A devastating explosion at a fireworks manufacturing unit in Thrissur, Kerala, has resulted in at least 13 fatalities and numerous injuries. The incident occurred as the unit was preparing crackers for the upcoming Thrissur Pooram festival.
Tensions are escalating in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) following violent clashes between Pakistani security forces and protestors, resulting in civilian deaths and a communications blackout. The situation has drawn international condemnation, with over 50 British Parliament members expressing concern and a former Indian police chief criticising Pakistan's actions.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the deployment of CRPF armoured vehicles during the Assembly elections, accusing the BJP-led Centre of using government resources to favour their party. She also addressed concerns of potato farmers and urged them to sell their produce in other states.
Chandrababu Naidu has reorganised the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), appointing his son Nara Lokesh as working president and emphasising a blend of experienced and new leaders to strengthen the party.
Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who won both the Nandigram and Bhabanipur seats in West Bengal, has announced he will vacate one of the constituencies within 10 days, leaving the decision to the party leadership.
Three private gunmen hired by Rathee for security also suffered injuries in the attack.
RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav staged a protest outside Rabri Devi's residence after the Bihar government downgraded the security cover for the Lalu Prasad family. The RJD alleges this is an insult and a threat, while the ruling NDA maintains the decision is based on standard security protocols and should be respected. The move follows the allotment of Rabri Devi's long-occupied bungalow to a BJP minister.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) conducted extensive voter awareness campaigns and small group meetings across West Bengal, encouraging people to vote without fear, while also providing valuable feedback to the BJP on public sentiment and rival strategies.
Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala has declared that the state government will have 'zero tolerance' towards political murders, following concerns over parole granted to those accused in the 2019 Periya twin murder case.
West Bengal Police have appealed for peace in North 24 Parganas after the murder of a BJP leader's aide. Security has been increased in sensitive areas following protests by BJP supporters demanding the arrest of the assailants.
Mamata Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court alleging police inaction during post-poll violence in West Bengal and sought judicial intervention to protect citizens.
Tension prevailed in parts of West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district after a BJP leader's close aide was shot dead, prompting increased security measures and protests.
Chhattisgarh police have filed an FIR against management officials and others following a deadly explosion at a Vedanta power plant in Sakti district that resulted in 20 fatalities.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the people of Diamond Harbour have been unable to exercise their voting rights for a decade. He assured people that the scenario has now changed, and the May 21 repolling in the Falta Assembly seat will re-establish voter rights.
Former CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran, now an Independent MLA backed by the UDF, has criticised Left leaders for targeting him over his late brother Bhuvaneswaran, considered a party martyr. Sudhakaran claims the CPI(M) lost votes by politicising Bhuvaneswaran's memory during the election campaign.
Through his commitment to democratic norms, debate, dissent and constitutionalism, Jawaharlal Nehru helped ensure that parliamentary democracy took deep root in independent India. Utkarsh Mishra evaluates Nehru's 17 years as India's first prime minister, examining his role in nation-building, democratic institution-building, economic planning, scientific advancement and foreign policy.
Two expatriate workers were killed after debris from a downed drone fell in an industrial area in the Sohar province of Oman.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has demanded a CBI inquiry into the killing of a girl in Hardoi's Bilgram area, asserting that Uttar Pradesh has become 'number one' in crimes against women under the BJP rule.
A suspended BJP leader has accused another party leader of involvement in a cash-for-votes scheme during the Lok Sabha election in Alappuzha, Kerala, prompting further scrutiny and controversy.
Two people were killed and five others injured in an alleged gang attack in Nanguneri, Tamil Nadu. Police are investigating the incident, which has sparked local protests and political criticism.
A local TMC leader was allegedly hacked to death in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, triggering political tension ahead of the assembly elections.
A tragic fire in a Delhi residential building near Palam Metro Station claimed the lives of seven family members, including three children, prompting a large-scale rescue operation by the Delhi Fire Service.
Suvendu Adhikari's personal assistant, Chandranath Rath, was shot dead in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district. The incident has heightened political tensions in the state.
Sporadic incidents of unrest marred the West Bengal bypolls, with a local Trinamool Congress worker Ashok Shaw dying following a crude bomb attack in Bhatpara, an area adjoining Naihati assembly constituency where voting was underway.
BJP state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismisses Rahul Gandhi's charge of a BJP-CPI(M) understanding in Kerala as baseless, asserting the NDA is competitive and criticising Congress's performance.
Two people, including a migrant worker, were allegedly hacked to death by a gang in Nanguneri, Tamil Nadu, sparking protests and political criticism.
Voting has commenced in 142 constituencies for the second and final phase of the West Bengal assembly elections, with significant security measures in place. The outcome will determine whether the TMC maintains its dominance or if the BJP can gain ground in the state.
The BJP has accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of using 'victim card' politics to gain sympathy during the assembly elections, dismissing claims of threats to her life as a political strategy.
Over the past week in Bangladesh, two Hindu men were killed in separate incidents while four people, including a priest, sustained injuries after a crude bomb went off inside a temple in the country.
'People have lost hope of finding justice in this state ... I want to give these victims, their families, the people of this state, a voice.'
The Kerala High Court has upheld the life sentence of five BJP activists for the murder of a CPI(M) worker in Kannur in 2006, affirming the trial court's decision and highlighting the political rivalry behind the crime.
Khan will be presented before the accountability court on Wednesday, a NAB source was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
The RSS has filed police complaints against Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for allegedly comparing the organisation and the BJP to a 'poisonous snake' during an election rally in Assam.
Vijay termed the assembly polls due in April this year as a "surprising election" as all parties in the state are allegedly teamed up against him and reiterated that the contest was between the DMK and TVK only.
A blast at an explosives manufacturing factory in Nagpur, Maharashtra, resulted in the death of 17 people and injuries to 18 others. Rescue operations are underway.
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju demanded an apology from Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi after Congress workers allegedly threatened Prime Minister Narendra Modi's life at a rally.
A Congress leader was murdered in Punjab's Ludhiana district, prompting strong reactions and raising concerns about the state's law and order situation.
...reopen for up to six months. Until then, the Strait stays nearly closed. The world pays. And no one, including the man who started this, can say when it ends, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
The Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada met family members of Krishnappa, a BJP worker who was allegedly hacked to death, while his wife and son were grievously injured in the attack after they protested against bursting of crackers outside their house in Bengaluru Rural district's Hoskote on Sunday.
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.
