Q&A - Interviews / The New Indian Express
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
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has lost at least Rs 1,010 crore to digital fraudsters in the past seven months, a release from the cyber crime wing said. The wing, however, has frozen Rs 314 crore swindled by the conmen and returned a part of the money to victims after obtaining court orders. Data from the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal showed that 1,27,041 complaints were registered in 2024, while 1,09,608 cases have been reported up to July in 2025. The release said fraudsters promised high return
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
GUWAHATI: Only three foreigners have received citizenship of India in Assam under the CAA against 12 applications, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function here, he said it is futile to discuss the CAA on the backdrop of such a low number of applications against the apprehension that lakhs of foreigners would get citizenship in Assam. In Assam, only three people have got citizenship under the CAA so far, he said. The CM,
NEW DELHI: Over one billion people are living with mental health conditions, with anxiety and depression being the most common conditions, according to new data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday. The report shows that while the prevalence of mental health conditions can vary by sex, women are disproportionately impacted overall. Suicide remains a devastating outcome, claiming an estimated 7,27,000 lives in 2021 alone, said the new findings published in two reports World
NEW YORK: In a new rant against India for its purchases of Russian oil , White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has said that Brahmins are profiteering at the expense of the Indian people and it needs to stop. Look (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a great leader, Navarro, the Trump administration's Senior Counsellor for Trade and Manufacturing, said in an interview with Fox News Sunday . The trade adviser said that he doesn't understand how the Indian leader is cooperating with Russian Preside
DEHRADUN: A day after heavy rains and a series of cloudbursts left a trail of destruction in various districts of Uttarakhand, rescuers frantically searched for the missing through knee-high debris at the break of daylight on Saturday. Six people died and 11 went missing in heavy rains, landslides and cloudbursts that pounded Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Tehri districts early on Friday. Breached roads delayed the arrival of rescue teams comprising SDRF and DDRF personnel to the affected a
CHANDIGARH: The flood situation in Punjab remains critical, with 836 villages and standing crops across more than 1.10 lakh acres affected in eight districts, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar, due to swelling of the Ravi, Beas and Sutlej rivers. So far, 7,689 people have been evacuated to safer locations. Heavy rains and the rising Ghaggar river, following intense rainfall in its catchment area and the opening of floodgates at Sukhna Lake
KASARAGOD: Five people died after a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus rammed into an auto rickshaw and mauled down people at the waiting shed in Talapadi in Kerala Kerala-Karnataka border on Thursday afternoon. The KSRTC bus bound to Mangalore from Kasaragod lost control and collided with the auto rickshaw first before ramming the waiting area. The auto rickshaw driver and a ten-year-old girl inside the rickshaw died on the spot. Two more women waiting at the shed also died.
PATNA: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday said the Voter Adhikar Yatra, launched by her brother and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is a movement to fight for the peoples democratic rights. Addressing a public gathering in Muzaffarpur, Priyanka expressed satisfaction over the publics overwhelming response to the 16-day, 3,000-km Yatra, which commenced from Sasaram in Rohtas district on 17 August. The people have clearly understood our message, about vote thef
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi on Wednesday and wished everyone happiness, peace and good health. Wishing you all a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May this occasion filled with faith and devotion, be auspicious for everyone. I pray to Lord Gajanan to bless all his devotees with happiness, peace and good health. Ganpati Bappa Morya! Modi said in a post in Hindi on X. , ! Narendra Modi (@narendramo
KOLKATA: Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen expressed concerns over the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, warning that the exercise, if not handled sensitively, could end up disenfranchising a large number of poor and marginalised people. Sen also questioned the fairness of a bureaucratic process that demands strict documentation from citizens who may not have access to those things. He also said that administrative processes and periodic revisions are necessary, but these m
NEW DELHI: Amid a ruckus in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday as Home Minister Amit Shah introduced a Bill aimed at bringing the Prime Minister, Chief Ministers, and Union or state ministers under the ambit of law, Shah launched a sharp attack on the Congress-led Opposition, saying the people of the country must decide whether it is right for a leader to run the government while in jail. Shah said the Constitution Amendment Bill, tabled with the consent of the Lok Sabha Speaker, seeks to ensure key con
