UCC in India: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pitch for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that the Central government should “rethink” its decision on the implementation of UCC in India or it else the move may raise a “storm”. 
Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday said it supported Uniform Civil Code (UCC) asserting a wide consultation with all religions, political parties and organizations.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday informed that India's road network has become the second largest in the world as it grew by 59 per cent as part of the development work carried out by the government in the last nine years.
WFI election: The Gauhati High Court on Sunday put a stay order on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections, scheduled for July 11. The High Court stayed the elections on a petition filed by the Assam Wrestling Association.
Leaders of 15 opposition parties met in Patna on Friday and expressed their resolve to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections unitedly to defeat Narendra Modi and BJP. However, towards the end of the meeting, Aam Aadmi Party skipped the joint press conference saying it will not be part of any alliance with Congress unless it denounces Delhi ordinance. All the leaders who attended the meeting said, Narendra Modi is an autocrat, he has crushed democracy, all parties must unite to save the republic and Constitution. But BJP leaders pointed out that most of the leaders actually want to save their legacies. They said, among those who attended the meeting were Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule, Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi, and Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aditya. BJP leaders allege that these parties and leaders have nothing to do with Constitution, whether it is Rahul Gandhi, or M K Stalin, Mehbooba Mufti or Akhilesh Yadav, Hemant Soren or Omar Abdullah. They also say that all these leaders are presently running the parties of their parents, and they have come together not to save India, but to save their families. However, my view is that the 'fevicol' that joins all these leaders is something different. One thing that I noticed as common about these leaders, who have been forced to sink their differences and come together, is the pile-up of ED, CBI and I-T cases. All these leaders or their relatives are tied up in the mesh of investigations. ED and CBI cases have deeply hurt their self-respect. In earlier regimes, there used to be cases before Modi became PM, but the number of these cases used to be few. Someone or other used to save some leader, investigations used to took place and they appeared in courts, but there was no fear of going to jail. The 30 leaders from 15 parties who were seen today in Patna, have one, two or four close relatives languishing in jail. All these leaders know, that till the time Narendra Modi is Prime Minister, it will be difficult to protect their skin. Those who managed to join BJP, left their parties, and those who could not leave their parties are now busy in the opposition unity drive. This, in my view, is an alliance of wounded satraps. If the alliance continues, it will definitely have effect. As of today, I can only say, they may not be able to form a government, but they can surely emerge as a strong opposition. 
BJP on Patna Opposition meet: Terming the Opposition unity a "multi-headed selfish alliance", BJP leader and Union Minister Smriti Irani took a diag at the Patna meeting and compared it with wolves hunting in packs. Her remarks came soon after the opposition unity meeting concluded. Addressing a press conference, the BJP leader took a jibe at Opposition Unity and said that wolves hunt in packs and claimed that their 'prey' is the future of India. "It is said that wolves hunt in packs! A political pack met in Patna. Their 'prey' is the future of India," Irani said.
Ahead of tomorrow's opposition meeting, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Patna on Thursday. 
The Delhi court heard allegations of sexual harassment levied on the BJP MP and former Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh today (June 22) by several women wrestlers. 
Dalit woman gang-raped, murdered: A Dalit woman was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in Rajasthan’s Bikaner following which two police personnel were suspended for their suspected role in the incident, officials said on Wednesday (June 21).
