MALAPPURAM: In the thick of an intense local body election season, IUML State President Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal speaks to TNIE about UDFs preparedness, seat-sharing debates, P V Anvars likely entry to the UDF, and why these elections could become a referendum on the Pinarayi Vijayan government. Excerpts The nomination process is over and the stage is set for the local body elections. How prepared are the Muslim League and the UDF? The UDF and the Muslim League are fully prepared. Our can

NEW DELHI: Calling for the world to show zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, India on Tuesday said that there can be no justification or whitewashing of terror at the SCO Heads of Government meeting. It is imperative that the world display zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. There can be no justification, no looking away, and no whitewashing. As India has demonstrated, we have the right to defend our people against terrorism and

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Bihar election results have taught a lesson that the aspirations of the people from the government are very high and they trust political parties with good intentions. Delivering the sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture, Modi said be it the central government or state governments led by regional parties, their primary focus should be development. The results of the Bihar elections have once again taught a lesson on the high aspirations and ambit

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Rajasthan authorities for their failure to control pollution in the Jojari River, saying the suffering that has been caused to two million people was unbelievable. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a suo motu case concerning contamination of the Jojari River water. The harsh reality that is going on at the spot is alarming, the bench said, adding, The suffering which has been caused to the people is unbelievable. It w

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With his eyes firmly fixed on the upcoming local-body elections, state Congress president Sunny Joseph talks to TNIE about Congress campaign themes, its stance on key issues, and allegations raised by rivals. Excerpts: What are the main issues being raised in this election? The Congress is highlighting the governments anti-people policies and its move to undermine decentralisation by cutting funds meant for local bodies. Funds allocated for scheduled castes and scheduled trib

PATNA: As Bihar braces for the counting of votes tomorrow, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Sunil Singh on Thursday issued a strong warning to election officials, cautioning against any attempt to manipulate the people's mandate, otherwise he same scenes witnessed on the roads in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka will be seen on the roads of Bihar as well. Singh claimed that in the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections, many RJD candidates were forcibly defeated, and urged vigilance to ensure such inci

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his government was steadfast in freeing encroached lands from infiltrators and restoring them to the indigenous people. He said that due to rampant encroachment, ethnic and tribal communities in Goalpara and Kamrup districts had lost oth their political and economic rights. The indigenous people are the true custodians of Assam's 'Jaati, Maati and Bheti' (nationality, land and the foundation of the state). It is our solemn pledge to e

The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested three people who the police said were involved in an alleged conspiracy to carry out a major terrorist attack using a potent poison called 'ricin', PTI reported citing officials. The accused, including a doctor identified as Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, hailing from Telangana along with two others from Uttar Pradesh, were in Gujarat to exchange weapons, according to Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi. Two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 live cartri

PATNA: Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of urning the people of Bihar into labourers over the past 20 years. Addressing a public rally in Bhagalpur, the Congress MP appealed to people to support the Mahagathbandhan to enable it to form the next government in Bihar for the states rapid development. If you want industries to be set up, quality education, and good governance, then vote for Mahagathbandhan, he

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the record voter turnout in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections showed that people had reposed their faith in the track record of Narendra and Nitish. Addressing a rally in Aurangabad district, Modi predicted a clear victory for the NDA, led in Bihar by Chief Minister and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar, and lauded the Election Commission for conducting peaceful polls across 121 constituencies. Never before in Bihars history has the turnout be

As Bihar is in the middle of a crucial election, the BJP is banking on its long-standing social engineering and record in governance. Dharmendra Pradhan , one of the partys key strategists, in an exclusive interview with Santwana Bhattacharya , Editor of The New Indian Express , talks about the three pillars of the NDA campaign, the continuing resonance of the jungle raj narrative, and the challenge posed by Prashant Kishor. Excerpts: You are one of BJPs key strategists for the Bihar election. W

A day after Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi flagged the use of a Brazilian model's photo in over 20 entries on Haryana's voter list, the woman on Thursday expressed shock, saying she was unaware of it. In a video posted on X, the woman, identified as Larissa, said that the photo appearing on the voter list was an old picture of her used without permission. Friends, Im going to tell you a joke. They are using an old picture me. I must have been about 18-20 years old I dont know if

CHANDIGARH: Contrary to initial reports, 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, an Indian-origin driver who crashed his semi-truck killing three US citizens in California last month, was not driving while being 'intoxicated'. However, the case remains a grossly negligent homicide, stated the Bernardino County District Attorneys Office. An updated complaint was filed last week, which said that toxicology reports confirmed that none of the toxic substances tested were present in Singhs blood at the time t

