging the accused had violated bail conditions and contacted witnesses. The accused are also facing trial for allegedly instigating communal violence in Kerala and other parts of the country.
The Congress debates on the rising incidents of communal violence in Lok Sabha.
The Karnataka Legislative Council passed a bill to curb hate speech, facing strong opposition from BJP and JD(S), who criticized it as 'draconian' and a threat to free speech. The bill proposes jail terms and fines for hate crimes and repeated offenses.
Fadnavis further said it was too early to comment on a foreign or Bangladeshi link to the riots as the probe is underway.
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.
While the DMK depends on a 'silver sieve' of welfare schemes to stay in power, its support is slowly draining away under the weight of poor governance, corruption, and voters who are no longer satisfied with benefits alone and now want basic administration to work, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
Markets are now open in the violence-affected areas and people are visiting them.
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.
An Assam Cabinet minister's use of 'gobi farming' imagery after the Bihar election results has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, who allege it references the Bhagalpur communal riots.
A student activist and "independent journalist" from Kerala, Rejaz M. Sheeba Sydeek, has been arrested in Nagpur for allegedly "preparing to wage war against the Government of India." The arrest was made after Sydeek allegedly condemned Operation Sindoor, an Indian Armed Forces operation against terror targets in Pakistan, and criticized operations against Naxalites on his Instagram account. Police found a book about professor G N Saibaba, who faced trial for alleged links with Naxalism, and another about Marxism-Leninism in Sydeek's bag. An English letter seized from his possession appeared to criticize the Indian government for anti-Naxal operations and called for "peace talks between the Indian state and the (banned) CPI (Maoist)".
The Delhi High Court has refused to allow the release of the Hindi film "Masoom Kaatil," citing concerns over violence, promotion of lawlessness, and potential for inciting communal disharmony.
An indefinite curfew was imposed in major parts of Srinagar on Wednesday evening. Clashes between members of the Sunni and Shia communities in the old city area of Zadibal on Wednesday afternoon prompted the authorities to impose curfew in areas under nine police stations.
Violence erupted in central Nagpur at around 7.30 pm om Monday with stones hurled at police amid rumours that the holy book of a community was burnt during an agitation by a right-wing outfit for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, leaving six persons and three policemen injured, officials said.
Kolkata Police stopped the trailer launch of 'The Bengal Files', a film based on the 1946 Calcutta Riots, its director Vivek Agnihotri claimed, sparking controversy and allegations of censorship.
The mob ransacked some shops belonging to a particular community and also chanted 'Jai Shri Ram' in front of a mosque in Badshahpur.
Nagpur Guardian Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said social media was used to vitiate the atmosphere, and appealed to the opposition not to politicise the matter.
Security was beefed up in Bareilly after violence following Friday prayers the previous week. Prayers passed off peacefully with heavy security presence and appeals for peace from religious leaders. Restrictions remained in place and arrests were made in connection with the previous violence.
The development comes in light of multiple abandoned or locked temples in various parts of Uttar Pradesh being reopened for prayers.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the NDA's victory in the Bihar assembly elections as a win for good governance, development, and social justice. He congratulated alliance partners and thanked the people of Bihar for their support.
'Raj Thackeray is working at the behest of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.'
The Deepa Thoon controversy, if not allowed to die a natural death, could take the election focus away from the anti-incumbency impacting the DMK and into the secular space. Stalin would love to have it that way, all over again, after the three past elections, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
Instead, they argue, three actors shaped the division, "Jinnah, who demanded it; the Congress, which accepted it; and Mountbatten, who formalised and implemented it."
Wondering what to watch on OTT this weekend? Namrata Thakker lists options to choose from.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati paid tribute to the party founder, late Kanshi Ram, on his 91st birth anniversary. She emphasized the BSP's commitment to action over words, highlighting the party's focus on the upliftment of backward classes. Mayawati also referred to herself as the "iron lady" and emphasized the importance of understanding the power of one's vote.
The situation has been brought under control and remains peaceful, the police said on Sunday.
'The implementation of the judgment has largely been left to the discretion of the very executive authorities it sought to restrain.'
Police on Monday detained a close associate of cleric and Ittehad-e-Millat Council chief Tauqeer Raza Khan in connection with the recent violence in Bareilly during a protest in support of the 'I Love Muhammad' campaign, officials said.
Anand district superintendent of police Ajit Rajian had earlier said that communal violence in Khambhat town was a 'pre-planned conspiracy' hatched by a 'sleeper module' to achieve the dominance of the Muslim community in the town.
Hindu outfits Bajrang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad are staging protests across the national capital against the Haryana violence.
'Even as the Supreme Court's anti-punitive demolition judgment nears its first anniversary, no formal contempt proceedings have been initiated either by the Supreme Court or any high court against officers or demolition squads who have acted in violation of it.'
India has strongly rejected a UN expert's report claiming that Myanmar refugees in India faced pressure after the Pahalgam terror attack, calling the analysis biased and unfounded.
In the wake of communal violence in West Bengal and Bihar, Sibal had on Sunday questioned the "silence" of Prime Minister Modi over the matter, and said "let not 2024 general elections be the reason" for the violence.
Justice Gavai's comment came while the apex court bench, also comprising Justice Augustine George Masih, was considering a fresh plea seeking an inquiry into the recent violence in West Bengal during anti-Waqf law protests.
Congress General Secretary and Assam in-charge Digivijaya Singh in an interview to CNN-IBN said it was not right to draw parallel between 2002 Godhra riots in Gujarat and the present ethnic clash in Assam.
