Month: May 2025

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday claimed that last month’s violence in Murshidabad was orchestrated and, well planned. She hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that West Bengal would not tolerate people who instigate riots.

The Chief Minister today visited Murshidabad to take stock of the situation.

“When I carry out any political activity, for me Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian all are equal. I don’t want people of any religion to get attacked. Within one day of the incident the National Commission for Women arrived here. They did not go to Manipur, UP or Rajasthan. This incident has been orchestrated and it was well planned. Those who have provoked this violence, Bengal will not tolerate such people. I am not against anyone but I am against riots. Why are they so much perturbed over Jagannath Dham? In Odisha, Maharashtra people are being beaten up for speaking Bengali.”

She further said that riots are being instigated and she is getting the blame.

“Why did the BSF fire shots? If BSF hadn’t fired shots the incident would not have flared up next day. I would like to tell the BJP that instead of creating communal tensions take care of the borders. When you are in the chair you cannot divide people. I came to meet the victims but why have they been secretly taken away. There is some conspiracy in this,” she said.

Mamata Bannerjee left for Murshidabad to take stock of the situation following the tensions in the area. Her visit drew sharp criticism from the BJP which called it a delayed response. In response, the Chief Minister said that she could have gone earlier but she wanted peace to return in the violence-hit area.

Mamata Banerjee said, “I could have gone to Murshidabad earlier but till the time stability is not attained and peace does not return we should not go and disturb. Now situation has normalised but I had to attend Jagannath Dham programme which was announced many days ago. So after attending the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ ceremony today I am going to Murshidabad. Today I will reach Behrampur. Tomorrow I will reach Dhuliyan and provide the necessary compensation to the people whose houses and shops have been damaged. Those who have lost their property will also be assessed. In Suti I will organise a public distribution programme. Then I will return to Kolkata on Wednesday.”

BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said that the visit was delayed and should have been done much earlier.Dilip Ghosh said, “Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should have gone to Murshidabad earlier. Why she did not go? She called the Imams and conducted a meeting and then went to attend temple inauguration. But when Hindus were suffering and this atrocity takes place repeatedly on Hindus in Murshidabad and Malda. They have to vacate their houses. Their property are burnt. Mamata Banerjee has always remained silent. She is going so late now all the evidence are removed. After 3 to 4 days since violence took place the repairing had started.”

“State government officials started repairing houses and temple so that no one could know that such an incident occurred. Mamata Banerjee has already dismissed such violence,” he said.

Earlier West Bengal Agriculture Minister Shobandeb Chatterjee said the Chief Minister was unable to go to the place because of the unrest.

Addressing reporters, Chatterjee said, “Our leader, Mamata Banerjee, has been saying this since day one that it has been very difficult for leaders to go to that area. Let the police do their job…There is peace there now, let them live in peace…What needs to be done is being done…she is going to tell everyone how they can live together.”

Earlier in April, Murishdabad witnessed massive violence on April 11, during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The protest had turned violent and resulted in two deaths, several injuries and property damage. Thousands of people had fled their homes in search of safety. (ANI)

Pakistan has claimed to have conducted the “training launch” of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range of 120 kilometres from its Fatah series, local television channel PTV News reported on Monday.

PTV aired archival visuals of the training launch test as part of Exercise Indus as per a statement by Pakistan’s military arm, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as per a report in the Dawn news outlet.

The launch was aimed at “ensuring the operational readiness of troops and validating key technical parameters, including the missile’s advanced navigation system and enhanced accuracy,” the ISPR was quoted as saying as per the Dawn report.

The development comes amid the ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed the lives of 26 people while several others were injured.

On May 3 sources told ANI that Pakistan was preparing to test fire surface to surface ballistic missiles which would be perceived in New Delhi as a “reckless act of provocation and a dangerous escalation in its hostile campaign against India.” The sources also went on to say that the planned missile test in such volatile conditions was a “desperate attempt to whip up tensions with India.”

Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

In the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 23, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and closes the integrated Attari Check Post. India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata and ordered them to leave India within a week.

The central government also decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours. The Government of India also immediately suspended visa services for Pakistani nationals.