NEW DELHI: RJD leader and Mahagathbandhans chief ministerial face, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, exudes confidence as Bihar heads to the polls, promising a development model centred on employment and empowerment. Employment is at the heart of my vision for Biharit will drive the states growth, he tells TNIE's Rajesh Kumar Thakur. Criticising the BJP-JD(U) alliance as fractured and failed, Tejashwi pledged to redirect resources towards people-centric projects, empower women through the Mai Bahin Maan Yo

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Priyanka Gandhi on Saturday launched her campaign for the Bihar Assembly elections, targeting the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre and reiterating allegations of vote theft. Addressing a poll rally at Begusarai, the Congress leader claimed that the BJP has resorted to stealing votes as they failed to distract people from real issues by indulging in divisive politics. They first divided people, went to war, but couldn't divert attention from real issues, so th

NEW DELHI: Union Road Transport and Highways minister Nitin Gadkari has said that the purpose of installing QR-coded signboards with name and contact details of the contractors, officials and engineers is for the users to know who is responsible for the poor state of the road. The signboard will let people know who the minister, secretary, or contractor is associated with the specific road, with their contact details. Why should I get the abuse alone? Why should I respond on social media?... If

RAIPUR: The Odisha State Committee (CPI-Maoist), declaring to continue long-term peoples war, countered the statements of Central Committee (CC) member Chandranna alias Pilluri Prasad Rao, who surrendered in Hyderabad a couple of days ago. The committees press note contended to continue its strategic combat despite facing several challenges and cited the assertions of Chandranna (after surrender) on Comrade Devji being appointed as the general secretary of the banned outfit as untrue. The Bastar

SRINAGAR: At least 31 persons still remain missing after August 14's devastating cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Chesoti village. The cloudburst in the village situated in the mountainous Kishtwar district had triggered flashfloods and mudslides. The floods swept away all buildings and vehicles along the Machail Yatra route. The army and disaster response teams broke down boulders through controlled explosions and removed the debris to search for bodies. Minister in-Charge Disaster Management,

RANCHI: At least 15 people died of drowning during the Chhath Puja celebrations across Jharkhand, which were observed on Monday and Tuesday. Reports indicate that most of the victims drowned while offering prayers or bathing in ponds and rivers. In a recent incident, four girls, belonging to the same family, drowned in a pond at Jhardag village under the Shahpur Panchayat of Katkamsandi in Hazaribagh.The incident occurred in the afternoon following the Chhath Puja. According to locals, the girls

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the jungle raj in Bihar will be discussed for another 100 years and no matter how hard the opposition tries to hide its misdeeds, people will not forgive it. Training his guns at the RJD-Congress tie-up on a day Tejashwi Yadav was declared the Mahagathbandhan's chief ministerial candidate for the upcoming Bihar polls, Modi said the opposition alliance is not a gathbandhan but a lathbandhan (a coalition of criminals) as all its leaders from

With RJD's Tejashwi Yadav named the Mahagathbandhan's (grand alliance) chief ministerial face in the Bihar Assembly polls, the Congress on Thursday asserted that the INDIA bloc is ot a one-man show but a peoples alliance - built on mutual respect, inclusive representation, and the principle of shared power. At a joint press conference in Patna on Thursday, the opposition Mahagathbandhan named RJD leader andformer Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadavas its chief ministerial candidate for t

Former Union minister and BJP leader RK Singh appeared to have struck a nerve on Sunday when he urged the people of Bihar not to vote for the partys key candidate, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. In a social media post on Sunday, Singh advised people to shun candidates with a criminal record, even if they belong to your caste. He also urged people to opt for NOTA if none of those in the fray is without a taint. Among the NDA candidates whom he mentioned by name were Choudhary (Tarapur) a

GUWAHATI: Facing perhaps the toughest Assam elections early next year, the ruling BJP has revived its alliance with the Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF). The BPF had ousted the BJP-United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) combine from power in the Bodoland Territorial Region last month by bagging 28 seats in the elections to the 40-member autonomous Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC). Less than a month after the landslide victory, the BPF formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Saturday

LUCKNOW: Four more persons were arrested in connection with the lynching of a Dalit man in the Unchahar area of Rae Bareli district after villagers mistook him for a thief. The incident has snowballed into a political row, with the Congress party targeting the Yogi-Adityanath government and the Centre. Meanwhile, the police authorities said that all the accused would face charges under the Gangsters Act and the National Security Act (NSA). They also warned against the incident as a caste-based i

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday celebrated his 25th year in office, having served as the chief minister of Gujarat and now as the prime minister of India, describing the accomplishment as a great blessing to me from the people of India. On October 7, 2001, Modi was administered the oath of office as the 14th chief minister of Gujarat. He relinquished the chair and took the oath as prime minister on May 26, 2014. Modi took to X to share his journey, saying, On this day in 2001,

