A farmer was found dead at a CPI office premises in Kerala, leading to a police investigation and local protests.
Following Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation amidst widespread student protests over the NEET paper leak, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulated the youth, calling it a crucial step for education reform, and urged broader public action to hold the government accountable, demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Opposition leaders across party lines have condemned the forced removal of climate activist Sonam Wangchuk from the Jantar Mantar protest site in Delhi, accusing the BJP-led central government of undermining democratic freedoms, curbing dissent, and choosing force over dialogue.
'For the rest of his tenure, people will start with the assumption that even Modi can be forced to bow down'
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has launched a scathing attack on the Modi government, accusing it of responding to student demands for accountability and educational reforms with 'cowardice and wanton cruelty,' treating them as 'enemies of the nation.' She further alleged that the government has degraded India's education landscape and routinely chooses violence over dialogue.
What Every Indian Must Know About the Quit India Movement.
The Congress escalated its campaign against alleged examination irregularities by marching to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence, transforming the issue into a direct challenge to his political authority and demanding the resignations of top government officials.
Five tribal farmers in Chandrapur, Maharashtra, consumed poison to protest inadequate compensation for land acquired by a cement company. They are hospitalised and in stable condition as authorities investigate their claims.
'This is unfair slander to Kangana.'
Social media platform X on Thursday expressed disagreement with the Indian government's order to block accounts and posts related to the ongoing farmers' protests and called for extending freedom of expression to the affected posts.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating he needs to change his "dil ka angle" (heart's perspective) rather than camera angles to connect with Gen Z, following his Instagram outreach to student protesters. She also condemned the government's handling of student protests and the widespread issue of paper leaks.
Thousands of farmers and tribal residents are marching towards Mumbai from Nashik to demand land rights and other concessions from the Maharashtra government. A delegation has been invited for talks.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has affirmed strong action against NEET paper leak culprits and urged state governments to collaborate with the Centre to prevent future incidents, emphasising national interest over party politics. He highlighted the successful re-examination and arrests made.
The Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to inform people about road closures and advised them to take alternative routes to avoid inconvenience.
"There is a clear hand of the Punjab government in it. Here in Haryana, former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and other Congress leaders besides some Left leaders are instigating farmers to take law in their hands," Haryana chief minister M L Khattar said
Olympic wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Saturday joined protesting farmers at the Shambhu border between Punjab and Haryana and said the central government should pay heed to their demands and make it a priority to address their issues.
The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is continuing its protest at Jantar Mantar for the third day, demanding accountability for alleged examination irregularities and the May 3 NEET paper leak. CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke has called for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and compensation for affected families, with farmer unions expected to join the ongoing agitation.
Bracing for another agitation by farmers, police are fortifying the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-Haryana borders with barricades and deploying more than 5,000 security personnel, a senior police officer said here on Friday.
Senior Congress leader Arun Yadav has criticised the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, alleging neglect of farmers and the enabling of mafia activities.
Electoral politics is going to be an important part of farmer protests going forward.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray criticised the BJP, accusing it of betraying Hindus by allegedly embezzling donations for the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He vowed to lead protests for "BJP-mukt Ram" and questioned the BJP's Hindutva, calling it a "Pakistan Janata Party" for its alleged party-splitting tactics and questioning citizenship. Thackeray also targeted rebel MPs, including Sanjay Deshmukh, for their defection.
Family members of Neelam, one of the two persons arrested for protesting outside Parliament on Wednesday, said she had earlier participated in several agitations including farmers' movement.
Attorney General K K Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said that 'Khalistanis' have infiltrated the protest and he will file an affidavit along with the necessary inputs of the intelligence bureau (IB).
Khattar held his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh responsible for the thousands of farmers marching to Delhi.
The Delhi Police has already stocked up a large number of tear gas shells and ordered 30,000 more from the BSF's Tear Smoke Unit (TSU) located at Tekanpur in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior, an official said.
The government and farm unions had reached some common ground on Wednesday to resolve protesting farmers' concerns over rise in power tariff and penalties for stubble burning.
In a strong response to the Union home ministry's letter on the ongoing farmers' agitation, the Aam Aadmi Party dispensation in Punjab on Wednesday wrote to the Centre saying it is 'completely wrong' to claim the state government was allowing gathering at the two border points with Haryana.
The Narendra Modi government will purchase all farm produce at minimum support price, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in Rajya Sabha on Friday.
Activist Gurjeet Singh Khalsa ended his 560-day protest atop a BSNL tower after the Punjab government notified a stricter anti-sacrilege law. Khalsa had been demanding stricter laws against sacrilege incidents in Punjab.
The Congress on Friday described the Centre's announcement to repeal three farm laws as a victory against injustice, and said arrogance had to bow its head before the peaceful satyagraha of farmers.
Bilkis had expressed her willingness to join the farmers' protest at the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu.
He said the parties rejected by the electorate are pushing their own political agenda by misleading farmers.
Investigation into the Delhi Assembly security breach focuses on the suspect's mental health history and potential links to the farmers' agitation.
Prominent international celebrities and activists on Wednesday joined American pop star Rihanna to extend support to the farmers' protests here and garner international attention on the protracted stir but their remarks were slammed by India as 'neither accurate nor responsible'.
Recognising that peaceful protests are a hallmark of a thriving democracy, the United States has said that it encourages dialogue between the protesting farmers and the Indian government to resolve their differences.
Tomar and Parkash, along with their ministerial colleague Piyush Goyal, had led the government's negotiations with the protesting farmers.
Singh wrote in the suicide note that the government must repeal these farm laws as these are against the interests of farmers, according to a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union.
A young woman in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, staged a dramatic Sholay-style protest by climbing a high-tension transmission tower to demand her jailed husband's release.
An unidentified person has threatened to blow up Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait and his family if he does not disassociate himself from farmer protests, the police said on Friday.
The Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to inform commuters about alternative routes open for travelling to the neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