I am surprised why the Congress has opposed the award of Gandhi Peace Prize to Gita Press, Gorakhpur. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has probably forgotten that it was Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao’s government, which had honoured Gita Press on Mahatma Gandhi’s 125th birth anniversary. It was Rao’s government which issued a postage stamp in 1992 to honour Hanuman Prasad Poddar on his centenary. Poddar was the founding editor of ‘Kalyan’ magazine published by Gita Press. During Narasimha Rao’s regime, Jairam Ramesh was made Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission. Why wasn’t his conscience got pricked at that time? Gita Press has been doing yeoman’s service since the last 100 years by publishing Bhagwat Gita, Ramcharitmanas and Ramayana at affordable prices for the common people. Mahatma Gandhi used to write articles for ‘Kalyan’ magazine. For Jairam Ramesh to say that Gita Press “had stormy relations with the Mahatma” and that “the decision is really a travesty and is like awarding Savarkar and Godse” is really strange. Gita Press neither seeks donations nor advertisements. This is an institution where work begins every morning with prayers. How can anybody oppose this institution? Those staff who put covers on religious books printed in Gita Press, take off their shoes before doing so, and the paper used for printing religious books is never kept on the floor. If those who work with such devotion are not awarded, then whom should we honour? Gita Press has been working for popularizing Sanatan culture the world over. It should have been honoured long ago. Gita Press has said it will accept the Gandhi Peace Prize commendation certificate, but will not take Rs 1 crore prize money. Why did Jairam Ramesh criticize such an august institution? I would rather thank Jairam Ramesh. Had he not opposed this, there would have been no controversy, and we would not have got the chance to tell people in detail about the contribution and devotion of Gita Press owners and its staff in Gorakhpur. ‘ADIPURUSH’: WHY CINEGOERS FELT OFFENDED 
Protests erupt against Adipurush: Protests erupted in parts of Uttar Pradesh on Monday against the recently released film 'Adipurush', as the Ayodhya seers demanded an immediate ban on the movie stating that its dialogues made their "blood boil".
Adipurush row: An FIR has been lodged against the makers and the star cast of the recently-released film Adipurush. The national spokesperson of the Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha, Shishir Chaturvedi had lodged an FIR with the Hazratganj police in Uttar Pradesh.
A man had to use a scooter to transport his 15-year-old son, who had a fractured leg, from the hospital's ground floor to the third floor. The incident was reported from Kota, Rajasthan, where hospital administrators later stated that they lacked wheelchairs.
Nehru Museum name change: The Congress and the BJP have entered into a war of words after the Centre changed the name of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society as Prime Minister's Museum and Library Soceity.
Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor cautioned the Congress which recently won the elections in Karnataka and is basking in its glory. The Congress won 135 seats out of 224 in the Karnataka assembly elections, leaving BJP with 66 seats in the elections held in May this year. Tharoor also cited the Congress’ poor performance in the 2019 general election after victories in assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the previous year to buttress his point. 
The Army on Thursday recovered a large consignment of arms and ammunition near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. The recovery, which also included steel core bullets, was made during a search operation in a forward village, they said.
Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Nitin Agrawal, who was awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2015, took over as the new Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday.
Cyclone Biparjoy: In a swift and well-coordinated move, Indian Coast Guard (ICG) evacuated 50 lives on Tuesday at Okha, Gujarat as a preventive measure against severe cyclone Biprajoy. The Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) had requested Indian Coast Guard (ICG) for the evacuation of 50 crew from jack up rig 'KEY SINGAPORE/01' located 25 nm west of Okha, Gujarat on June 12.
At least 19 people injured after a blast furnace at Tata Steel in Meramundali, Odisha's Dhenkanal district. The injured have been sent to a Cuttack hospital. 
The Bombay High Court on Monday extended the interim relief granted to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from appearance before a court in a defamation complaint on his alleged remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018 till August 2. The complainant, who claims to be a BJP worker, had alleged that Gandhi's "commander-in-thief" remark in the context of the Rafale fighter jet deal amounted to defamation.
Rajasthan Congress row: Dissident Congress leader Sachin Pilot who has been at the loggerheads with his senior party colleague and Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, held a rally in Dausa to commemorate his father Rajesh Pilot's death anniversary on Sunday. Addressing the rally, he recalled his father saying his father never compromised with self-respect. 
Rajnath Singh on Indian economy: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today (June 10) called upon the young ignited minds of the country to come out with new ideas and innovations and help the government in making India a developed nation by 2047 as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was addressing the convocation ceremony of Gopal Narayan Singh University in Rohtas district of Bihar on Saturday.