CHANDIGARH: Following a sloganeering incident at a recent event attended by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu during his visit to Darlaghat in Solan district, the Police have registered a case against an unknown person. On October 4, a case was registered at Darlaghat police station under Sections 353(2) and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to making or circulating statements, false information, or rumours with the intent to promote enmity, hatred, or

India on Monday condemned Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council and accused it of historic atrocities, including bombing its own citizens and orchestrating mass rape during the 1971 crackdown in then-East Pakistan. Speaking during an open debate on Women, Peace and Security, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Pakistan's military committed systematic genocide and sanctioned the mass rape of over 400,000 women during Operati

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Monday launched the Shraddhanjali Scheme to provide complete assistance for dignified transportation of the mortal remains of people from Assam who lose their lives, anywhere outside the State. The scheme, approved by the state cabinet on June 22, will be implemented by the Special Branch of the Assam Police. Families or individuals seeking assistance can report such death cases through designated helpline numbers. Government of Assam, upon receiving a report of

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the police will not be able to join the dots if the Assamese people, who were present on the yacht at the time of singer Zubeen Garg's death in Singapore, join the probe. People of Assam should put pressure on the Assamese community of Singapore so that those concerned are sent here, Sarma said. Garg died under mysterious circumstances in Singapore on September 19 while swimming in the sea. A number of Assamese community people liv

PATNA: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)s manifesto committee on Saturday announced that the party would launch a Sujhav Yatra (suggestion tour) from October 5 to get feedback from the people on its agenda for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. BJP minister Prem Kumar told media persons in Patna that the yatra would be launched between October 5 and 20 and cover all the 38 districts. He revealed that the party would get feedback from people during the Ghar Ghar Jan Sampark Abhiyan. During

NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had etrayed the people of Ladakh and demanded an impartial judicial probe into the death of four protesters in police firing in the union territory. Among those killed in Ladakh on Wednesday was Kargil war veteran Tsewang Tharchin. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, who is on a four-nation tour of South America, posted on X a video of Tharchin's father and said, Father in the army, son in the ar

NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj on Saturday said it will roll out the People's Plan Campaign across all states and Union territories from October 2, initiating the process for the preparation of Panchayat Development Plans (PDPs) for the financial year 2026-27. In a statement, the ministry said since its launch in 2018, the People's Plan Campaign has enabled panchayats to prepare evidence-based, convergent and inclusive plans through special gram sabha meetings. Over the years, the res

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday condemned the manner in which the government handled the violent situation in Ladakh and demanded a judicial inquiry into the death of four youths during protests earlier this week. The Congress also demanded immediate revival and restoration of institutions and democracy in Ladakh. The Indian National Congress strongly condemns the pathetic handling of the situation in Ladakh by the Government and subsequent arrest of Sonam Wangchuk under the draconian Nation

LUCKNOW: In order to counter the oppositions politics of caste and take the agenda of development forward, Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath exhorted his cabinet colleagues to expose the corruption during the tenure of the Samajwadi Party government to the people. After presiding over a cabinet meeting on late Friday evening, Yogi met his council of ministers in his office, said the sources privy to the development. A senior minister emerging from the meeting confirmed that the CM asked them to c

GUWAHATI: The BPF, a constituent of the NDA, swept the Bodoland Territorial Council polls in Assam by winning 28 of the 40 seats, officials said. The Bodoland People's Front (BPF), led by Hagrama Mohilary, improved its tally from the 17 seats it had won last time and secured an absolute majority, they said. The United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) and the BJP, both alliance partners in the outgoing council, finished far behind with seven and five seats, respectively. Mohilary won the Debargaon co

GUWAHATI: The Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) is set to emerge as the single largest party in Assams Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, the counting of votes of which was under way at the time of going to press. According to latest reports, the BPF was leading in 21 of the autonomous councils 40 seats, United Peoples Party Liberal (UPPL) in 11 and BJP in eight. The results are expected later tonight or Saturday. The BTC, currently ruled by the BJP-UPPL combine, went to polls on September

NEW DELHI: The BJP on Tuesday said the latest GST reforms have provided much relief to the people with a reduction in prices of commodities. It also took potshots at the Congress over its criticism, saying the opposition party keeps raising demands because it knows only Prime Minister Narendra Modi can fulfil them if they are in the public interest. On the Congress accusing the prime minister of taking credit for the GST rate cut decision taken by the GST Council comprising all states, BJP MP an

