INDIA

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha stated on Wednesday that the situation in Jammu Kashmir is expected to normalize within a few months, as efforts to counter hostile elements will intensify. “Those who cannot tolerate the peaceful atmosphere here should prepare for their end. The people of this region have previously given a strong response to such elements, and the current situation demands it. I believe normalcy will return in a few months,” Sinha told reporters. The Jammu region has experienced an increase in militancy-related violence in recent months. LG Sinha also praised the Union Budget, calling it historic. “I want to thank the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister for presenting a historic budget in Parliament. I believe it will lay a strong foundation for a developed...

CPI (M) Central Committee member and Former Legislator Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami criticized the Union Budget presented in parliament on Tuesday, stating that it fails to address the significant challenges faced by the people of Jammu Kashmir, who are enduring severe economic distress. Tarigami while speaking to the news agency— Kashmir News Observer (KNO) expressed his disappointment that the budget did not address the issues surrounding KCC loans for farmers, who are suffering silently with no one to listen to their grievances. He emphasized that Kashmir's economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, yet the budget remained silent on this crucial sector. He further highlighted the lack of relief for fruit growers, pointing out that the government is importing apples from foreign c...

A 24-year-old Dalit youth from Gujarat was brutally beaten by a group of upper-caste men after he posted a picture of himself on social media wearing a traditional headgear (safa) and sunglasses, Deccan Herald reported. The incident occurred on July 17 in Sayebapur village, Sabarkantha district, and underscores the persistent caste-based discrimination in the region. The victim, Ajay Parmar, a three-wheeler driver, filed a First Information Report (FIR) at the Gadh police station in Banaskantha on July 18. Parmar recounted that he was attacked by four men from the Darbar community, who identify as upper-caste Kshatriyas. The assailants reportedly confronted Parmar near the Navanagar bus stand, accusing him of misusing symbols like the safa and sunglasses, which they claimed were r...

The government has proposed reducing the import duty on mobile phones, chargers, and certain components used in handset manufacturing in the Union Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that, due to a threefold increase in domestic production and a nearly 100-fold surge in mobile phone exports over the past six years, the Indian mobile phone industry has matured. She proposed lowering the basic customs duty (BCD) on mobile phones, mobile PCBA, and mobile chargers to 15%. The Mobile phone industry body ICEA welcomed the proposal, noting it will boost India's export competitiveness. ICEA chairman Pankaj Mohindroo expressed satisfaction, stating that the reduction in BCD will benefit manufacturing, exports, and overall competitiveness in ...

The Central government has recently lifted a decades-old ban prohibiting government employees from participating in activities related to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). This decision has drawn criticism from the Congress party, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh questioning the timing of the move. Ramesh posted a photo on social media of an order from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) dated July 9, which rescinded a 58-year-old ban on government servants associating with the RSS. The order also removed references to earlier directives from 1966, 1970, and 1980. The RSS was originally banned in 1948 after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse, an RSS member. Although the ban was later lifted with assurances of good conduct, Ramesh noted that t...

In a pivotal decision, the Supreme Court on Monday halted the mandate from various states requiring shop owners and hawkers to display their names outside their premises during the Kanwar Yatra season. Authorities in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haridwar have mandated that all eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route must display the names of their owners saying that the measure was intended to enhance transparency and preserve the integrity of the pilgrimage experience. This ruling came in response to the petition "Association for Protection of Civil Rights vs. State of Uttar Pradesh and Ors." The mandate had ignited controversy, with many arguing that it disproportionately targeted vulnerable minorities and the economically disadvantaged. The Supreme Court'...

The Uttar Pradesh Police arrested 15 individuals on Friday in connection with three separate incidents involving Muharram processions in prohibited areas. These incidents included the display of sharp-edged weapons and disturbances to communal peace. According to Superintendent of Police Vrinda Shukla, on Wednesday, the day of Muharram, a group carrying tazia attacked individuals who had prevented them from crossing a field in the Payagpur police station area. An FIR was filed, leading to the arrest of 11 men on Friday. In another case, an FIR was registered on Wednesday night at the Nanpara police station against individuals attempting to hold a religious procession in a restricted area. Three people were arrested in this case on Friday. Additionally, an FIR was filed regar...

Union Minister for Textiles and senior Bhartiya Janta Party leader, Giriraj Singh has stirred controversy with his recent statement that permitting Muslims to remain in India after partition was the country’s biggest mistake. In a comment reported by the RSS-affiliated publication Panchjanya, Singh, the MP from Begusarai, stated, “The biggest mistake was allowing Muslims to stay here. If the country was partitioned along religious lines, why were Muslims permitted to remain? If they had been relocated, the current situation might have been different.” https://twitter.com/epanchjanya/status/1813518418555056254?t=01cRwAoqCchvDsaomfnKFw&s=19 He further claimed that if all Muslims had migrated to Pakistan, India would be a different nation today. Singh added, “It is unfortunate...

A temple priest was arrested after he filed a police complaint blaming two Muslim boys for breaking Ganesh Idol inside a temple in Uttar Pradesh, Police said. According to an officer of UP Police, the incident took place on Tuesday (July 16), at Taulihawa in Barhni block in Siddharth Nagar District of Uttar Pradesh, when a temple priest named Kricharam had registered a complaint with Police accusing two Muslim boys of vandalizing a temple idol. "Pujari Kricharam had accused two Muslim boys named Manan and Sonu of vandalizing the Ganesh idol at the said temple. Upon the complaint, Police registered a complaint vide the number 94/2024 in the Police station under the sections 298, 115 of BNS and launched an investigation," the Police officer said. A team of officials was formed to in...

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concerns over the alleged demographic changes in the state, highlighting that the Muslim population now accounts for 40 percent, a significant increase from 12 percent in 1951. Sarma emphasized, “Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me,” as reported by ANI. On July 1, Sarma pointed to criminal activities by a segment of people from a "particular religion," implicitly referring to Muslims, stating that such incidents were worrisome since the recent Lok Sabha elections. “I am not saying that crime is committed only by people of a particular religion but ...