Reports about the busting of a gang targeting teenagers through a gaming app ‘Fortnite’ in order to convert them to Islam is really worrying. This inter-state gang is active on internet. According to police, till now, the gang has lured four Hindu and Jain teenagers in Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Chandigarh to convert to Islam. Union Home Ministry and UP government have sought detailed report about the activities of this gang. I want to caution parents to keep a close watch on their children who use gaming apps on smart phones or laptops. They should keep a watch when their children are involved in long conversations with unknown persons and leave their homes daily without telling their elders. If you notice changes in the habit of your children, please be on alert. The modus operandi of the gang is simple: they offer money, try to become friends and then through persuasion, ask children to convert to other religion. This gang has been operating in UP, Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Reports say, this gang converted nearly 400 Hindus in Mumbra near Mumbai. In our show ‘Aaj Ki Baat’ on India TV, we played an audio conversation between a gang member and a young boy. Normally, this gang targets young boys and girls who play online games, offer them inducements and jobs, foreign travel, and the game begins by assuring them a win in their game. In Ghaziabad, a young boy went to a mosque to offer namaaz five times a day, but he told his parents that he was going to the gym. On suspicion, his parents followed him and caught him red-handed. They complained to police and the imam of a local mosque was detained. UP Police has sent a team to Maharashtra to arrest other members of the gang. In the audio tape, the gang member was heard trying to convince a Hindu boy the advantages of converting to Islam. On Sunday, Nanni Alias Abdul Rehman, a moulvi at a local mosque in Sanjay Nagar area in Ghaziabad was arrested and a manhunt has begun to nab the second accused, Shahnawaz Khan alias Baddo, a resident of Thane, Maharashtra. Nipun Aggarwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ghaziabad, said, police have seized electronic evidence and related documents, to establish that the online game required users to recite verses from Holy Quran to the teenagers in order to win. The teenage gamers were also shown videos of absconding radical Muslim preacher Zakir Naik and another preacher Tariq Jameel. Zakir Naik, accused in several cases, fled India in 2016. Police said, the accused used to talk with the gamers through a chat application and showed them videos of Zakir Naik and Tariq Jameel. The 47-minute-long audio tape is proof of how Hindu and Jain teenagers are lured by offering them inducements and dreams of a lavish life. In most of the cases, parents fail to know when their children have got converted. For the police, it is not easy to solve such cases. In India, every citizen has the fundamental right to practise any faith, but there is also a law which says converting a person to another faith through inducements or coercion is a crime. If an impressionable young mind is made to convert his or her religion, the crime is more severe. In such cases, however, it is difficult to collect evidence of inducement or coercion. In the case of this gang operating in Ghaziabad and Mumbra, police have obtained evidence and statements. Parents must remain alert. If they find their children having long conversations on phone, or leave home suddenly, they must keep a close watch. I will also add a rider. Any effort to defame Islam on the basis of two or four cases cannot be justified. Even Prophet Mohammed never approved of forcible conversion. When two or four Muslims carry out such conversion, they bring a bad name to Islam. We must not tar the entire community with the same brush.
Ludhiana court explosion: A low-intensity explosion took place at a godown located near the district court complex of Ludhiana in Punjab, reportedly after a heap of garbage was put on fire today (June 8), the police said. The blast triggered panic among people who were present inside the court premises and also left the glass window damaged, they said.