KOLKATA: With large parts of Kolkata thoroughly inundated, public life brought to its knees and at least seven people electrocuted in the wake of widespread and torrential overnight downpour, a political slugfest broke out on social media between the BJP, the state's prime Opposition, and its ruling dispensation, the Trinamool Congress. While the saffron party took to its social media handles to post pictures and videos of waterlogged streets of Kolkata and accused the TMC-run Kolkata Municipal

KOLKATA: Torrential rain paralysed Kolkata on Tuesday, leaving large swathes of the city waterlogged, and at least seven people died of electrocution, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to describe the downpour as unprecedented and lash out at poor dredging of Farakka and lapses by power utility CESC. Even our houses are submerged; we are all suffering. I am feeling so bad for the Pujo pandals as well, Banerjee said, adding that schools have been asked to declare holidays and office-goers

IMPHAL: Locals of Nambol in Manipur's Bishnupur district on Saturday morning staged protests against the killing of two Assam Rifles personnel in an ambush in the area the previous day. Search operations are being conducted in the area for the attackers and the vehicle used by them, police said. The locals, wearing traditional mourning attire, raised slogans and held placards condemning the attack and for creating fear and panic among the public, at a sit-in just 1 km from the ambush spot. Later

LUCKNOW: The Samarth Uttar Pradesh Viksit Uttar Pradesh @2047 campaign, led by the Yogi government, is witnessing significant public participation and feedback, with nodal officers and intellectuals visiting all 75 districts of the state. They are engaging with students, teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, business leaders, voluntary groups, labour unions, media representatives and the public. These interactions have not only highlighted the development journey of the past eight and a half years

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched yet another scathing attack on the Election Commission of India, accusing Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar of protecting vote theives. Addressing a special press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, the former Congress chief said that he is making the statements fully aware of his responsibility as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. I'm going to show to black and white proof that the Chief Election Commissioner

Three years after independent India celebrated its 75th birthday, PM Narendra Modi follows suit on Wednesday. In the over 10 years since he became PM by becoming the first Indian leader to sweep to a single-party majority in three decades and the first to be re-elected with a bigger mandate in 2019, there have been many achievements. At a time when technology is increasingly at the forefront, even street vendors in India have embraced UPI and Digital Payments, making us the world's undisputed le

IMPHAL: Manipurs Imphal and Churachandpur have been decked up with the posters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of his visit to the ethnic violence-hit State. Captioned Viksit Bharat Viksit Manipur, the poster put up overnight by the State government said PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 7,300 crore in Churachandpur and inaugurate development projects of Rs 1,200 crore in Imphal. Officials said the projects will be launched for the entire Man

SINGAPORE: Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Friday said the tariffs imposed by the US has impacted India with people already losing jobs, even as he lashed out at American President Donald Trump for being mercurial in nature and not honouring conventional standards of diplomatic behaviour. US has imposed a 50 per cent tariff, including 25 per cent as penalty for buying Russian oil, on shipments from India. India needs to diversify export markets to mitigate the impact of tariffs, Tharoor

SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday alleged that AAP MLA Mehraj Malik was made a scapegoat to divert attention from the Hazratbal emblem controversy in Jammu and Kashmir. Malik, who is also the president of the J-K unit of AAP, was detained on Monday under the stringent law for allegedly disturbing public order in Doda district and was subsequently lodged in Kathua district jail. Speaking with reporters at the party headquarters here, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmi

JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday reached out to flood-hit people in Jammu city and assured them of government support. The city was badly hit by floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains on August 26, resulting in huge damage to residential areas in Peerkho, Gujjar Nagar, and Rajiv Nagar. Sinha visited Rajiv Colony, where a health camp was being held for flood-affected families. He interacted with people and heard their concerns, an official said. The L-G

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday embarked on a day-long visit to flood-affected regions of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab, reaffirming the Centres commitment to stand with those impacted by the natural calamity. Beginning his tour in Himachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister assessed the damage caused by torrential rains and landslides. He will later conduct an aerial survey of flood-ravaged areas in Punjab. Officials said PM Modi held high-level discussions with state authorities and chaired a r

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit the ethnic conflict struck Manipur on September 13, for the first time since the conflict broke out in May 2023. As the state prepares for the visit, Congress has slammed the 3-hour tour an insult to the people of Manipur who have waited for the prime minister for 29 long and agonising months. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the September 13 visit to Manipur will actually be a on-visit by the PM. The proposed

NEW DELHI: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that the GST reforms will not only provide a significant boost to the Indian economy, but will also greatly benefit the common people. During a press conference at the BJP central office, he lashed out at the previous Congress-led UPA government, claiming that the heavy burden of taxes during its tenure had negatively impacted peoples lives. Prior to 2014, a complex system of multiple taxes applied to every item, placing a heavy burden