Month: June 2025

A large number of devotees gathered on the banks of rivers across Uttar Pradesh on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, and took a holy dip in the sacred waters, celebrating the divine descent of Maa Ganga to Earth.

People took a dip in the Saryu river in Ayodhya, believing it would wash away their sins.

Devotees offered prayers and bathed at the Sangam Triveni, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati rivers in Prayagraj.

The holy ritual was observed as part of Ganga Dussehra, a Hindu festival that marks the arrival of the river Ganga on Earth from the heavens, as per ancient scriptures.

Meanwhile, in Varanasi, priests of the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple performed special prayers on the banks of the river Ganga.

Thousands of devotees, including tourists and pilgrims, were seen across Varanasi taking a dip in the Ganga and participating in aarti rituals.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wished Ganga Dussehra and World Environment Day to the citizens of the state.

Speaking to ANI on the occasion of Ganga Dussehra, CM Yogi said, “Today is a very auspicious and holy day… On this day, not only the followers of Sanatan Dharma but every Indian’s desire to attain salvation was fulfilled… On this auspicious day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the country the Namami Gange Programme. We are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the bottom of our hearts for this.”

Ganga Dussehra, which is celebrated on the tenth day (Dashami) of the waxing moon (Shukla Paksha) in the Hindu month of Jyeshtha, also marks the day when Goddess Ganga is believed to have descended from the heavens to Earth.

The festivities last for 10 days, with the last day being celebrated as Ganga Dussehra. (ANI)

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara visited the stampede site at M Chinnaswamy Stadium and said that a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) will be formulated for large-scale meetings, ceremonies and victory ceremonies.

Speaking to reporters, he said, “The CM has already announced a magisterial inquiry into the incident. I came here to see the situation at the gates where the stampede occurred.”

He added that the Chief Minister held a meeting yesterday. An investigation has been ordered to be conducted under the leadership of the Bangalore City District Commissioner. He assured that whoever the perpetrators are, strict action will be taken.

“I cannot say anything until the investigation report comes”, he said.

The Home Department will make a new SOP to ensure that such incidents do not happen. He said that from now on, when any big ceremony, meeting, or victory celebration is held, the programs should be held within the framework of the police department’s directives.

“We will make a new SOP. We will give some instructions. Such incidents should never happen. Innocent deaths should not happen. It hurts to see all this. It was sad when I saw it in the morgue yesterday. People aged 20-25 years have lost their lives when they came to celebrate happily. No one could have predicted all this,” he said.

11 people died in the accident, and 56 were injured. 46 people have been treated and have gone home. Officials said that 10 people are being treated in the hospital, and none of them were seriously injured.

The Home Minister said that the incident that took place yesterday was unprecedented in the state’s cricket history. He offered his prayers and condolences for the deceased and their families.

Parameshwara added, “A man told Vaidehi Hospital about the loss of his son. His son had left home at 6 am to go to college. This is how it happened. The community came in joy. No one could have predicted this. The stadium, which has a capacity of 34,000 seats, had 3 lakh people.”

“According to the information provided by the Metro, 8.7 lakh people travelled in the metro from 9 am to 11 pm. I will not say anything until the investigation report comes. I will inspect the scene of the incident at Chinnaswamy Stadium. I will hold a meeting with RCB and KSCA. Whatever is technical, the DGP and the Bengaluru City Police Commissioner will look into it,” he told reporters.

The stampede occurred at the gates of the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to get a glimpse of RCB players after the franchise won the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.

The Karnataka government announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased killed in the stampede. Earlier, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference and said the government would also provide free treatment to the injured. (ANI)

Health authorities have confirmed the first case of wild poliovirus in Gilgit-Baltistan this year, raising Pakistan’s nationwide tally to 11 in 2025. The infection was detected in the Diamer district and verified by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Express Tribune reported.

This marks the first instance of wild poliovirus reported from Gilgit-Baltistan, a development that has alarmed health officials as the country continues its battle to eradicate the disease. Pakistan and Afghanistan remain the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, highlighting the global significance of every new case.

The announcement comes days after Pakistan concluded its third nationwide polio vaccination campaign of the year. The drive, which ran from May 26 to June 2, targeted more than 45 million children under the age of five across 159 districts – including many regions considered at high risk of polio transmission.

Polio is a highly infectious viral disease that has no cure and primarily affects young children, potentially leading to permanent paralysis. Health experts emphasise that multiple doses of the oral polio vaccine are crucial in ensuring full protection against the virus. Each administered dose, they stress, strengthens children’s immunity and lowers the risk of lifelong disability, reported the Express Tribune.

In light of the recent case, officials have renewed appeals to parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive every scheduled dose. “This case is a stark reminder that polio remains a threat,” said an official from Pakistan’s polio eradication programme. “No child should be left behind.”

Community outreach continues to be a key strategy in achieving full vaccination coverage and preventing any resurgence. However, polio teams in Pakistan still face serious risks in the field.

Last week, unidentified gunmen opened fire on a polio vaccination team in Nushki, Balochistan. A police constable escorting the team was martyred, and another officer sustained injuries during the attack, the Express Tribune reported.

The incident drew strong condemnation from Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reaffirmed the government’s commitment to safeguarding health workers and sustaining the national effort to eradicate polio. (ANI)

Actor Alia Bhatt recently travelled to Spain to attend the wedding of her best friend Tanya Saha Gupta and David Angelov. She has treated her fans with a glimpse of her gala time at the wedding.

On Wednesday, the ‘Jigra’ actor posted an album on Instagram featuring her ‘group of girls’, a picture of herself with the bride and her looks from the wedding.

Some pictures feature the bride with her bridesmaids and were clicked in different poses.

Alia looks stunning in a modern black strapless dress.

Alia also shared pictures from another event where she was seen in a white embellished bralette, matching blazer, and cream skirt. She also wore a necklace, sunglasses, and a bag.

In one of the pictures, actor Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, also a close friend of Alia, was also there and clicked a selfie with Alia.

In another photo, Alia is all smiles as she poses with the newlyweds and her close friends.

Alia wore a colourful kalidar lehenga paired with a mustard yellow blouse. She added a purple bandanna and dark sunglasses for a fun, boho-chic feel.

Along with the post, she wrote an adorable note, “There’s nothing softer, stronger or more sparkly than a group of girls watching their best friend marry the love of her life (@tanya.sg @d_angelov). The most beautiful wedding, the most beautiful bride — and hearts fuller than we knew possible.Some places just feel like home – ours is wherever we are together (@akansharanjankapoor @meghnagoyal1 @kripamehta04 @rheachatterjee24 @devika.advani @dishakhatwani).”

Alia, who made her debut at the Cannes Film Festival this year, left fans speechless with her outfit choices on the red carpet.

For day one of her appearance, Alia chose a Schiaparelli gown, styled by Rhea Kapoor.

For the closing ceremony, the actress wore a custom Gucci saree–the brand’s first-ever made-to-order saree–which impressed fashion watchers.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Alia is busy filming her upcoming movie, Alpha. Directed by Shiv Rawail, ‘Alpha’ is set to be a notable addition to Yash Raj Films’ acclaimed spy universe and is scheduled for release on December 25. (ANI)

In a significant development in the alleged classroom construction corruption case, the Delhi Police’s Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) has recorded statements of nearly 20 individuals, including engineers, contractors, and officials from the Education Department.

According to sources, police have also questioned an architect whose bank account allegedly received funds from the contractors. Notably, no architect was officially appointed in this government project, raising serious questions about how and why the funds were transferred to the architect’s account. This financial trail has now become a crucial aspect of the investigation.

Before summoning former Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain for questioning, ACB officials have conducted an extensive and technically detailed investigation. Two engineers were specially roped in to assess the financial losses incurred in classroom construction.

The ACB had earlier written to the Chief Technical Examiner, seeking expert assistance to evaluate the technical aspects of the case. This move aimed to determine whether there was deliberate cost inflation or procedural irregularities during construction.

With preparations complete and multiple testimonies on record, the case now appears to be heading toward the high-profile questioning of the two former ministers.

Meanwhile, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) issued summonses to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over an alleged Rs 2,000 crore corruption scam in the construction of classrooms in government schools.

Minister Satyendar Jain was summoned to the ACB office on June 6, and Manish Sisodia was asked to appear in court on June 9.

This comes after a complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Harish Khurana, BJP MLA Kapil Mishra and Neelkanth Bakshi of the BJP’s Media Relations Department against the AAP ministers, who were accused of inflating costs for constructing semi-permanent classrooms, as per a statement by the Deputy Commissioner of Police Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Shweta Singh Chauhan.

According to Chauhan, the probe into the investigation of the case revealed massive cost escalations and violations of procurement rules, with 34 contractors linked to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Speaking to ANI, Chauhan said, “We received a complaint against Manish Sisodia, former Deputy CM, and Satyendar Jain, former PWD Minister… the scam is of over Rs 2,000 crore. The classrooms were semi-permanent structures, and the cost estimate was around Rs 24,00,000 per classroom, which was more than the prevalent market rate back then.”

