Month: August 2025

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu (Jitendra) Patwari on Sunday hit out at Union Minister Kiren Rijiju over his recent remarks on the Constitution Amendment Bill.

Patwari called Rijiju’s statement an excuse and mentioned that before the 130th amendment bill, numerous laws were enacted under the Lokayukta but people are still asking why it hasn’t been introduced until now.

He stated that a Rajasthan minister has been given punishment in Rajasthan and PM Modi is still silent on the issue despite visiting the state so many times.

“These are all just excuses. Before this, numerous laws were enacted under the Lokayukta, but people are still asking why it hasn’t been introduced until now. A Bihar minister has been given punishment in Rajasthan, and PM Narendra Modi visited Bihar so many times. That person, Jinesh Mishra continues to be a Minister. He should be removed from his position,” he said.

Earlier on August 23, Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju stated that the Constitution Amendment Bill introduced in Lok Sabha was “revolutionary” and the Opposition should have welcomed it. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to be exempt from its provisions, which entail removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister and Union and state ministers if they are jailed for serious offences.

In an interview with ANI, Rijiju said that PM Modi told the cabinet that the recommendation is to keep the Prime Minister out of this bill, but he did not agree and refused to give an exception to the prime minister.

Rijiju also said the people in the country are welcoming the provisions of the Constitution Amendment Bill and the opposition parties would have welcomed it too if they “had kept ethics at the centre.”

“PM Modi told the cabinet that the recommendation is to keep the prime minister out of this bill, but he did not agree. PM Modi refused to give an exception to the prime minister. The PM is also a citizen, and he should not have special protection. Most of the CMs are from our party. If they do something wrong, they have to leave their position. Ethics should also mean something. The Opposition would have welcomed this bill had they kept ethics at the centre,” he said.

“The monsoon session of the Parliament was successful from the nation’s point of view and a failure from the Opposition’s point of view. The government also thinks that it was a success. However, it was not well, as far as discussions are concerned, because important bills were passed. Any government brings bills to save itself… PM Modi is a prime minister who went against the recommendation and put the PM in the category that even if the prime minister commits any corruption, then he has to go to jail and leave his position. Any position, whether CM, PM or Union Ministers, cannot be above the law. What objection does the Opposition have? The nation is welcoming this revolutionary bill,” he said.

The Constitution (130th Amendment) Bill, 2025, seeks to remove a Central or State Minister who is facing allegations of corruption or serious offences and has been detained for at least 30 days. Union Home Minister Amit Shah moved the Bill in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. The Bill provides for the removal of the Prime Minister, Chief Minister or any other Minister in the central or a state government, if he is arrested and detained in custody on account of serious criminal offences. (ANI)

A bridge over the Sahar Khad river near the Jammu-Pathankot Highway in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J-K) Kathua has been damaged after the river began flowing in spate due to continuous rains in the region.

The incident has disrupted traffic on the highway, a key arterial route. Local administration teams are monitoring the situation closely.

The Jammu region has been experiencing intense monsoon showers for the past few days, causing rivers to swell, triggering landslides, and disrupting normal life in low-lying and hilly areas.

Earlier, seven people lost their lives and 11 others were injured in a cloudburst that struck Kathua district in Jammu & Kashmir on August 17.

The sudden deluge triggered massive landslides and flooding, causing the tragic loss of lives and extensive damage to infrastructure. Reacting with urgency, Army relief columns with an Engineer detachment were immediately pressed into action to the worst-affected regions of Jhor Khad and Bagra villages.

A cloudburst during the Machail Mata Yatra on August 14 led to flash floods that killed at least 55 people in Kishtwar.

Following the incident, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on August 19 that it might be impossible to find anyone survivors. He said that the disaster took place due to a cloudburst rather than a breach of glacial lakes.

“Finding the missing persons alive now looks nearly impossible. In these circumstances, we will try to retrieve as many bodies and hand them over to their loved ones. According to the information we have received so far, the disaster that happened in Kishtwar was due to a cloudburst and not a glacial lake breach,” Abdullah told reporters. (ANI)

Premier Defence Research agency DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) has conducted the maiden flight tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS) off the coast of Odisha.

The flight tests were conducted on August 23 at around 12.30 pm.

IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising all indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles and a high-power laser-based Directed Energy Weapon (DEW).

Integrated operation of all the weapon system components is controlled by a Centralised Command and Control Centre developed by Defence Research & Development Laboratory, which is the nodal laboratory of the programme. VSHORADS and DEW are developed by the Research Centre Imarat & Centre for High Energy Systems and Sciences, respectively.

During the flight-tests, three different targets, including two high-speed fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle targets and a multi-copter drone, were simultaneously engaged and destroyed completely by the QRSAM, VSHORADS and High Energy Laser weapon system at different ranges and altitudes. All the weapon system components, including the missile systems and drone detection & destruction system, weapon system command & control, along with communication and radars, performed flawlessly, which was confirmed by Range instruments deployed by Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, to capture the flight data. The test was witnessed by senior scientists from DRDO and representatives from the Armed Forces.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the India Armed Forces and the Industry for the successful development of IADWS, stating that this unique flight test has established the multi-layered air-defence capability of our country and is going to strengthen area defence for important facilities against enemy aerial threats.

In a post on X, the Defence Minister wrote, “The @DRDO_India has successfully conducted the maiden flight Tests of Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), on 23 Aug 2025 at around 1230 Hrs off the coast of Odisha. IADWS is a multi-layered air defence system comprising of all indigenous Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM), Advanced Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missiles and a high power laser based Directed Energy Weapon(DEW).”

“I congratulate DRDO, India Armed forces and Industry for successful development of IADWS. This unique flight test has established the multi-layered air-defence capability of our country and is going to strengthen area defence for important facilities against enemy aerial threats,” the social media post said.

Secretary, Department of Defence R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr Samir V Kamat, has congratulated all teams involved in the successful flight-tests. (ANI)

Cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara on Sunday announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket, ending a more than a decade-long career. The 37-year-old batter Pujara shared a post on his official ‘X’ handle informing about the development.

The seasoned right-handed batter said that he couldn’t put his feelings into words and mentioned that all things have to come to an end. Pujara further thanked his fans and well-wishers for their love and support throughout his career.

“Wearing the Indian jersey, singing the anthem, and trying my best each time I stepped on the field – it’s impossible to put into words what it truly meant. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and with immense gratitude I have decided to retire from all forms of Indian cricket. Thank you for all the love and support!,” Cheteshwar Pujara wrote on ‘X’.

Cheteshwar Pujara made his international debut against Australia in Bengaluru on October 9, 2010. The latter played a total of 103 Tests and amassed 7195 runs at an average of 43.60. Pujara slammed 19 hundreds and 35 half-centuries throughout his international career with a highest score of 206*.

Pujara is most remembered for India’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy triumph in Australia in 2018 and 2020. He troubled Australia with his solid defence and technique.

The Indian red ball stalwart top-scored with 521 runs in four matches at an average of 74.42, three centuries and a fifty. His best score was 193.

In the 2020-21 series, he scored 271 runs from four matches at an average of 33.87, with three fifties and a best score of 77. In the final Test at The Gabba, he endured several body blows from Australian pacers on his body, making the win even more memorable.

Apart from international cricket, Cheteshwar Pujara was a domestic legend with over 21301 runs from 278 first-class games. The latter slammed 66 tons and 81 half-centuries through his first-class career. (ANI)

India looks “beautiful” from space due to its unique positioning and shape according to Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla who became the second Indian to go to space.

Addressing the Felicitation Function for Gaganyatris in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Group Captain Shukla recalled his time at the International Space Station and said that he recorded a clip of India from space.

“I have a small clip from space that I tried to capture of India. And India does look really beautiful. I’m not just saying it because all of us are Indians and we are sitting here, but I think that if you speak to any astronaut who is there on the station…”

“The unique positioning and the shape, especially at night if you pass over India from the Indian Ocean, south to north, I think it is probably one of the most beautiful sights that you can ever see in your life,” Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla added.

In his presentation the IAF officer showed an upside down earth lit with the green glow of Oxygen and a sky dotted with stars on the bottom. He pointed out Bengaluru and Hyderabad and also mentioned that the astronauts could see the sunrise of the Earth from the orbit.

“This was the sight you saw 16 times a day and you never really got bored,” Shukla said.

The Group Captain expressed gratitude to the Indian Air Force for his achievements.

“Whatever I’ve gone through and whatever I’ve achieved, I feel that the background that I had or the preparation that I had for years by being in this uniform and by being in the Air Force, that any one of us who’s sitting here would have done an equally good job. And that is the confidence I carry with me whenever I see whatever life throws at you, the kind of character that the Air Force has built up for all the people sitting here,” he said.

Recalling his journey in the Air Force, he added, “When I joined the Air Force I was really shy and reserved…doubting my decisions. But the Air Force picked me up from that position and brought me where I am today, and that has been transformational for me. Cockpit has been my greatest teacher. I owe it to this uniform I am wearing. Thank you to the Indian Air Force.”

Group Captain Shukla shared an anecdote from his first interaction with Astronaut Peggy Whitson, the Commander of the Axiom-4 mission.

“I was shy, but the Air Force has put me at the other end of the spectrum. When I went for this mission, my commander was Peggy Whitson, who is the most experienced astronaut, having spent 695 days in space. My first joke to her was, ‘Do you know what the difference is between God and a pilot?’ She said ‘No’, and I replied ‘God does not think he is the pilot’,” he said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh felicitated Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his other colleagues, Group Captain P V Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Pratap. Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, and Air Force Chief, Air Marshal AP Singh, were also present at the event.

Lauding their exemplary temperament during rigorous training, Rajnath Singh hailed them as the pride of India, embodying the nation’s soaring ambitions in space exploration.

“The temperament shown by all of you during the training was not only impressive in itself, but I would say excellent…I am really feeling proud to welcome and congratulate the son of Mother India, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla and his colleagues, Group Captain P V Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan and Group Captain Angad Pratap. All the countrymen are proud of you all. And they are proud because you all have made the countrymen proud,” he said.

Shukla, who returned to Earth on July 15 after completing NASA’s Axiom-4 (AX-4) space mission, landed in Delhi on August 17. (ANI)

Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday took a strong jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for following a “very dangerous track”, and accused the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha of working in coordination with “anti-India” George Soros.

The Union Minister reiterated that despite these conspiracies, the country remained secure under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

In an interview with ANI, the Union Minister said, “Rahul Gandhi is going on a very dangerous track. George Soros says that one trillion dollars are kept to destabilise the Indian government. The anti-India Khalistan force sitting in Canada, the US, the UK, and many Left organisations are conspiring to work against the country. Rahul Gandhi and Congress are working in coordination with them and weakening the country. This is very worrisome. But no one can destabilise the country under PM Modi’s leadership.”

The Union Minister alleged that the Congress party had worked with anti-India groups whenever it failed to win elections. “… When Congress cannot win elections, then they and the forces against India together start attacking the government and the institutions so that the public loses faith in this country’s institutions… They have repeatedly said that the judiciary and the Election Commission are sold, to weaken them…” Rijiju told ANI.

He further added that such actions were intended to create instability. “When they conspire to weaken the nation and the credibility of the government, then that results in agitation… They are working with the Leftist mentality…”

Rijiju hit out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying that his own party MPs “get uncomfortable” when he speaks in Parliament and are apprehensive that he will do “anap-shanap baatein” and the party will have to bear the consequences.

Rijiju alleged that Rahul Gandhi, who is Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, “does not listen to his own party members”.

“Rahul Gandhi kuch bolte hain, unke saare MPs bahot uncomfortable ho jaate hain. Wo darte hain ye anapshanap baatein karenge, uska khamiyaza party ko bhugatna padta hai…(When Rahul Gandhi speaks, his MPs get uncomfortable what nonsense he will speak, the party will have to bear its consequences,” he said.

Rijiju recalled the Supreme Court’s remarks over Rahul Gandhi’s “Chowkidar chor” allegations and his being rapped over his remarks pertaining to India-China border tensions during Bharat Jodo Yatra. (ANI)

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has issued a stark condemnation of the ongoing famine in Gaza, describing it as a preventable crisis fuelled by “systematic obstruction” by Israel and a collective global failure that will “haunt us all”.

During a press briefing on Friday, after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a UN-backed initiative, confirmed that famine is currently occurring in Gaza, Fletcher urged immediate action, including a ceasefire and unrestricted aid access, to avert further catastrophe.

While pointing to findings of the IPC report, Fletcher noted the human toll, highlighting how food aid is piling up at borders due to Israeli restrictions, creating a famine “within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land.”

“Please read the IPC report, cover to cover. Read it in sorrow and in anger. Not as words and numbers but as names and lives. Be in no doubt that this is irrefutable testimony. It is a famine. The Gaza Famine. It is a famine that we could have prevented if we had been allowed. Yet food stacks up at borders because of systematic obstruction by Israel. It is a famine within a few hundred metres of food, in a fertile land,” he stated.

The UN official also painted a grim picture of the crisis, noting that it disproportionately affects the vulnerable, forcing harrowing choices like deciding which child to feed and risking lives for sustenance.

“It is a famine that hits the most vulnerable first. Each with a name, each with a story. That strips people of dignity before it strips them of life. That forces a parent to choose which child to feed. That forces people to risk their lives to seek food. It is a famine that we repeatedly warned of. But that the international media has not been allowed in to cover. To bear witness. It is a famine in 2025. A 21st century famine watched over by drones and the most advanced military technology in history. It is a famine openly promoted by some Israeli leaders as a weapon of war,” the UN Relief Chief added.