Amid the ongoing tensions, India also imposed an immediate ban on the direct or indirect import and transit of all goods originating in or exported from Pakistan, regardless of their import status, effectively halting bilateral trade flows, according to a notification by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

On April 24, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the national resolve to deal a “crushing blow to terrorism” and gave India’s armed forces “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of the response to the Pahalgam terror attack. (ANI)

US President Donald Trump has announced that he has directed the Department of Commerce and the US Trade Representative to immediately start the process of imposing a 100 per cent tariff on all movies coming into the US that are produced in other nations.

He said that the movie industry in the US is “dying” a very fast death and added that other nations were offering incentives to draw the American filmmakers and studios away from the US and termed it a “national threat.”

In a post shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “The Movie Industry in America is DYING a very fast death. Other Countries are offering all sorts of incentives to draw our filmmakers and studios away from the United States. Hollywood, and many other areas within the U.S.A., are being devastated. This is a concerted effort by other Nations and, therefore, a National Security threat. It is, in addition to everything else, messaging and propaganda! Therefore, I am authorizing the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative, to immediately begin the process of instituting a 100% Tariff on any and all Movies coming into our Country that are produced in Foreign Lands. WE WANT MOVIES MADE IN AMERICA, AGAIN.”

Trump’s decision comes amid the ongoing tariff war between the US and China. On April 10, China announced that it has decided to “moderately reduce” the release of Hollywood films in the Chinese market. China’s National Film Administration directly connected its decision to tariffs imposed by the US on Chinese products.

In a statement, China’s National Film Administration said, “The wrong move by the US government to abuse tariffs on China will inevitably further reduce the domestic audience’s favourability towards American films,” Al Jazeera reported.

It stated, “We will follow market rules, respect the audience’s choice, and moderately reduce the number of American films imported.”

Notably, China accepts 10 films a year from Hollywood, and the Chinese market was once considered a key source of revenue for the American film industry.

Reacting to China’s decision, Trump had said that he was untroubled by China’s National Film Administration’s decision to target the film industry, Al Jazeera reported. In response to a question, Trump had said, “I think I’ve heard of worse things.” (ANI)

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Ajinkya Rahane on Sunday surpassed former left-hand batter Chris Gayle to become the ninth-highest run scorer in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) during the 53rd encounter of the ongoing 18th edition of the cash-rich league.

Rahane scored 30 runs from 24 balls, which was laced with two maximums and one boundary in his innings. With this knock, the right-hand batter surpassed Chris Gayle and achieved this landmark.

So far in the history of IPL, Ajinkya Rahane has slammed 4969 runs in 181 innings at a strike rate of 124.72 and an average of 30.48 with the help of 33 fifties and two centuries. His best score in this league is 105*.

On the other hand, Chris Gayle has smashed 4965 runs in 141 IPL innings before retiring in 2021. The southpaw scored these runs at a strike rate of 148.96 and an average of 39.72 with the help of six tons and 31 half-centuries.

Coming to the match, KKR won the toss and opted to bat first.

After Sunil Narine was dismissed cheaply, a half-century stand between skipper Ajinkya Rahane and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (35 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and a six) steadied the ship. A 61-run stand for the fourth wicket between Angkrish Raghuvanshi (44 in 31 balls, with five fours) and Andre Russell (57* in 25 balls, with four boundaries and six sixes) gave the innings much-needed speed. Russell and Rinku (19* in six balls, with a four and two sixes) took KKR to 206/4 in their 20 overs.

Jofra Archer, Yudhvir Singh, Riyan, and Maheesh Theekshana each took wickets.

During the run-chase of 207 runs, RR was 71/5, but a 92-run stand between skipper Riyan Parag (95 in 45 balls, with six fours and eight sixes) and Shimron Hetmyer (29 in 23 balls, with a four and six) gave them a massive chance. Despite fireworks from Shubham Dubey (25* in 14 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Jofra Archer (12 in eight balls, with a four), RR fell short by a run, finishing at 205/8 in their 20 overs.

Varun Chakravarthy (2/32), Harshit Rana (2/41) and Moeen Ali (2/43) were the top wicket-takers for KKR. (ANI)

A 30-minute rehearsal for blackout was conducted in the entire Ferozpur Cantonment area on Sunday amid the heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack.