It is now almost clear that the Wrestling Federation of India will be freed from the clutches of its controversial chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh by next month. The new WFI president will neither be his relative, nor will any of his close associates be allowed to occupy any post. Sports Minister Anurag Thakur said on Wednesday that Brij Bhushan’s control on WFI will now end. This was decided at a six-hour-long meeting between the minister and the protesting wrestlers. Secondly, the wrestlers have been assured that Delhi Police will complete within a week its probe into sexual harassment charges levelled against the WFI chief and a chargesheet will be filed by June 15. Thirdly, a woman will be appointed as chairperson of the WFI internal complaints committee and WFI office-bearers will be appointed after taking the opinions of players. Fourthly, all cases filed against the wrestlers during protest by Delhi Police will be withdrawn and they will be given protection. The protesting wrestlers assured the government that they will not sit on protest till June 15. Since the talks between the government and wrestlers were held in an open manner, all misgivings have been removed and most of their demands have been accepted. The outline of this agreement was prepared at Saturday night’s meeting of wrestlers with Home Minister Amit Shah. The government’s approach now appears to be positive. Whatever happened on Wednesday should have happened much before. Had these assurances been given to them several weeks ago, the world would not have watched the sorry spectacle of Delhi Police dragging the medal winning wrestlers on the streets. Nor would the wrestlers have taken the extreme decision to immerse their medals in the river Ganga at Haridwar. Better late than never. If the Sports Minister fulfills all these assurances, Indian wrestlers will be freed from the clutches of Brig Bhushan Sharan Singh. Our daughters who dream of becoming champions in wrestling will gain courage. Keeping in view the infamy that the Wrestling Federation faced during the last several weeks, the reins of WFI must now be given in the hands of a person, whose moral force can dispel the darkness that had descended on the federation. As far as Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is concerned, if Delhi Police investigates the matter impartially, there are umpteen number of evidence and statements from which the WFI chief cannot wriggle out. Probably, he is expecting the legal cases to run for several years after the chargesheet is filed, like dozens of other criminal cases that were filed against him in the past. I feel, for Brij Bhushan, it could be difficult because the evidence and statements are now in public domain. Those who have filed complaints are champion female wrestlers who brought fame to the country. Any court will take their charges of sexual harassment seriously. There is one more side to this issue. Since the assurances from the government came late, several political parties and Khap Panchayats joined the protest to support the wrestlers. On Wednesday, the wrestlers said they would discuss the outcome of their talks with the chiefs of Khap Panchayats and will decide on future steps after taking their opinion.
Coromandel Express train: Days after triple train tragedy in Odisha's Balasore that involved Coromandel Express, the train resumed its services today (June 7) and left Shalimar station in West Bengal for its journey to Chennai. This is the first time after the June 2 three-train accident in Odisha that the train resumed its services. 
The principal of a government school in Srinagar was arrested on Tuesday in a case of molestation, police said. After the allegations of molesting the employee of the government were made against him, the employee was also fired, and an investigation was ordered.
A hoarding of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee (BRSABV Ekana Stadium) stadium, Lucknow fell down on a car after a strong wind storm hit the city on Monday. Two women who were sitting inside the car with a male died. They were declared brought dead by the doctors at Lohia Hospital. 
Vaccine manufacturing major Serum Institute of India (SII) won legal case against two indivisuals and their company as the Bombay High Court on Monday said content posted by them against Covishield vaccine was "prima facie defamatory" and directed them to delete it. The court also temporarily restrained them from posting any content against the company.
Amid multiple reports of airlines increasing their fares abnormally following the Odisha rail accident, the aviation ministry took note of it and advised flight operators to ensure a strong vigil over the abrupt increase in airfares. The major decision came amid reports of passengers seeking to travel from Odisha or the adjoining states witnessing a sudden spike in airfares post-Balasore railway accident. Some distressed passengers even took to social media to complain about the abnormal spike in airfares. Sharing screenshots of the travel websites, passengers claimed airlines have increased their fares 10 folds. 
Assam-Arunachal border firing: At least two were killed and two others injured after alleged firing along the Arunachal Pradesh border in Assam's Dhemaji district on Monday. Taking note of the firing incident, Ranjan Bhuyan, Superintendent of Police (SP) informed that a plantation drive was to be launched by the locals at the inter-state border area on the occasion of World Environment Day. However, when a few villagers went to make arrangements for the event alleged miscreants opened fire on them. 
Chhattisgarh: In a purported video, a woman staffer can be seen thrashing two children in an NGO-run adoption centre in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. Taking action against the staffer, police on Monday lodged an FIR and took her into custody. Furthermore, the state government also suspended a Woman and Child Development (WCD) department staffer who was posted as in-charge District Programme Officer of Kanker when the incident happened last year. A hoarding of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee (BRSABV Ekana Stadium) stadium, Lucknow fell down on a car after a strong wind storm hit the city on Monday. Two women who were sitting inside the car with a male died. They were declared brought dead by the doctors at Lohia Hospital. A hoarding of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee (BRSABV Ekana Stadium) stadium, Lucknow fell down on a car after a strong wind storm hit the city on Monday. Two women who were sitting inside the car with a male died. They were declared brought dead by the doctors at Lohia Hospital. 