MUMBAI: Torrential rains over the past two days has displaced around 4,143 people across Maharashtra, with Raigad district reporting the highest number at 1,332, according to the state disaster management authority. On August 19, rain-related incidents, including wall collapses, drowning, falling trees and landslides, killed 10 people and injured two, while 52 animals also died, the report said. The data showed Raigad recorded the largest displacement at 1,332, followed by 610 in Thane, 471 in S
CHANDIGARH: In view of persistent rainfall, the district administration has called off the Kinnaur Kailash Yatra with immediate effect. A pilgrim from Uttar Pradesh was killed after being hit by a shooting stone on the Yatra route. With this, the death toll of pilgrims on the Yatra has risen to five. This year recorded the highest number of pilgrims 7,316. Sources said that 31-year-old Gaurav, a resident of Aditya World City in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, died after sustaining injuries from a sho
GUWAHATI: Claiming that some strange people from different parts of the country were visiting Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said they will be arrested if they cross limits. Speaking to reporters at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), where he went on Monday night following the death of a newborn , Sarma said these people were advocates from Mumbai and Kerala. We are keeping a track of them. They had also come when the NRC was being updated in the state, and spoiled the e
NEW DELHI: A portion of Humayun's Tomb in Delhi's Nizamuddin area collapsed on Friday with the authorities saying that eight to nine people are feared trapped. A call regarding a portion of a dome falling was received around 4.30 pm, a Delhi Fire Services official said. Eight to nine people are feared trapped and five fire tenders have been rushed, the official said. The monument is a mid-16th century mausoleum that is frequented by tourists. VIDEO | Delhi: A portion of the structure at Humayuns
NEW DELHI: Flagging obesity as a major challenge for the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day speech on Friday, once again exhorted people to reduce edible oil consumption by 10 per cent to address this pressing health concern. This is the third time the prime minister has raised an alarm on rising obesity, which leads to heart diseases, strokes, type-2 diabetes, certain cancers, digestive problems, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and fatty liver disease. Addressing the na
GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday launched a digital portal, through which indigenous people living in sensitive areas can apply for arms licences. The aim of the initiative is to enable responsible citizens aid and assist the government in maintaining peace, and law and order situation in the state, Sarma said. He said the licences will be granted after proper scrutiny and a multi-layered process. The CM said the licences will be granted to those individuals who do
THANE: A fire broke out at a cafe located in a multi-storey residential building in Maharashtra's Thane city early Thursday morning, following which 35 persons were evacuated from the structure, officials said. No casualty has been reported as of now, Thane Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell chief Yasin Tadvi said. The blaze erupted in the Parsik Cafe located on the ground floor of the six-storey building at Kharegaon in Kalwa (West), he said. The disaster management cell received
NEW DELHI: The Congress on Wednesday stepped up its campaign against alleged 'vote chori' by releasing a new video depicting how fake votes were being cast and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge asking people to raise their voice and save constitutional institutions from the clutches of the BJP. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also shared the minute-long video and said, Aapke vote ki chori aapke adhikar ki chori, aapki pehchaan ki chori hai. Tagging the advertisement titled 'booth par vote chori, Congr
NEW DELHI: Upping the ante over Rahul Gandhi's poll rigging claims, the Congress on Tuesday announced a roadmap to take its vote chori allegations to the people, which include taking out 'Loktantra bachao mashaal marches' on Independence Day eve. The opposition party also claimed that as more evidence of vote chori was coming to the fore, it seemed that it was not mere theft but dacoity. The assertion was made after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge held a meeting with party general secretar
RANCHI: More than 1 lakh people, including several VIPs, are expected to attend the Shradh-Karma of Dishom Guru Shibu Soren on August 15th and the Sanskar Bhoj on August 16th. As preparations are in full swing, four helipads have been built in Nemra. Out of these, three have been built near the ancestral house of Shibu Soren, while the other has been built on Lukaiyatand Road. Distribution of cards printed in Hindi and Santhali languages, has already started. The Cabinet Secretariat will send in
NEW DELHI: Upping the ante over Rahul Gandhi's poll rigging claims , the Congress has launched a web page where people can register to demand accountability from the Election Commission against what it called was vote chori and express support for his demand for digital voter rolls. Anyone can click on the portal link and download vote chori proof, demand EC accountability and report vote chori. It also carries Gandhi's video in which reiterated his explosive claims of a huge criminal fraud in t
THANE: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists allegedly assaulted a food stall operator in Kalyan area of Thane district, accusing him of making derogatory remarks against Marathi people and Raj Thackeray. Taking cognisance of the viral video, a police official said the law and order monitoring has been stepped up. The incident occurred at a hotel in Durgamata Mandir Chowk area on Friday. The video clip shows MNS's Kalyan (East) office-bearer Kush Rajput and other workers confronting the operator