The rehearsal was conducted on the guidelines of the President and the Cantonment Board/Station Commander.

“The blackout was from 9 PM to 9:30 PM. As per the orders of the senior officers, lights were fully switched off. If any vehicle was found with its light turned on, it was turned off…Police are fully alert. Deployment has been made at all intersections,” said Gurjant Singh, SHO, Ferozepur Cantt Police Station.

Meanwhile, Punjab Police have arrested two individuals for their alleged involvement in leaking sensitive information and photographs of Army Cantonment areas and Air Bases in Amritsar to Pakistan intelligence operatives, police said on Sunday.

The accused have been identified as Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih. Speaking to ANI, Rural Amritsar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Maninder Singh said, “Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and DGP Gaurav Yadav have issued instructions that we immediately arrest and imprison any anti-national element we get information about. One such information was received about Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih, who were in touch with Pakistan Intelligence Operatives, leaking them information about sensitive installations. We have arrested them both and recovered a lot of data from them.”

Tensions have escalated between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 people were killed.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has given the armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India’s response. The government has also announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)

Lady Gaga held a free concert at Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro recently, performing tracks from her massive catalogue of hits for an estimated crowd of 2.5 million people.

The gig, which was the pop superstar’s first in Brazil in almost a decade, shattered the record for the most-attended concert by a female artist in history, which had previously been held by Madonna, according to concert organisers, reported People.

“Nothing could prepare me for the feeling I had during last night’s show — the absolute pride and joy I felt singing for the people of Brazil. The sight of the crowd during my opening songs took my breath away. Your heart shines so bright, your culture is so vibrant and special, I hope you know how grateful I am to have shared this historical moment with you,” wrote Gaga in an Instagram post, celebrating the event.

“An estimated 2.5 million people came to see me sing, the biggest crowd for any woman in history. I wish I could share this feeling with the whole world. I know I can’t, but I can say this, if you lose your way, you can find your way back if you believe in yourself and work hard. You can give yourself dignity by rehearsing your passion and your craft, pushing yourself to new heights, you can lift yourself up even if it takes some time,” she continued, as per the outlet.

“Thank you, Rio, for waiting for me to come back. Thank you, little monsters all over the world. I love you. I will never forget this moment. Paws up, little monsters. Obrigada. Love, Mother Monster,” Gaga added.

Gaga acknowledged the historic moment during her concert, telling the Copacabana Beach crowd, “Tonight, we’re making history,” reported People.

“Thank you for making history with me,” she added to fans. “The people of Brazil are the reason why I can shine.”

The star took another emotional moment to celebrate the crowd elsewhere during the evening. “Your freedom is so vast … your joy, your love, your spirit. May it be heard around the world tonight! 2.5 million people,” she told fans, as per concert footage shared on X.

The musician started her historic show with the 2011 track “Bloody Mary,” and went on to perform a combination of her classics and songs off of her latest album, Mayhem, reported People.

Madonna’s concert was also the first by a female artist to exceed a crowd of 1 million, per Guinness World Records. The overall record holder for the biggest concert crowd is still held by Rod Stewart, as per Guinness, according to People. (ANI)

After Instagram accounts of Pakistani artists, including actors Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir and Ali Zafar, were no longer accessible in India, Pakistani singer Abida Parveen’s Instagram account has also been blocked in the country.

“Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content,” read the message by Instagram on Abida Parveen’s account.

India had earlier announced a ban on 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for spreading provocative and communally sensitive content and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir.

The action followed the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

“On the recommendations of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India has banned some Pakistani YouTube channels for disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content, false and misleading narratives and misinformation against India, its Army and security agencies in the backdrop of the tragic Pahalgam terror incident in Jammu and Kashmir,” a government source had told ANI.

No Pakistani actors have worked in the Indian film industry since 2016, when terrorists attacked an Indian Army base in Uri.

Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s comeback film Abir Gulaal did not release in India. Sources in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the film, which also stars Vaani Kapoor, will not be released in India. Fawad was last seen in the Bollywood film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016).’

