Political observers said the announcement assumes significance as the state prepares for the assembly elections, with political parties stepping up outreach to various community groups.
The counting of votes for all 824 seats across four states and one Union Territory will be held on May 4.
The Calcutta High Court ruled that an allowance announced by West Bengal government for Imams and Muezzins was unconstitutional and against public interest.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced reservation for Muslims in supplying goods and services up to a value of Rs 1 crore to various government departments, corporations and institutions in the state budget for 2025-26. The budget also increased the value limit of government contracts in which Muslims can avail reservation to Rs 2 crore. The reservation to Muslims under 2B category is in addition to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Castes coming under Category-1, Category-2A. The budget also included various welfare schemes for minorities, including Rs 50,000 to support simple marriages and Rs 1,000 crore under the Chief Minister's Minority Colony Development Programme.
'The BJP lacks a credible mass leader who matches Mamata Banerjee's popularity.' 'Given the division of votes among Opposition parties, the West Bengal government's dole-giving strategy, and the consolidation of the poor, significant sections of scheduled caste groups and Muslim minorities behind the ruling party, it will be difficult to dislodge the Trinamool from power.'
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and the Communist Party of India-Marxist dubbed it a "cheap poll gimmick" to woo minority votes.
The 72-year-old retired police officer, who was the local muezzin, was murdered while he was giving the call for azaan.
The police officials stated that Mir, who retired as a senior superintendent of police in 2012, was shot inside the mosque located in the Gantmulla locality of Sheeri area.
Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen, an avid South African soccer fan, is used to having to leave the grounds to find a prayer space, including at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The Centre on Monday told the Delhi high court that Mughal Mosque in South Delhi's Mehrauli area is a "protected monument" and sought time to state its stand on a plea against the stopping of offering namaaz by devotees there.
In a mistaken zeal to bolster the BJP's electoral base, the party - or at least its rabid followers - appear to have convinced themselves that the Hindu rashtra is already here. It's grave mistake, warns Amulya Ganguli.
Political observers have said that the TMC, now desperate to shed the 'anti-Hindu' tag and embrace 'soft Hindutva', is carefully planning its moves, with help from poll strategist Prashant Kishor and team, as is evident from its decisions to organise Brahmin Sammelan, provide sops to Sanatan Brahmins, and financial aid to Durga puja committees.
Thousands throng the narrow mohallas around the Mohideen Aandavar mosque in Rameswaram for A P J Abdul Kalam's Alvida Namaaz. Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com reports from Rameswaram.
Abdul Qadir, the local muezzin of the local mosque who filed a complaint for action against the persons in Friday's Ghaziabad violence has allegedly disowned his statement. When asked, District magistrate of Gaziabad Aparna Upadhyay has said that she has no idea if Qadir has gone back on his statement.
A civil court has fined Wasim Akram after he failed to appear to defend charges of hurting religious sentiments by modelling in an Indian liquor advertisement.
'Didi' became the real 'Dada' as she got past the post, on a wheelchair and a foot in cast, a souvenir from the Nandigram battle against former protege-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari.
On Wednesday, Bengal's own daughter she firmly pitched herself as, was sworn in as the chief minister of the turbulent state for the third successive term amid raging fires of political violence and a rampaging pandemic.
As their parties are locked in a fierce battle for Bengal, Tathagata and Saugata Roy, siblings who belong to the BJP and the TMC respectively, answer the same questions put to them about the assembly election.
'Whether Lord Ram is a historical person is not the subject before the court.' 'The court was asking every time if can anyone show the exact birthplace of Lord Ram on the basis of documents.' 'I have shown that on the basis of documents. And these documents are not (based) on my beliefs.'
The desecration of Vidyasagar's statue during Amit Anilchandra Shah's rally, which the TMC projected to be a 'Bhojpuri' and 'Dhokla' invasion on West Bengal's culture, may help her gain some favour with middle-class and erudite Bengalis in the last phase of the polls.
For Lucknow native Abdul Rehman, 35, his Ramzan fasts in Gaza were not broken by the call of the muezzin but with the deafening noise of bomb explosions.
India's majoritarian regime is now making a dangerously fast-paced move towards theocracy, like its western counterpart did a few decades ago, warns Mohammad Sajjad.
Time said Merkel was chosen as the 'Person of the Year' because she is the 'de facto leader' of a continent, 'steward' of the world's fourth biggest economy, a 'principled manager and a resolute diplomat'.
The BJP doesn't want to focus entirely on an anti-Mamata campaign.
Sonam Kapoor is exceptional as Neerja Bhanot, says Raja Sen.
The National Geographic Traveler magazine has released its go-now destinations for 2015. And apna Hyderabad is on it!
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