The complaint alleged irregularities in the construction of approximately 12,748 classrooms at a reported expenditure of Rs 2,892 crore. The cost per classroom, as per the awarded tenders, stood at around Rs 24.86 lakh, even though similar structures could be built in Delhi for approximately Rs five lakh, they claimed. (ANI)

Ace filmmaker Anurag Basu is all set to add a flavour of love to the month of July with his film ‘Metro…In Dino’.

The film’s trailer was launched on Wednesday, and since then, the audience’s curiosity has increased to the next level.

Anupam Kher, Pankaj Tripathi, Konkona Sen Sharma, Aditya Roy Kapur, Sara Ali Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Ali Fazal, and Neena Gupta feature in ‘Metro…In Dino’, which will be released in theatres on July 4.

The trailer gave us a sneak peek into the love stories of the couples – Sara Ali Khan and Aditya Roy Kapur, Konkona Sen Sharma and Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal and Fatima Sana Shaikh, Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. Basically, it follows four different love stories of couples — young, old, and middle-aged — living in a metro, and serves as the spiritual sequel to Anurag Basu’s 2007 film Life in a… Metro.

Take a look

Sharing the trailer, Kher on Instagram wrote, “TRAILER OUT: Love isn’t easy. It’s layered, flawed, and deeply human. Metro…In Dino captures it all. Watch the Trailer Now! Catch your own story in cinemas on 4th July 2025!”

Gulshan Kumar & T-Series presents, in association with Anurag Basu Productions Pvt. Ltd., ‘Metro…In Dino’.

Directed by Anurag Basu, with music composed by Pritam, and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Anurag Basu, and Taani Basu, the film will soon arrive in theatres. (ANI)

Tragedy struck RCB’s IPL victory celebrations in Bengaluru on Wednesday as 11 people died in a stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Expressing grief over the incident, cricketer Virat Kohli’s wife and actor Anushka Sharma, reposted an official statement from RCB.

The statement read, “We are deeply anguished by the unfortunate incidents that have come to light through media reports regarding public gatherings all over Bengaluru in anticipation of the team’s arrival this afternoon. The safety and well-being of everyone is of utmost importance to us. RCB mourns the tragic loss of lives and extends our heartfelt condolences to the affected families.”

“Immediately upon being made aware of the situation, we promptly amended our program and followed the guidance and advice of the local administration. We urge all our supporters to please stay safe,” the statement added.

Anushka captioned the post with broken heart emojis.

RCB star batter Virat Kohli also mourned the loss of lives and injuries in a stampede.

“At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted,” he posted on Instagram.

After the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference and said 11 people died and 33 were injured in the stampede.

CM Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured. “A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured.” (ANI)

IPL Chairman Arun Dhumal has expressed his condolences to families who lost their members in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday and said BCCI had no information that such an event was being planned.

“This is a very unfortunate incident… We had no information that such an event was being planned… If such events are planned in the future, then proper arrangements should be made… Those who were sitting inside the stadium had no information about the incident,” Arun Dhumal told ANI.

The incident occurred near the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium when thousands of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of their favourite players ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL victory celebrations.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated at a press conference that 11 people died in the incident while 33 others were injured.

Arun Dhumal expressed condolences on behalf of the BCCI to the families who had lost their members in the stampede.

“We express condolences to the families of the deceased. A title win was to be celebrated; rather, the loss of lives is being mourned,” he said.

Arun Dhumal said the BCCI-organised IPL concluded on Tuesday. He said the local administration will look into the reasons for stampede and take required steps.

He said after learning of the stampede and that a felicitation event was being held, he conveyed that the event should stop.

Answering a query, Dhumal said they were not aware that an event was being held and whether the cricket fans were invited or came on their own, they had no information.

Siddaramaiah also expressed his deep sorrow over the incident.

“A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured. Eleven people died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident.”

RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. (ANI)

The Karnataka government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased killed in the stampede near the Chinnaswamy stadium during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s celebrations on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured.

“A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured,” the CM said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, “11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident.”

The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

“I don’t want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days’ time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

Fans in thousands gathered outside the Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of their champion team.

An RCB supporter told ANI that a lot of people have been injured.

“Inside, also the seats are all full and that’s why they are not letting us go in. We want to go back, but we are not allowed to go back. The gates are crowded with people, even if they open the gates, people will start coming inside and a lot of people have been injured,” the cricket fan said.

RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his deep sorrow over the incident, describing it as “absolutely heartrending”.

In a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister extended his thoughts to the families of the deceased while praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.