The terror attack on April 22 in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam targeted tourists, killing 26 people. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken strong measures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)

Babil Khan, actor and son of the late Irrfan Khan, posted videos on social media on Sunday in which he lashed out at several actors. Later, he deleted his account. However, now the actor is back on Instagram and wrote in his story that the video was “extremely misinterpreted.”

Several celebrities, including Siddhant Chaturvedi and Raghav Juyal, have recently come forward to support Babil.

Taking to his Instagram stories, he shared the post of actor Kubbra Sait, in which she has shared the official statement from Babil’s family and team related to the entire issue.

In the caption, Babil wrote, “Thank you so much (red heart emoticon), This video was extremely misinterpreted, I was trying to show support to Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Gaurav Adarsh, Arjun Kapoor, Raghav Juyal, Arijit Singh.”

He added, “I genuinely don’t have the energy to indulge more but I do this as responsibility for my peers that I truly admire.”

Babil also reshared Raghav’s Instagram Stories and wrote, “Raghav Juyal, bhai, you are my icon, my idol, and my elder brother that I never had.”

Siddhant Chaturvedi posted a video of Babil on his Instagram Stories, in which he was heard saying, “Mujhe itihaas likhna hai, kitaab nahi” (I want to write history, not a book). Babil reposted it and wrote, “I love you, brother.”

Siddhant took to his Instagram story and wrote a long note supporting Babil, “I usually never engage in sh*t written about me and my colleagues, but this one’s personal. So to all the Redditors, Gossip columns, and media portals of the internet. Stop,” he wrote.

Siddhant added, “We love to hate and hate to love, is this what we’ve come to? Stop looking for Drama here, All of us are working hard to bring drama to you on your screens. Shayad wahan thodi kami reh gai hogi ki aap hamari neeji zindagi mein wo dhoondhne lage ho? (Maybe there was something missing there that you started looking for in our personal lives?).”

“Koshish jaari hai hamari taraf se, Aur aap bhi Koshish karein ki koi bhi judgment dene se pehle ek baar soch lein (We’re still trying from our side, and we hope you also try to think once before passing any judgment). Peace out,” the post further reads.

After actor and son of late actor Irrfan Khan, Babil Khan’s videos from his now deleted Instagram account were shared widely on social media, his family and team on Sunday released a clarification statement.

“Over the past few years, Babil Khan has earned immense love and appreciation for his work, as well as for his openness about his mental health journey. Like anyone else, Babil is allowed to have difficult days — and this was one of them. We want to reassure all his well-wishers that he is safe and will be feeling better soon,” the statement shared by his family and team read.

“Babil has been widely misinterpreted,” it said.

“That said, a video of Babil has been widely misinterpreted and taken out of context. In the clip, Babil was sincerely acknowledging a few of his peers whom he believes are making meaningful contributions to the evolving landscape of Indian cinema,” the statement read.

“His mention of artists like Ananya Panday, Shanaya Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, Adarsh Gourav, Arjun Kapoor, and Arijit Singh came from a place of genuine admiration — for their authenticity, passion, and efforts to restore credibility and heart in the industry,” the statement further read.

The family asked mediapersons and public to “consider the full context of his words”, “We respectfully urge media publications and the public to consider the full context of his words rather than drawing conclusions from fragmented video clips.”

Babil Khan, was seen on Sunday breaking down in several stories on his Instagram account, lashing out at several actors and talking about the pressures and challenges of being part of Bollywood. Babil later deleted his Instagram account.

Videos from his Instagram posts was shared widely on social media shedding light on the bullying he allegedly faced in Bollywood.

Following the video’s release, Babil’s Instagram account became inaccessible, and users who attempted to visit the profile were met with a message indicating that the account had been removed.

In the now-deleted video, Babil appeared visibly emotional and fought back tears as he opened up about the pressures and challenges of being in the Hindi film industry.

He spoke candidly about the difficulties he had allegedly encountered within Bollywood, which had caused him emotional distress.

Babil, who made his acting debut with the critically acclaimed film ‘Qala’ and was recently seen in ‘Logout’, has always been open about his struggles following the tragic loss of his father, Irrfan Khan.

The young actor has been vocal about the emotional toll of losing his father and has often shared heartfelt tributes to him on social media.

