Bangladesh's High Court has granted bail to Hindu rights leader Chinmoy Krishna Das in two cases, though he remains in prison due to four other pending charges, including murder and treason. His arrest in November 2024 on sedition charges had sparked protests and communal tensions, drawing concern from India and occurring amidst strained India-Bangladesh relations following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
A Pakistani court has ordered the return of 21-year-old Hindu girl Shirimati Reeta to her parents after she was allegedly lured, pressured to convert to Islam, and marry a Muslim man. Reeta, who had gone missing from Sindh, was recovered by police in Punjab and stated in court her desire to return home, highlighting the ongoing issue of forced conversions among minority girls in Pakistan.
A bipartisan US body claimed that religious freedom conditions in India remained on the downward trajectory in 2026, citing restrictions on activities of NGOs, censorship and transnational repression.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) has appealed to the United Nations to intervene on behalf of religious minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh, citing human rights violations.
A Pakistani Hindu woman and her minor daughter have been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in Pakistan's Sindh province, sparking fear of forced conversion.
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended sanctions against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and advised the US government against extending diplomatic courtesies to its leaders. This comes ahead of RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's visit to the US, with USCIRF officials citing allegations of attacks on religious minorities by RSS sub-groups. India has consistently rejected USCIRF's reports as biased and selective.
UN experts have voiced serious concerns regarding the ongoing abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage of women and girls from minority communities in Pakistan, highlighting that impunity is fuelling the practice.
The Calcutta High Court has upheld a magistrate court's decision to grant interim maintenance to a Hindu woman who married a man according to Muslim rites and customs, citing Supreme Court precedents on the husband's liability for maintenance until the marriage is declared void.
'Dara's case can strengthen the perception among sections of the BJP's traditional support base.'
The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has confirmed that a young woman from Madhya Pradesh, known for her viral videos, is a minor, leading to allegations of 'love Jihad' regarding her interfaith marriage.
Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal sustained a minor injury to his right hand after being attacked with a kirpan by a Nihang member inside a gurdwara in Nanded, Maharashtra. The assailant has been arrested, and SAD leaders are demanding a CBI probe into what they term an intelligence failure.
Former Chief Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi has strongly criticised the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, stating it is 'focussed more on exclusion' and has 'played havoc with democracy' by disturbing free and fair elections.
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 Supreme Court on Friday asked the Law Commission to consider a plea as a representation of a Buddhist group that certain sets of personal Hindu laws, which are applicable to Buddhists also, are against their fundamental rights, including freedom to practice religion.
He was sleeping in a garage when the fire broke out, and CCTV footage suggests foul play.
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.
Rabindra Ghosh, a prominent Bangladeshi lawyer, has received death threats since he decided to represent jailed Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. Ghosh claims the interim government in Bangladesh is targeting Das for his vocal criticism of atrocities against Hindus and his efforts to unite the persecuted community. Despite the threats, Ghosh vows to continue fighting for justice and minority rights. He believes Das has been framed on false charges for his efforts to unite the Hindu community.
What lessons opposition parties need to learn post defeat of Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal elections? The election saw spectacular victor of BJP which rose from 3 seats in 2016 to 206 seats in 2026 assembly elections.
'If the Opposition associates itself too much with the minorities, then it becomes easy for the BJP to get Hindu consolidation votes.'
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea on May 29 seeking a direction to the Nagpur Parsi Panchayat to treat a Parsi woman equally with her male counterparts, even after she marries a person of another faith, challenging a rule that allegedly strips Parsi women of their religious identity upon inter-faith marriage.
'A genuine tribute to Dr Ambedkar does not lie in selective invocation. It lies in asking a harder question: Is the Constitution still doing its job -- restraining even assertive majorities?' asks Manoj Mohanka.
If one has to compare the tenures of the two prime ministers one must credit Nehru with laying the foundations on which Modi is building a grand edifice, asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
A member of a Hindu right-wing organisation met with the family of a man killed in a brawl in Uttam Nagar following a Holi celebration, as tensions remain high in the area.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has voiced concern over the violence in Bangladesh, including the lynching of a Hindu man. The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has also expressed concern over the killing of a protest leader.
'They will have to adjust themselves to the new reality. Because if they don't understand this changed political perception, their future will be difficult.'
'Among the leaders whose names are going around, V D Satheesan is the leader who will fit this kind of situation.'
'Unfortunately the treasury is empty, in zero. So we have to first make money for the development activities of the state, and also to continue the welfare measures.'
Sukumaran Nair said he had noted Natesan's remarks and that a decision would be taken after a meeting scheduled for January 21.
'98 lakhs in Bengal, 97 lakhs in Tamil Nadu, 2.83 crores in Uttar Pradesh.'
'The BJP and its allies can decide the fate of many candidates.'
Earlier, Congress leader and Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its criticism of the IPL franchise, saying overseas players participate in the tournament in accordance with BCCI and IPL rules.
In his Diwali greetings on Thursday, Trump strongly "condemned the barbaric violence against Hindus, Christians, and other minorities in Bangladesh", which he said remains in a "total state of chaos."
India has rejected a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) that criticised India's record on religious freedom and called for linking US security assistance and trade to improvements in this area.
BJP leader Sangeet Som has called KKR co-owner Shah Rukh a traitor and accused him of investing money in players from a country working against India.
Film director Sanoj Mishra met the family of Monalisa Bhonsle, the viral Kumbh girl who recently married a Muslim man, alleging 'love jihad' and promising to take the matter to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.
A US federal government commission has raised concerns about the state of religious freedom in India, recommending its designation as a 'Country of Particular Concern' and suggesting targeted sanctions.
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'.
Unlike films that end with the underdog becoming winner and being sworn in at a public ceremony, Vijay's trial by fire is only about to begin, predicts Saisuresh Sivaswamy.
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.
Film director Sanoj Mishra has alleged that the marriage of actress Monalisa Bhonsle to a Muslim man is a case of 'love jihad' and plans to take the matter to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister.