“The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery: PM Narendra Modi,” PMO stated on X.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge expressed grief over the loss of lives in a stampede near the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

In a post on X, Kharge called on the authorities to immediately strengthen safety protocols for such events to prevent any future tragedy like this.

“I am deeply saddened by the tragic stampede in Bengaluru during the celebrations of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL 2025 victory. The loss of precious lives and the injuries sustained by many in this unfortunate incident are profoundly distressing. My thoughts and prayers are with the families who lost loved ones, and I wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Kharge said.

He emphasised that the Congress Party stands in solidarity with the people of Bengaluru and commits to supporting all efforts to provide relief, medical help, and assistance to the families affected by the Karnataka government.

“The state government and relevant authorities must immediately review and strengthen safety protocols for such events to prevent any recurrence of such a tragedy. The joy of victory should never come at the cost of lives,” Mallikarjun Kharge asserted.

Opposition parties in the state, including the Janata Dal (Secular), have slammed the Congress-led state government for the incident.

BJP leader CT Ravi launched a scathing attack on the Karnataka government.

JD-S leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy said the Congress government showed “zero preparedness.”

“What was meant to be a grand celebration of RCB’s long-awaited victory turned into chaos, tragedy, and loss of innocent lives. The massive turnout was expected, yet the State Government showed zero preparedness. No proper planning, no crowd management, no safety protocols — just a desperate rush to take credit,” he said in a post on X.

“This is not just mismanagement; this is a complete collapse of basic administration. Six lives have tragically been lost in a stampede that could have been prevented. Who takes responsibility? Once again, the (Karanataka) Home Minister has failed in his duty to protect the people,” he said.

Union Minister of Heavy Industries HD Kumaraswamy has expressed shock at the stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium, where massive celebrations had been planned for RCB’s first IPL title victory.

In a post on X, he said the primary reason for this “massive tragedy is the lack of proper planning and complete failure to take precautionary measures”.

Kumaraswamy, a former Karnataka Chief Minister, said the state’s Congress government must take full responsibility for this disaster.

“The tragic incident of a stampede near Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB victory celebrations, resulting in the unfortunate death of people, has left me deeply shocked. It is extremely painful to see innocent lives lost even before the celebrations could begin,” he said.

“The primary reason for this massive tragedy is the lack of proper planning and complete failure to take precautionary measures. The state government, led by @INCKarnataka, must take full responsibility for this disaster. Along with ensuring the injured receive the best possible treatment, the government must immediately reach out to support the families of the deceased,” he added.

BJP’s National Spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, demanded the resignations of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and the Home Minister over the incident.

He further criticised the government’s insensitivity for continuing celebrations despite the deaths, highlighting their lack of accountability. (ANI)

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) party President Asaduddin Owaisi, part of an all-party delegation led by BJP MP Baijayant Panda that had visited Gulf countries, has strongly criticised Pakistan, calling it the “epicentre of Takfirism” and accusing its government, deep state and intelligence agency ISI of fueling terrorism through illicit financial networks.

The leader highlighted that four countries visited by the delegation had earlier supported India’s diplomatic efforts to place Pakistan on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list in 2018.

He also said the team visited four countries that are members of key international groups like the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF).

Owaisi said the delegation raised concerns about Pakistan’s role in terrorism, especially the recent Pahalgam attack.

Speaking to ANI, Asaduddin Owaisi said, “We represented India over there…all these countries are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The other 3 countries are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and one of the countries is now non non-permanent member of the Security Council and all these countries are part of Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF)…and they have historical relation with India… we requested and explained to them…that Pakistan has been indulging in terrorism in India for many years. We had focused on the Pahalgam terror attack. We told them this Resistance Front didn’t just come up on April 22nd. India had already told the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1262 sanction team that this is a new name for LeT… Secondly, we have told them, the speech of April 15th of Asim Munir…”

He said that the root cause of terrorism is illegal money, and monitoring of this situation is needed.

“These four countries this delegation went to had helped India in bringing back Pakistan to the FATF grey list in 2018…Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENAFATF), we require their help, when India starts this whole process of bringing Pakistan into FATF…root cause of terrorism is illegal money…we need to monitor…a form of Polio exits only in two countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan…there is 40% poverty in Pakistan, where is the money going?… Pakistan govt, deep state, ISI…are indulging in terrorism. Pakistan has become the epicentre of Takfirism,” Owaisi said.

The delegation, led by Panda, also included BJP MPs Nishikant Dubey, Phangnon Konyak and Rekha Sharma; AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi; Satnam Singh Sandhu and Ghulam Nabi Azad; and former Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

During their visit, the delegation briefed international partners on India’s response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, highlighting the broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Algeria. (ANI)