Manipur: Taking cognisance of the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday appealed to the people of the state to lift the blockades from National Highway-2. As the blockades are causing problems in the transportation of basic and essential goods such as food, medicines, and fuel in the state. Taking to Twitter, Shah also directed members of the civil society to take the initiative in this context. Apart from this, the government today constituted a three-member Inquiry commission to look into the possibilities of lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities or the individuals in the riots in Manipur. Manipur: Taking cognisance of the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday appealed to the people of the state to lift the blockades from National Highway-2. As the blockades are causing problems in the transportation of basic and essential goods such as food, medicines, and fuel in the state. Taking to Twitter, Shah also directed members of the civil society to take the initiative in this context. Apart from this, the government today constituted a three-member Inquiry commission to look into the possibilities of lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities or the individuals in the riots in Manipur. Manipur: Taking cognisance of the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday appealed to the people of the state to lift the blockades from National Highway-2. As the blockades are causing problems in the transportation of basic and essential goods such as food, medicines, and fuel in the state. Taking to Twitter, Shah also directed members of the civil society to take the initiative in this context. Apart from this, the government today constituted a three-member Inquiry commission to look into the possibilities of lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities or the individuals in the riots in Manipur. Manipur: Taking cognisance of the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday appealed to the people of the state to lift the blockades from National Highway-2. As the blockades are causing problems in the transportation of basic and essential goods such as food, medicines, and fuel in the state. Taking to Twitter, Shah also directed members of the civil society to take the initiative in this context. Apart from this, the government today constituted a three-member Inquiry commission to look into the possibilities of lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities or the individuals in the riots in Manipur. Manipur: Taking cognisance of the situation in Manipur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday appealed to the people of the state to lift the blockades from National Highway-2. As the blockades are causing problems in the transportation of basic and essential goods such as food, medicines, and fuel in the state. Taking to Twitter, Shah also directed members of the civil society to take the initiative in this context. Apart from this, the government today constituted a three-member Inquiry commission to look into the possibilities of lapses or dereliction of duty by responsible authorities or the individuals in the riots in Manipur. 
Rajasthan: In a purported video surfacing on social media, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was seen throwing a microphone at the Barmer district collector, apparently enraged after the public address system malfunctioned during a public event. As per the updates, the incident happened at the Barmer Circuit House on Friday night when Gehlot was interacting with a group of women. He was collecting feedback on various government schemes meant for the public. Rajasthan: In a purported video surfacing on social media, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was seen throwing a microphone at the Barmer district collector, apparently enraged after the public address system malfunctioned during a public event. As per the updates, the incident happened at the Barmer Circuit House on Friday night when Gehlot was interacting with a group of women. He was collecting feedback on various government schemes meant for the public. 
There is "no therapeutic justification" for 14 fixed dose combination medications, including Nimesulide and Paracetamol dispersible tablets and Chlopheniramine Maleate and Codeine syrup, which the government has banned on the grounds that they may pose a "risk" to individuals.Rajasthan: In a purported video surfacing on social media, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was seen throwing a microphone at the Barmer district collector, apparently enraged after the public address system malfunctioned during a public event. As per the updates, the incident happened at the Barmer Circuit House on Friday night when Gehlot was interacting with a group of women. He was collecting feedback on various government schemes meant for the public. 
Fifty-nine MPs from 19 parties have written to the German ambassador to India seeking his intervention in ensuring the return of an Indian baby girl who was taken away from her parents by the German authorities in September 2021.
Manipur violence: On the appeal of Home Minister Amit Shah, more than 140 weapons have been surrendered in different places in violence-hit Manipur, sources said on Friday.Manipur violence: On the appeal of Home Minister Amit Shah, more than 140 weapons have been surrendered in different places in violence-hit Manipur, sources said on Friday.Manipur violence: On the appeal of Home Minister Amit Shah, more than 140 weapons have been surrendered in different places in violence-hit Manipur, sources said on Friday.Manipur violence: On the appeal of Home Minister Amit Shah, more than 140 weapons have been surrendered in different places in violence-hit Manipur, sources said on Friday.Republic Day 2024 : As India's 75th Republic Day Parade kicked off in the national capital, a 30-member band contingent and a marching c...
