INDIA

Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday strongly opposed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, calling it "anti-Constitutional" and accusing the BJP government of hypocrisy over Muslim rights. "They are so concerned about Muslims that they did not even allow them to offer prayers freely on the day of Eid in several states," Gogoi said in the Lok Sabha. He further dismissed the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) process as a "farce," alleging that none of the recommendations put forth by the opposition were accepted. "They didn't even have discussions on clauses. The entire process was just an eyewash," he said. His remarks triggered a heated debate, with opposition parties, including the National Conference and the People's Democratic Party, rejecting the bill and calling it an attack on M...

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has exuded confidence that the BJP will remain in power at the Centre for at least 30 years due to its consistent performance. In a democracy, he said, the victory of any party depends on its hard work. "If you toil day in and day out and live not for yourself but for the country, victory will be yours." "When I was the national president of the BJP, I had said the BJP will remain in power for the next 30 years. Only 10 years have gone now," he said at the Times Now Summit 2025 on Friday night. The senior BJP leader said that when a party performs well, it gains the trust of the public and the confidence to win. "But those who do not perform do not have this confidence," he added. Asked about the UCC, Shah said all BJP-ruled states will introduce i...

The Delhi High Court has granted custody parole to jailed MP and Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) president Engineer Rashid, allowing him to attend the second part of the 4th Session of the Lok Sabha. AIP Chief Spokesperson Inam-un-Nabi confirmed the development to news agency JKNS, saying, "The Hon'ble Delhi High Court has permitted MP Er Rashid to attend the Parliament session March 26 to April 4. Er Rashid, who was elected as Member of Parliament from Baramulla, has been in custody in connection with a terror funding case. The development comes after multiple appeals from his party and supporters demanding that he be allowed to represent the people in Parliament. (JKNS)

With two associate organizations of Hurriyat - Jammu Kashmir People’s Movement and the Democratic Political Movement – announcing their decision to sever ties with the separatist outfit, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged more groups to shun separatism. In an ‘X’ post Shah said, “Separatism has become history in Kashmir. The unifying policies of the Modi government have tossed separatism out of J&K. Two organizations of the Hurriyat, J&K People’s Movement, and the Democratic Political Movement, have announced the severing of all ties with separatism.” He went on to say that he welcomed “this step towards strengthening Bharat’s unity and urge all such groups to come forward and shed separatism once and for all” and claimed: “It is a big victory for PM Shri @narendr...

"India is in the safe hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi", Home Minister Amit Shah told Rajya Sabha on Friday, underlining the government's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and his vow to end Naxalism by March next year. Replying to a discussion on the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah also talked about incidents of weapons being drone-dropped from across the country and said India is very close to getting a complete anti-drone solution, and it will be achieved within six months. The home minister attacked the Opposition for its criticism of the three-language policy in the National Education Policy 2020, alleging they are doing so out of political reasons and to hide their "corruption". Trying to put to rest the ongoing language row, especially in Tamil Nadu, t...

Uttar Pradesh Police on Sunday arrested Zafar Ali, a prominent lawyer and the Sadar Chief of Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal, in connection with the 2024 protests against the mosque’s survey and the subsequent police violence. Before his arrest, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) had taken Zafar Ali into custody to record his statement regarding the case. According to the police, he was among the first to receive information about the official survey scheduled in Sambhal and allegedly mobilized local Muslims to protest on November 19, 2024. The police claim this led to unrest and violence. His elder brother, Advocate Mohammad Tahir, stated that Zafar Ali was supposed to appear before a commission the following day to provide his testimony. However, he alleged that the police arrested ...

A government primary school principal, Irfana Naqvi, has been suspended after organizing an iftar gathering on March 17, triggering a wave of criticism and debate. A video of the gathering, which showed several Muslims breaking their fast on school premises, went viral, prompting swift action from the education department. Authorities claimed that Naqvi had not sought prior approval for the event, leading to her suspension and a case being registered against the organizers. Defending the decision, Shikarpur’s Assistant Basic Shiksha Adhikari (ABSA), Aman Gupta, stated, “No event can be conducted in government schools without permission. Principal Irfana Naqvi violated this rule by organizing the iftar without approval, leading to her suspension.” However, the move has sparked crit...

Six Muslim students were arrested at IIMT University after protesting the detention of their fellow student, Khalid Pradhan, who was jailed for offering namaz on campus. The peaceful demonstration, which included around 400 students, demanded Khalid’s release. Despite the protest being non-violent, police intervened with force, using lathis to disperse the crowd. One of the protesters questioned the university’s stance, pointing out that Hindu religious events are held on campus, yet Muslim students faced punishment for practicing their faith during Ramadan. Authorities deemed the protest illegal, citing the lack of prior permission. The protest was triggered by a viral Instagram video showing students offering namaz at the university. The video sparked online backlash, ...

A 48-year-old Muslim man was brutally assaulted and killed by a Hindu mob while on his way to a mosque in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao on Saturday after he resisted having colours thrown on him during Holi. The victim, identified as 45-year-old Sharif, was a resident near Qasim Nagar Rabbanna Mosque in Sadar. He had been working as a driver in Saudi Arabia and had returned home two months ago. On Saturday, while heading to the mosque from his ancestral home in Mohalla Kanji, he came across a group celebrating Holi near Mohalla Kashif Ali Sarai Chungi Power House. When the group threw colours on him, he objected. However, they repeated the act, leading to a heated argument that quickly escalated into a physical attack, Jagran reported. Sharif was eventually rescued by bystanders who helpe...