The Opposition in Maharashtra boycotted the government's customary tea party on the eve of the Winter session, citing its failure to appoint leaders of the opposition (LoPs) in both houses of the state legislature.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday promised 10-year punishment and Rs 1 lakh fine for those indulging in love jihad if it returns to power in Uttar Pradesh.
Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane has sparked controversy by claiming that Muslims did not vote for the BJP-led government and warning against disrespecting Hindu deities. His remarks follow tensions over alleged desecration of a Durga idol and previous controversial statements about Muslim voters.
A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde refused, however, to stay the controversial provisions of the laws and issued notices to both state governments on two different petitions.
A case of assault and threatening to murder has been registered against the parents of the 22-year-old girl who was at the centre of the 'love jihad' controversy and has gone back on her statement that she was gang-raped and forcibly converted.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that while British and French colonialism are often discussed in history, there is little mention of 'political Islam', which, he claimed, has inflicted the greatest blow on the Sanatan Dharma.
'Whom do I want to marry and what decisions I make for marrying the person I love are totally personal decisions, in which neither the State nor the courts have any right to interfere.'
The goings-on at the three-day Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh conclave, which is being attended by 390 delegates, are shrouded in secrecy.
The 'love jihad" controversy, an issue the Bharatiya Janata Party sought to exploit during the assembly by-elections in western Uttar Pradesh last month, took a new turn with a 22-year-old local woman going back on her statement that she was gang-raped and forcibly converted to Islam.
Britain has banned the entry of an Islamic preacher, Dr. Shadee Elmasry, over his defence of Hamas following the October 7, 2023, attack in Israel. The UK Home Office cited concerns about hate speech and extremist ideas.
Principal Kannan said no special treatment will be accorded to Hadiya at the hostel.
The pleas, filed by advocate Vishal Thakre and others and an NGO 'Citizens for Justice and Peace', have challenged the Constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018 which regulate religious conversions of interfaith marriages.
The Catholic Congress has raised concerns about the Malayalam movie 'Haal,' alleging objectionable content and potential religious disharmony. The matter is now before the Kerala High Court.
The Catholic Congress has raised concerns in the Kerala High Court about the Malayalam movie 'Haal', alleging objectionable content that could cause religious disharmony. The court is set to decide on the producer's request to view the film.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat defended the organization's recognition and addressed concerns about respecting the Indian tricolour, responding to criticism from Congress leaders.
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.
The Union minister said such calls were tantamount to "inviting violence".
Actor-turned-politician Nusrat Jahan had herself married a person of another religion, businessman Nikhil Jain last year.
With the Bahujan Samaj Party keeping out and the Congress being in the fray only for namesake, Saturday's bye-election for 11 state assembly constituencies and for one Lok Sabha seat will determine the supremacy between Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Cautioning against the presence of Jihadis, who try to cultivate communalism, religious disharmony, intolerance and contempt across the world, in Kerala also, the Bishop said they were using different means to destroy other religions.
'If the BJP wants to build a minimally inclusive and secure society, in which vulnerable groups and religious minorities don't feel persecuted, then the Sangh Parivar, the party and its government must change their ways. Or else, they risk dividing India further -- violently and irreparably -- for narrow political ends,' argues Praful Bidwai.
About nine months ago, the man, whose real name she later discovered was Bakhtawar, took her to Mandanpur Shumali village under the Baheri police station area in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly.
The main accused, arrested for the rape and blackmailing of some girl students of a college in Bhopal, was shot and injured after he allegedly tried to escape custody by snatching a policeman's pistol, an official said on Saturday.
Punishment under the new law is a jail term from one and five years, and a fine of Rs 15,000.
Nearly a dozen first information reports have been lodged since the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, was notified on November 27.
Ultimately, whether the UP ordinance is struck down by the courts or not, it will be the courage of young Hindu and Muslim women and men that will act as a foil to the UP police-cum-mobs who will be out to get them.
Two Union Ministers visited the family of a 23-year-old woman in Kothamangalam who allegedly took her own life due to harassment by her lover. The family is demanding an NIA probe into the incident, alleging forced religious conversion.
The father of two sisters in Agra, whose missing persons complaint exposed an illegal religious conversion racket, claims his daughters were 'brainwashed' by some Kashmiri girls. Ten people have been arrested from six states in connection with the case.
Amid a raging debate over 'love jihad', a Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party MLA has asked organisers of forthcoming Navratri festival to disallow entry of non-Hindu youths in pandals where 'garba' or devotional dance is performed in the praise of goddess Durga.
Objectionable photos and videos allegedly involving Hindu women have been found in the mobile phone of a Muslim youth arrested for sharing a 'provocative' message on social media on Eid, police said.
Our ancestors did jihad against Britishers, but yours penned 'love letters', Owaisi said in a jibe to Fadnavis.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane criticizes MNS after alleged assault on a man for not speaking Marathi, sparking political controversy.
Gujarat Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi has defended the state government's use of bulldozers to demolish the homes of alleged anti-social elements, saying that only opposition parties are upset about the measure. He also vowed to take strict action against those involved in "love jihad", saying that they would be paraded on the streets. Sanghavi's comments come amid rising tensions over the issue of religious conversions in India.
"I am a Muslim. I was not forced. I want to be with my husband," Hadiya, wearing a head scarf, shouted as she was being taken inside the airport.
It appears that the murder of Anjali is not just similar to that of Neha, but the killer had allegedly threatened that she would face the college student's fate, according to her sister, who accused the police of inaction when informed of the threat.
Calling the Gaza ceasefire 'the historic dawn of a new Middle East', United States President Donald Trump on Monday said the forces of 'chaos, terror, and ruin' have been defeated, and the 'long and painful nightmare' is finally over not only for Israelis but also for Palestinians.
The most strident criticism of UP's anti-conversion ordinance has come from the judiciary with several retired Supreme Court and high court judges having described it as being violative of Article 14 (Right to Equality), 15 (Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion), 21 (Right to Life) and 25 (Freedom of conscience) of the Constitution, points out Rashme Sehgal.
The Madhya Pradesh cabinet on Tuesday gave nod to an ordinance on the bill against religious conversion through fraudulent means, including those for the sake of marriage, that stipulates a jail term of up to 10 years for violators.
'The moment they fall foul of the party in power, they become unsafe. Then nobody can guarantee their safety.'
Adityanath alleged that illegal mining, including rampant extraction of sand, coal and forest resources, was flourishing under the protection of the ruling coalition, leaving Jharkhand hollowed out by mafia activities.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances