Month: August 2025

After Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi over his “vote theft” claims, Congress MP KC Venugopal criticised the Election Commission, stating that instead of responding, ECI is issuing a notice.

Speaking to ANI, the Congress MP stated that the Congress party is “not afraid” of any notice from the ECI and they will continue to stand for the truth.

“Rahul Gandhi as a Leader of the Opposition has clearly asked five pertinent questions to the Election Commission of India with evidence. Instead of responding to those five questions, they are issuing a notice to Rahul Gandhi. We are not afraid of any notice from the Election Commission of India. We will continue to stand for the truth. People of India should know the truth. The people who are trying to kill democracy and those safeguarding those who want to kill democracy have to be exposed,” Venugopal said.

The Congress MP also took to X to criticise the polling body, stating, “Rahul ji’s mega expose was based on ECI’s own data. So now, after he has caught you red-handed, you want him to “provide the relevant documents”? Let’s be crystal clear – the data is YOUR OWN VOTER LIST.”

Rahul ji’s mega expose was based on ECI’s own data. So now, after he has caught you red-handed, you want him to “provide the relevant documents”?

Let’s be crystal clear – the data is YOUR OWN VOTER LIST.

You refuse to give electronically readable voter lists.

You block access… https://t.co/KcpqF51FHh

— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) August 10, 2025

Venugopal also targeted the ECI over “blocking” access to CCTV footage.

The social media post read, “You refuse to give electronically readable voter lists. You block access to CCTV footage. You erase the very evidence that could expose the fraud. And now, when caught before the nation, you question the whistleblower when all proof is in the public domain? That’s not just ironic, it’s an admission of guilt. Rahul ji has asked 5 straightforward questions: 1. Why is the Opposition denied the digital, machine-readable voter list? What are you hiding? 2. Who ordered the erasure of CCTV and video evidence? 3. Why the fake voting and voter list tampering? 4. Why threaten and intimidate Opposition leaders? 5.Has the ECI now reduced itself to acting as the BJP’s election agent? The ball is in your court. No hiding, no intimidation, and no PR spin will wash away the sham you have presided over.”

This comes after the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to submit documents to inquire into his “vote theft” allegations against the Election Commission of India.

In a letter dated August 10, the Karnataka CEO stated that Rahul Gandhi has claimed to have documents presented during his August 7 press conference from the Election Commission of India records, alleging that a voter, Shakun Rani, voted twice based on data shown by a polling officer.

The polling body further stated that upon preliminary inquiry, Shakun Rani has denied voting twice. The CEO’s office also found that the tick-marked document presented by Rahul Gandhi was not issued by the polling officer, raising questions about the authenticity of the claim.

The letter read, “In your Press Conference, you have stated that the documents shown in your presentation are from the records of the Election Commission of India. You have said: “This is EC data”. You have also stated that as per the records given by the polling officer, Smt. Shakun Rani has voted twice. You have said; “Es ID card per do baar vote lagahai, wo jo tick hai, polling booth ke officer kihai”.”

“On inquiry, Smt. Shakun Rani has stated that she has voted only once and not twice, as alleged by you. Preliminary enquiry conducted by this office also reveals that the tick marked document shown by you in the presentation (copy enclosed) is not a document issued by the polling officer,” it added.

The Karnataka CEO requested Rahul Gandhi to provide the relevant documents that form the basis of his allegation so that a detailed investigation can be conducted by the Karnataka electoral authorities.

The letter stated, “Therefore, you are kindly requested to provide the relevant documents on the basis of which you have concluded that Smt. Shakun Rani or anyone else has voted twice, so that a detailed inquiry can be undertaken by this office.”

On August 7, Rahul Gandhi held a press conference, citing internal analysis. The LoP stated that the Congress expected to win 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka but ended up with only nine.

He said the Congress investigated seven unexpected losses, zeroing in on Mahadevapura, where he alleged vote theft involving 100,250 votes. Presenting Congress’s research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi alleged “vote chori” (vote theft) of 100,250 votes.

“We found 100,250 votes stolen in five different ways. Duplicate voters, fake and invalid addresses, and bulk voters in a single address, in a building with 50-60 people living. But when we go there, there is no record of those people living there. One family living in that house,” he said. (ANI)

Even as the Operation Sindoor is still going on, the navies of India and Pakistan will be carrying out separate drills in the Arabian Sea at the same time for the next few days, starting tomorrow.

Defence sources said navies of both India and Pakistan have issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAMs) for carrying out drills in the Arabian Sea in their respective territorial areas.

“Indian Navy warships would be carrying out drills in the Arabian Sea on August 11-12. Pakistan Navy has also issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for carrying out its own naval exercises in its waters,” they said.

A NOTAM is issued when air traffic movement is restricted for a certain period of time.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed. The Indian Armed Forces targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, leading to the death of over 100 terrorists.

India repelled the subsequent Pakistani retaliation and pounded its airbases.

India has said that cessation of hostilities came after Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called up his Indian counterpart, and there was no third-party mediation. (ANI)

Amidst a row that erupted over Bihar Special Intensive revision, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav raised concerns over alleged bogus voting and irregularities during the recent Uttar Pradesh by-elections.

Speaking to ANI, the Samajwadi Party chief alleged “bogus voting” and “vote loot” in the by-elections conducted on nine seats of Uttar Pradesh in November 2024.

Urging the Election Commission to look into the matter, Yadav stated that if the polling body terminates or suspends the DMs of the districts where the by-polls were held, there would be zero discrepancies in the voter list.

The SP chief asserted that the Election Commission and the government should make solid arrangements to avoid “bogus voting.”

He said, “Regarding this ‘vote’ matter, when you have so many resources available, the Election Commission and Government should have solid arrangements in place, so that there is no bogus voting. Since the BJP was an expert in manipulating votes, they managed to arrange the maximum number of bogus votes. When they ran short of votes to win, they pushed forward the Police. The Election Commission should look at the UP by-election first of all… If the DMs of the districts where the by-polls were held are suspended or terminated, there would be no discrepancies in the voter list, there would be no bogus voting, nobody’s name would be deleted…”

Asked about RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav’s claims that Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Sinha has two EPIC numbers, Akhilesh Yadav accused the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of facilitating “vote loot” in the state, saying, “…If their Deputy CM has two EPIC numbers, here the CM was facilitating vote loot. The CM here was facilitating booth loot…”

Alleging interference by officials during voting, the SP chief said, “In Ayodhya, who were the Education Department officials who were delegating duty to others? In Mirapur, Kundarki, the Commissioner, SSP and DM were going around with force to make sure that people did not step out to vote. Did we not see a revolver being aimed at women? Was the Election Commission sleeping? That is why we had gone to offer them a white ‘chadar’. When officers become criminals to loot votes, who will take action?…”

Yadav also expressed his dissatisfaction over the ongoing three-day session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.

He said, “Why are they convening a three-day session? They should have conducted a three-hour session. I object to running the House proceedings for 24 hours. You did no work in 9 years, and now you want people to stay awake for 24 hours. What madness is this?” (ANI)

The advance bookings for Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s highly-awaited film, ‘War 2’, have officially begun. On Sunday, the makers confirmed the update and also unveiled a brand new pre-release promo.

The thrilling footage shows the lead actors as Kabir and Vikram confronting each other in intense action scenes, teasing their rivalry that remains at the heart of the film.

“Are you ready to witness the CARNAGE in cinemas from August 14th? BOOK TICKETS NOW for #War2 and let us give you an experience to cherish for the rest of your lives. Releasing in Hindi, Telugu & Tamil in theatres worldwide! #YRFSpyUniverse,” the makers wrote on Instagram.

The surprise gift, which arrived just days before ‘War 2’ hits theatres, has left fans excited for its release. Many took to the comment section and expressed their anticipation for the film.

Earlier, Yash Raj Films shared a glimpse of the actors’ dance face-off in the song ‘Janaab-e-Aali.’

A teaser of the song was posted across social media handles, giving a subtle reminder of Hrithik’s dance battle with Tiger Shroff on the ‘Jai Jai Shivshankar’ song from the first film.

“The dance WAR you’ve been waiting for is almost here. Here’s the tease… #JanaabeAali full song in theatres only! #War2 releasing in Hindi, Telugu and Tamil in cinemas worldwide on 14th August,” the makers wrote.

Another song from the film, the romantic ‘Aavan Jaavan’, has also been released, already winning hearts among fans.

Directed by Ayan Mukerji, ‘War 2’ brings back Hrithik Roshan as Major Kabir against a new enemy, Vikram (Jr NTR). Kiara Advani has also joined the cast as Hrithik’s love interest and a soldier.

The official trailer for the film has been released. ‘War 2’ is set to hit theatres on August 14, 2025, coinciding with Independence Day. (ANI)

There’s no doubt that the runaway success of Mohit Suri’s ‘Saiyaara’ has turned its debut stars, Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, into overnight sensations. Ever since the film’s release, the duo has become a favourite of the paparazzi, often drawing attention wherever they go.

On Saturday, the two were spotted in Mumbai. But instead of simply posing for the cameras, the duo decided to flip the script. In a video now making the rounds on social media, Ahaan and Aneet can be seen sitting inside a car, watching something on a phone, while photographers tried to click them through the windows. Then, in a playful twist, Aneet turned the phone toward the paparazzi, showing that they were recording the photographers instead.

Later that day, Ahaan also delighted a fan when he rolled down his car window at a traffic signal to take a selfie.

Directed by Mohit Suri and produced by Yash Raj Films CEO Akshay Widhani, Saiyaara has become the highest-grossing romantic film in Indian cinema history, earning over Rs 500 crore worldwide, with Rs 317 crore in India alone. The movie marks Ahaan Panday’s acting debut, while Aneet Padda, who has earlier appeared in ‘Salaam Venky’ and ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry,’ plays her first lead role in a film.

The film follows the love story of a singer and a lyricist, Krish (played by Ahaan Panday) and Vaani (played by Aneet Padda), whose emotional journey has left movie buffs both smiling and in tears. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday emphasized that the country’s economy is progressing rapidly and the country is firmly on its way to become the third largest global economy.

“We are rapidly moving towards becoming the top third economy. This speed came to us from the spirit of reform, perform, and transform. This speed came to us from clear intention and honest efforts. In 2014, Metro was limited to only five cities. And now there is a network of more than 1000 km in 24 cities… Before 2014, about 20,000 km of rail route was electrified… We have electrified more than 40,000 km of rail route in the last 11 years itself… Till 2014, there were only 74 airports in India. Now their number has increased to more than 160… The figures for waterways are also equally impressive. In 2014, only 3 national waterways were operational. Now this number has increased to 30,” the Prime Minister said.

He further said that in the last 11 years, India’s economy has risen from 10th place to the top five. “We are now moving rapidly towards becoming one of the top three economies,” he said.

Addressing a public event in Bengaluru, PM Modi pushed for improving the standards of ‘Make in India’ products with “zero defect and zero effect”.

He expressed his desire for the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka to lead his vision of “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

“We have to strengthen the presence of Bengaluru and Karnataka in ‘Make in India’. I urge that our products should be of the standards of ‘Zero Defect, Zero Effect’. That is, there should be defect-free products, and their manufacturing should also not have any negative impact on the environment. I expect that the talent of Karnataka will lead this vision of ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat'”, the Prime Minister said.

PM Modi further drew attention towards the importance of being self-reliant in technology. He said that the next priority of the nation should be to “Tech Atmanirbhar Bharat”.The Prime Minister stated that it is time for India to accelerate its pace in developing new products.

“Our next big priority among the current achievements should be ‘Tech Aatmanirbhar Bharat’… Now is the time to give more priority to the needs of India and move ahead faster in developing new products,” he said.

The Prime Minister also hailed Operation Sindoor and the role of ‘Make in India’ defence in its success. He acknowledged the significant contribution of the youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka in this achievement, and extended his congratulations to all for their role in this success.

“The success of Operation Sindoor is due to our technology and the power of ‘Make in India’ in defence. The youth of Bengaluru and Karnataka have contributed a lot to this,” PM Modi said.

“We are seeing Bangalore emerging as a city that has become a symbol of the rise of the new India… A city that has put India’s flag on the global IT map. If there is anything behind Bangalore’s success story, it is the hard work and talent of its people,” the Prime Minister said.

Mentioning that this was his first visit to Bengaluru following Operation Sindoor, PM Modi highlighted the success of Indian forces, noting their capability to destroy terrorist hideouts deep across the border. He emphasized India’s strength in forcing Pakistan, who came to defend the terrorists, to its knees within hours. “The entire world has witnessed this new face of New India”, said the Prime Minister, attributing the success of Operation Sindoor to the power of technology and the strength of Make in India in the defence sector.

Trade tensions escalated between India and United States following US President Donald Trump’s imposition of a total of 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports.

President Trump has accused India of buying Russian oil and energy, which has been funding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Trump had taken to his social media platform Truth Social after the announcement of 25 per cent tariffs against India and threatened an additional “penalty” for importing Russian oil.

“I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care. We have done very little business with India; their tariffs are too high, among the highest in the world.” Trump said on his Truth Social.

Later Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that he is “glad” that the US President has stated a fact and that the whole world knows the Indian economy is “dead” except for the Prime Minister and Finance Minister.

“Yes, he is right, Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. Everybody knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. I am glad that President Trump has stated a fact… The entire world knows that the Indian economy is a dead economy. BJP has finished the economy to help Adani,” the Congress leader had said. (ANI)

As ‘Barfi’ approaches its 13-year anniversary, Priyanka Chopra took a trip down memory lane, recalling her journey of becoming “Jhilmil Chatterjee,” which also happens to be one of her most loved characters.

Taking to her Instagram account, PeeCee shared a montage of stills from the film along with a long note. She revealed that she first heard about the project in January 2009 while filming ‘Anjaana Anjaani in New York with Ranbir Kapoor.

Priyanka also recalled meeting Anurag Basu at her Mumbai home. Dressed “to the nines,” she said Basu admitted he couldn’t imagine her as Jhilmil. They decided to workshop for five days, during which they immersed themselves in research, reading, watching videos, and meeting children on the autism spectrum.

“In Jan 2009, while filming ‘Anjaana Anjaani’ in New York with Ranbir Kapoor, he mentioned his next, Barfi! With Anurag Basu, a filmmaker I admired. So when Sir offered me Jhilmil, I was thrilled. We met at my Mumbai home, I’d just returned from an event, dressed to the nines. He took one look and said he couldn’t imagine me as Jhilmil. I understood, I didn’t want to mess it up either. We agreed to workshop for 5 days,” she wrote.

One exercise particularly stood out for her where Basu asked her to shout “vile Hindi expletives” at him. Though initially embarrassed, she said it turned out to be “hilarious” and “liberating,” helping her step out of her comfort zone.

“We immersed ourselves in research, reading, watching videos, meeting children on the autism spectrum, and doing exercises in his Aram Nagar office. One day, he asked me to hurl vile Hindi expletives at him. Mortified, I still tried, it was hilarious, liberating, and pulled me out of my comfort zone. After more “Basu-style” drills, Jhilmil was born,” she said.

She shared that most Barfi-Jhilmil scenes were improvised, and this shoot also became one of the last times her father visited her on set. Calling Barfi! one of her “most treasured films,” Priyanka praised Ravi Varman’s cinematography as “pure poetry,” appreciated Ileana D’Cruz for bringing “grace” to Shruti, and said Ranbir Kapoor “shone like the star he is….”

“…Most Barfi-Jhilmil scenes were improvised. Sir shared an idea, and we ran with it. This was also one of the last times my Dad visited me on set. Barfi! remains one of my most treasured films – for the creativity, the crew, and the joy of shared challenges. Ravi Varman’s cinematography was pure poetry. Gorgeous Ileana D’Cruz brought such grace to Shruti, Ranbir shone like the star he is, and Anurag Sir, brilliant, gentle, playful. His storytelling is magic,” she added.

“We shot over two years with breaks, unsure if audiences would embrace it. They did beyond our dreams. The love for Jhilmil has stayed with me ever since. On this nostalgic Saturday, I felt like sharing. What are you reminiscing about these days?” she concluded.

Helmed by Anurag Basu, ‘Barfi’ was a romantic comedy-drama film released in the year 2012 and starred Ranbir Kapoor, Ileana D’Cruz and Priyanka Chopra in the lead roles. The film received a lot of appreciation from the audience and was declared a hit. (ANI)

Jennifer Lopez’s recent stop in Turkey came with an unexpected moment for the pop star after she was turned away by a luxury store.

Lopez was in Istanbul earlier last week before performing at the Yenikapi Festival Park, where she went shopping at the Chanel shop in the upscale Istinye Park Mall, reported Billboard.

To her surprise, when Lopez tried to enter the store, she was stopped by the security guard who seemingly didn’t recognise the singer-actor. He explained that she couldn’t enter the store as it was at full capacity, the outlet confirmed.

Lopez, though, remained unbothered as she said, “OK, no problem.”

According to the report, the store security later approached the singer during her trip, inviting her to the Chanel store again; however, she turned down the offer.

This is not the first time that Jennifer Lopez’s calm response has caught attention. In a recent instance, her skirt literally ended up falling ‘On The Floor’ during the performance.

Lopez handled the unexpected wardrobe malfunction like a pro, as she played along by smiling big and joking, “I’m out here in my underwear. That’s gonna be everywhere. I’m glad that they reinforced that costume. And I’m glad I had underwear on. I don’t usually wear underwear.”

Jennifer Lopez is currently busy with her ‘Up All Night: Live in 2025’ tour, which she kicked off in July. Having performed in Hungary, Italy, Poland, Turkey, Romania, the US, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and other locations, she has two remaining dates in Kazakhstan and Italy.

On the film front, Lopez also has the upcoming film adaptation of ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ with director Bill Condon.

Actors Diego Luna and Tonatiuh Elizarraraz are also a part of the film, set for October 10 release. (ANI)

Actor Salman Khan was seen with his family members to celebrate Raksha Bandhan at his sister, Alvira Agnihotri’s residence in Mumbai.

Visuals of Salman’s arrival with his father, the legendary Salim Khan, have been shared widely over social media. Others who joined in the celebration on Saturday were Arbaaz Khan with his wife Sshura Khan, his son Arhaan Khan, Arpita Khan Sharma with her kids, and Sohail Khan, his son Nirvaan, among others.

While the family’s Rakhi celebrations were intimate and a homely affair, Alvira Agnihotri’s husband, filmmaker Atul Agnihotri, shared inside glimpses.

In the video, the younger members of the family enthusiastically celebrated Rakhi, while Salman, Arbaaz, and Sohail also joined in.

The ‘Sultan’ star was seen smiling as Arpita and Alvira tied Rakhi on his wrist, reflecting their warm bonding. Likewise, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan also took part in the rituals and showered their sisters with love and blessings.

Prior to this, actress Bina Kak extended her wishes for Salman Khan, calling him “brother-like-son.”

“Since I am recovering from a broken ankle, I will miss you on Rakhi day, my dear Salman, my brother like son …I pray for your happiness, long, healthy and a peaceful life ahead. Lots of love and blessings always, dear Salman,” she wrote on Instagram.

Many other Bollywood stars celebrated Raksha Bandhan on Saturday, sharing pictures on social media. From Akshay Kumar to Saif Ali Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Shilpa Shetty, Anupam Kher, Ananya Panday, and Sanjay Dutt, the celebs embraced the spirit of the festival with joy.

On the work front, Salman Khan was last seen in A.R. Murugadoss’s ‘Sikandar,’ also featuring Rashmika Mandanna.

The actor is now gearing up to step in as an Indian Army soldier in Apoorva Lakhia-directed ‘Battle of Galwan,’ based on the Galwan Valley clashes at the India-China border in 2020. (ANI)

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Nishikant Dubey on Sunday alleged that the Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wants to turn India into Bangladesh after the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha accused the Election Commission of “vote theft.”

Speaking with ANI, Dubey said, “Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi wants to make this country Bangladesh. Given the way he has raised questions about the ECI, he must understand that the elections here will not be conducted through Bangladeshi voters.”

The BJP leader said that Rahul Gandhi reiterated the same thing that the EC has been saying and emphasised the need for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

“The thing he is saying in the press conference is the same as what EC has said. SIR is to remove the name of voters who are registered at four places. Rahul Gandhi have problems because the names of Bangladeshi workers are being cut,” he said.

“Rahul Gandhi doesn’t know that when Rajiv Gandhi was the PM, the Election Commissioner used to sit in the PMO…Rahul Gandhi represents those foreign forces which do not want strong leadership in the form of PM Modi,” he said.

On August 7, Rahul Gandhi held a press conference, where he claimed that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections were “choreographed” by the EC to benefit the BJP, which he said appeared “immune to anti-incumbency.”

Citing internal analysis, Gandhi said the Congress expected to win 16 seats in Karnataka but ended up with only nine. He said the Congress investigated seven unexpected losses, zeroing in on Mahadevapura, where he alleged vote theft involving 1,00,250 votes.

Presenting Congress’s research on voting in the Mahadevapura Assembly in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi alleged “vote chori” (vote theft) of 1,00,250 votes.

“Our internal polling told us we would win 16 seats in Karnataka; we won nine. We then focused on seven unexpected losses. We focused on Mahadevapur…All data is 2024 data from the Election Commission; the total votes polled in the Lok Sabha were 6.26 lakhs. The BJP won with 6,58,915, securing a margin of 32,707. But then we look at Mahadevapura, where Congress polls 1,15,586 and BJP polls 2,29,632. Congress wins all Vidhan Sabhas but this one,” the Congress leader said.

In retaliation to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, EC has asked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to either give a declaration as per the rules or apologise to the country for his “false” allegations regarding the voter lists.

“Rahul Gandhi should either give a Declaration as per rules or apologise to the country for his false allegations,” ECI said in an official statement. (ANI)