The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Congress of indulging in "communal polarisation" on the Babri Masjid issue after the Central Bureau of Investigation challenged in the Supreme Court the Allahabad High Court order that dropped conspiracy charge against senior leader L K Advani in the demolition case.
The Kerala government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe two 'kafir screenshot' cases that caused a political storm during the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign in Vadakara constituency. The cases involve alleged communal polarisation and the circulation of fake messages against LDF candidate K K Shailaja, with the new SIT reopening a previously inconclusive investigation.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan following a complaint by the UDF regarding a recorded announcement from an LDF campaign vehicle, which allegedly made communal remarks against the IUML. The UDF claims the LDF is running a communal campaign, similar to a previous controversy during the 2024 general elections.
Some important simple truths about the issue may be more helpful than high sounding debates, asserts Mohammad Sajjad.
Accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party of having "reaped benefits" of communal polarisation in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress on Wednesday said the government should now focus on good governance and deliver on promises.
A video purportedly showing people pledging to boycott Muslims socially and economically after a screening of 'The Kerala Story' has sparked strong reactions in Vasai, Maharashtra. Police are investigating the video's authenticity, while politicians and social media users express concern over rising communal polarisation.
The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a plea seeking action against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over a viral video allegedly showing him taking aim and firing with a rifle at members of the Muslim community.
The Supreme Court has declined to entertain petitions seeking action against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma regarding a viral video, advising petitioners to approach the Gauhati High Court instead.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has accused the TMC government of turning Kolkata into a 'city of slums' and using infiltrators as a vote bank, sparking a strong reaction from the TMC, which accused him of insulting the people of Bengal.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan, contesting from Perambra, following a complaint about a recorded announcement from a campaign vehicle alleging communal campaigning by the IUML.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the state and create an atmosphere of fear ahead of upcoming elections, following twin blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar.
There was a clear polarisation of Christian and (especially) Muslim votes in favour of the UDF. This caused enough misgivings to start a consolidation of Hindu votes behind the LDF, says T V R Shenoy.
The TMC has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging that he made polarising and criminally intimidating statements during election campaigning in West Bengal.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has condemned the recent blasts in Amritsar and Jalandhar, calling them a deliberate attempt to spread terror and disrupt the state's peace. He accused the BJP of trying to create an atmosphere of fear and division for political gains ahead of elections.
Hopefully, the BJP will realise that it's the right time for parivartan (change) in its polarising poll strategies after achieving the impossible-looking goal of winning West Bengal, argues Sheela Bhatt.
A R Rahman feels a power shift may have happened in the past eight years, as 'people who are not creative have the power now to decide things.'
Kerala's 2026 assembly election will see a three-cornered contest where religion and communalism have emerged as central themes for the first time, challenging the state's long-celebrated secular fabric.
Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa travels to Bhatkal on Karnataka's west coast to investigate how a quaint town turned into a hotspot. Bhatkal has been in the news since the Indian security agencies zeroed in on terror links to this town.
A major controversy has erupted in West Bengal after a TMC MLA announced plans to lay the foundation stone of a mosque modeled on the Babri Masjid, leading to political backlash and concerns over communal polarization.
'The nepotism, corruption, bad governance and 15 years of rampant crime that has happened across West Bengal under her rule led to her ouster.'
'If the BJP becomes our political identity, our political face, if we are represented by the BJP, then what happens to our identity as Bengalis?'
The construction of a Babri Masjid-style mosque in West Bengal's Murshidabad district has become a focal point in the upcoming elections, reshaping voter loyalties and raising communal tensions.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to suppress voting rights through voter roll revisions, describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'biggest infiltrator'. She framed the upcoming assembly elections as a fight for democratic rights and Bengal's social harmony.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to suppress voting rights through voter roll revisions, describing Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the 'biggest infiltrator'.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the Election Commission for allegedly failing to protect judicial officers involved in electoral roll revisions in Malda district. She accused the EC of lacking control over law and order and enabling the BJP's alleged attempts to disrupt the election process.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led central government, accusing it of attempting to suppress voting rights and polarise the electorate ahead of the assembly elections.
This election is different. It is no longer simply about governance or welfare. It is about identity, fear, and who belongs. The BJP has successfully shifted the terms of the debate from what the government has delivered to who the real Bengali is and who is an outsider, points out Ramesh Menon.
'Our government is committed to addressing it firmly while protecting the rights of genuine citizens.'
'The BJP is keeping its options open and that the final decision is still tightly held.' 'That is consistent with the party's tendency to preserve suspense, avoid premature factional conflict, and use leadership selection as a way of resetting internal hierarchies.'
'Once demographic fear becomes campaign language, it legitimises social targeting.'
Opposition parties, including the Congress, have criticised the government for issuing the order to control communal tension in Dhubri town.
The Assam assembly on Thursday passed a bill to ban polygamy, making it an offence which may lead to a maximum of 10 years of imprisonment, barring some exceptions.
Kabir cut a ceremonial ribbon alongside visiting clerics on the dais as slogans of "Nara-e-Takbeer, Allahu Akbar" were raised at the venue, where thousands had gathered since morning.
'The violence in Bangladesh has been used as an excuse to start violence by communal political fanatics.'
With the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls scheduled for 2027, political experts are observing an increasing trend of temple-mosque disputes in the state, leading to heightened polarization. Recent bypolls saw the use of divisive slogans, and analysts believe this trend will intensify as the 2027 elections approach. The recent surge in claims about the existence of Hindu temples at the sites of mosques in various cities has fueled this polarization. The BJP-led government has been accused of promoting communal polarization, while opposition parties like the SP have criticized the ruling party's actions. The RSS chief has called for restraint in raising new temple-related disputes. Experts predict that communal polarization is likely to escalate in the coming days.
Estranged TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's plan to build a mosque modeled on the Babri Masjid in Murshidabad has sparked a political firestorm in West Bengal, with accusations and warnings escalating tensions ahead of state elections.
"The saffron party's opposition must be seen as a part of the larger strategy being employed currently by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh/BJP and its affiliates, that is return to the basics," Yechury said, indicating that the BJP is sticking to core Hindutva issues like construction of a temple in Ayodhya, abolition of Article 370 and uniform civil code.
Guwahati police have registered an FIR against journalist and YouTuber Abhisar Sharma for allegedly ridiculing the Assam and Union governments and promoting religious enmity. The FIR invokes Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
'I disagree with much of Modi's politics, but it cannot be denied that in these years in office, he has carved more than a niche for himself in history,' points out Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, author, Narendra Modi: The Man, The Times.
The Indian History Congress (IHC) has criticized NCERT's new Partition Horrors Remembrance Day modules, alleging they spread falsehoods with communal intent by depicting the Congress as complicit in Partition while absolving the British.