On the recent anniversary of Irrfan Khan’s passing, Babil shared a poignant post that read, “With you, without you. Life goes on. With me, without me. Soon I’ll be there. With you, not without you. And we will run together, and fly. Drink from waterfalls, pink not blue. I will hug you so tight, and I will cry. Then we’ll laugh, just like we used to. I miss you.” (ANI)

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday stated that the central government decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census after coming under pressure.

Speaking to media persons, Priyanka Gandhi in Wayanad said that his brother Rahul raised this issue in Parliament and was ridiculed for it.

“The government has been pressured. My brother took up this cause last year. He has been saying it again and again; the entire BJP was against it. BJP ministers, the Prime Minister himself. When my brother spoke in Parliament, he was also ridiculed by them for speaking in favour of this,” Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.

“I feel that now they have come under pressure because everybody, the whole country, realises that this is a necessity. It is needed now, and I’m glad they have come under pressure. I am happy that they have announced something. I hope that whatever they do, they do it in a proper fashion, in the proper way, so that the correct facts come out,” she added.

Priyanka Gandhi is on a visit to her constituency, Wayanad, where she visited the Wayanad Wildlife Division office and handed over an ambulance for the people.

Earlier today, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh sharply criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for what he described as a ‘sudden and desperate U-turn’ on caste census in India.

Through a social media post, the Congress leader highlighted how the Modi government had previously opposed the idea of a caste-based census.

He referred to three instances that he says clearly show the government’s change in stance. In April 2024, Prime Minister Modi, during a television interview, had labelled those demanding a caste census as “urban naxals”.

The Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated at a media briefing following the cabinet meeting that the decision demonstrates the present government’s commitment to the holistic interests and values of the nation and society.

The Congress party, meanwhile, passed a resolution demanding the immediate implementation of clause 5 of Article 15 of the Indian Constitution to enable reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCS), Dalits, and Adivasis in private educational institutions. The resolution also said that updated caste data must be used to strengthen reservation policies.

Clause 5 of Article 15, which discusses reservations in educational institutions, allows the state to make special provisions “for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes in so far as such special provisions relate to their admission to educational institutions, including private educational institutions.” (ANI)

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi on Sunday strongly condemned Pakistan’s continued denial of cross-border terrorism, and said that the time for dialogue has passed and that a firm response is now necessary.

Speaking to ANI, Owaisi said, “Pakistan will never accept that terrorists from their soil are infiltrating into India and taking innocent lives. The time to reason with Pakistan has now ended. It is time to reply. I say this with full responsibility.”

Owaisi expressed concern over the recurring terror attacks, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir, where soldiers and civilians alike have been targeted.

“Every 2 to 6 months, we lose Army, CRPF personnel, or innocent Kashmiris. This cycle cannot continue.”

Declaring his party’s support for the central government’s response, the AIMIM leader said, “AIMIM party supports all decisions that have been taken by the Government of India. Ye desh ka masla hai, siyasi masla nai hai. I appeal parties not to politicise this matter.”

Owaisi called Pakistan a “failed state” and urged the Indian government to take ‘strong’ and decisive action against terrorists for supporting terrorism.

Addressing a public meeting, Owaisi said, “We hope the Prime Minister will take strong action against the Pakistani terrorists and the failed state of Pakistan that it will think a hundred times before sending anyone to harm India again.”

He criticised Pakistan for questioning India’s evidence after past terrorist attacks.

“Pakistan is shamelessly asking for proof. Didn’t we invite you to Pathankot and show you where your terrorists attacked our Air Force base? You sent your team, they saw it with their own eyes, yet you took no action against those terrorists,” he said.

Referring to the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Owaisi shared a personal story to highlight the pain caused by cross-border terrorism.

“The 26/11 attacks happened. I know a place in Telangana called Nizamabad. One of our daughters from there had just gotten married a few days before, and she was at VT Station with her family when Pakistani terrorists opened fire. She, too, was killed,” he said.

He accused Pakistan of continuously denying its role in such attacks.

“Pakistan will never admit that terrorists from its land come and kill people in India. The time to try and convince Pakistan is over,” he said. (ANI)