Fletcher underscored the global responsibility of the situation in Gaza, stating, “It is a famine on all of our watch. Everyone owns this. The Gaza Famine is the world’s famine. It is a famine that asks ‘but what did you do?” A famine that will and must haunt us all.”

He described the situation as “a predictable and a preventable famine. A famine caused by cruelty, justified by revenge, enabled by indifference and sustained by complicity,” calling for it to “spur the world to more urgent action” and “shame the world to do better.”

Calling for immediate action, he issued a direct plea to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and global leaders for a “ceasefire” and access to aid and supplies in the region.

“Enough. Ceasefire. Open the crossings, north and south, all of them. Let us get food and other supplies in, unimpeded and at the massive scale required. End the retribution. It is too late for far too many. But not for everyone in Gaza. Enough. For humanity’s sake, let us in,” Fletcher stated.

According to Al Jazeera, citing Gaza’s Health Ministry, a total of 273 people have died from malnutrition and starvation in the region, including 112 children.

Meanwhile, Israel’s military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 62,622 people and injuries to 157,673 following the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel by Hamas, which left 1,139 people dead and over 200 taken hostage, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

Heavy monsoon rains in Himachal Pradesh have claimed 298 lives since June 20, including 152 deaths in rain-related incidents and 146 in road accidents, according to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).

The SDMA’s cumulative report shows that rain-related fatalities were caused by landslides, flash floods, cloudbursts, drowning, lightning, fires, snake bites, electrocution, and falls from steep terrain. Landslides and flash floods together accounted for 19 deaths, while drowning incidents claimed 31 lives.

Another 32 people died after falling from steep rocks or trees, and 25 deaths were recorded under ‘other’ causes linked to extreme weather.

Road accident deaths remained high during the monsoon, with Kangra district reporting 19 fatalities, Mandi 22, Chamba 21, Bilaspur 6, Kullu and Kinnaur 13 each, Shimla 15, Solan 14, Sirmaur 9, Una 9, Hamirpur 3, and Lahaul and Spiti 2.

The state has also suffered massive damage to infrastructure and property. Loss to public property is estimated at over Rs 2,34,739 lakh. The Public Works Department reported over Rs 1,31,079 lakh in damages, the Jal Shakti Department Rs 76,974 lakh, and the power sector Rs 13,946 lakh.

Private property damage includes 313 fully damaged pucca houses, 362 fully damaged kachcha houses, and 813 partially damaged pucca houses. Agricultural and horticultural losses are also substantial, with over 2,728 hectares of crops damaged.

The SDMA said 1,824 animals have died, while poultry losses stand at 25,755 birds.

Authorities have urged people to remain alert as the India Meteorological Department maintains a heavy rain warning for several districts. The risk of further landslides, flash floods, and road accidents remains high, particularly in hilly terrain and along saturated slopes. (ANI)

Veteran Punjabi actor Jaswinder Bhalla’s funeral was held in Mohali on Saturday.

Several politicians and prominent figures from the Punjabi film industry came together at the cremation ground to pay their heartfelt last respects to Jaswinder Bhalla.

Gippy Grewal, Jimmy Shergil, and Jasbir Jassi, among many others, were in attendance as they bid an emotional farewell to Jaswinder Bhalla, who was fondly known as Bhalla Saab.

Remembering Jaswinder Bhalla, popular singer Jasbir Jassi told ANI, “It is a huge loss for the Punjabi industry.”

Punjabi Singer Mankirt Aulakh also paid his condolences.

Speaking with media outside the cremation ground, Mankirt said, “Everyone should stand with the bereaved family in this difficult time. He was the pride of our industry. His presence alone made films superhit.”

Earlier in the day, actress Neeru Bajwa and several other colleagues visited Jaswinder Bhalla’s residence to offer condolences to the family.

Neeru Bajwa also expressed her sorrow over the demise of Jaswinder Bhalla via a post on Instagram.

“Saddened to have woken up to this tragic news. Bhalla Saab was truly respected and admired, and his contributions will be remembered with great honour. Rest in peace, Sir, my condolences to the family,” Neeru posted.

Jaswinder Bhalla died on Friday morning at Fortis Hospital in Mohali after battling illness for the past few months. Known for his flawless comic timing and satirical dialogues, Bhalla was a stalwart of Punjabi cinema who redefined comedy on screen.

The actor was loved by audiences for his memorable performances in films like Gaddi Chaldi Hai Chhalla Maarke, Carry On Jatta, Jind Jaan, and Band Baaje.

Jaswinder Bhalla, 65, is survived by his wife, Parmdeep Bhalla and their two children – son Pukhraj Bhalla and daughter Ashpreet Kaur. (ANI)