DEHRADUN: Heavy rain continued to pound Uttarkashi as rescuers resumed their operations on Wednesday in Dharali, searching for flash flood victims amid the rubble. Nearly half of the picturesque Dharali village was ravaged by the flash flood on Tuesday afternoon. The village is the main stopover on the way to Gangotri, from where the Ganga originates Four deaths have so far been confirmed in the flash flood, which followed a cloudburst. Around 130 people have been evacuated to safety. Not a sing
The Election Commission of India on Thursday said that all political parties and electors will be given a time period of one month to add names of eligible citizens or remove names of those they think are ineligible from the draft electoral rolls of Bihar. In a statement, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumarthe announced that as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the draft electoral rolls will be published on August 1. Physical as well as digit
NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday said there have been eight air accidents that killed 274 people in the country so far this year. Apart from the Air India plane crash on June 12 that killed 260 people, there were three trainee aircraft accidents and four helicopter accidents. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Lok Sabha that the cause of these accidents is under probe by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). There have been a total of 08 accidents (in
BHOPAL: Several people, including school children, were stranded in parts of Madhya Pradesh's Shivpuri district due to a flood-like situation after heavy rains, prompting the authorities to call the Army for rescue and relief work, officials said on Wednesday. A flood-like situation has also arisen in Guna district, where a bridge on a culvert caved-in. People from several villages in Guna have been asked to move to safer places, they said. Due to heavy rains, Dindori, Vidisha, Jabalpur, Narmada
A day before the Supreme Court is set to hear petitions challenging its revision drive, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the successful completion of the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
KOLKATA: The political slugfest between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP over the alleged harassment and torture of Bengali-speaking people from West Bengal in various BJP-ruled states continued on Saturday as the BJP accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of compromising national security for vote-bank politics. In response, the Trinamool Congress alleged that the BJP is harassing the people of Bengal , while stating that as long as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is there, no one
Amid mounting criticim over the controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar , the Election Commission on Thursday in a statement defended the exercise, asking if the poll body should instead be allowing he dead, those who have migrated permanently or have registered themselves as electors at multiple places be included in the voters' list. The Constitution of India is the mother of Indian democracy....So, fearing these things, should the Election Commission, getti
GUWAHATI: The eviction drives in Assam have left the Nagas worried about a possible influx of the displaced people into Nagaland. The Konyak Students Union, apex student body of Konyak Nagas in Nagaland, on July 23, directed its federating units, especially in Tizit and Naginimora areas, to deploy 100 volunteers daily to every entry point of Mon district. The volunteers are tasked with checking all non-locals entering Mon district to ensure they are carrying valid ILP (Inner Line Permit) and pro
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday slammed the BJP government in Assam for threatening Bengali-speaking people in the northeastern state, who want to peacefully coexist, respecting all languages and religions. Banerjee also asserted that the divisive agenda of the BJP in Assam has crossed all limits. The TMC supremo has been accusing the Centre and the BJP-ruled states of systematically targeting Bengali-speaking migrants by branding them as illegal Bangladeshi or Ro
PATNA: Lightning strikes during monsoon storms in eastern India this week killed at least 33 people and injured dozens, officials said Friday. The deaths in Bihar occurred during fierce storms between Wednesday and Thursday, a state disaster management department statement said, with the victims mostly farmers and labourers working in the open. More heavy rain and lightning are forecast for parts of the state. Bihar state's disaster management minister, Vijay Kumar Mandal, told AFP that official
MOTIHARI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday alleged that the RJD could not think of providing employment to youths as the party usurped the land of poor people before giving them jobs. He also accused the Congress-RJD combine of playing politics in the name of the poor and socially marginalised people and blamed both parties for the state's earlier neglect and stagnation. Addressing a public rally in Motihari ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the PM coined a new slogan, 'Banayenge n
MUMBAI: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday criticised the BJP over the clash in the Maharashtra Vidhan Bhavan, alleging that people with serious criminal records were being inducted into the party. Speaking to reporters, Raut said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should dissolve his government, and the President's rule must be imposed in the state. Supporters of BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar and NCP (SP) legislator Jitendra Awhad came to blows inside the Maharashtra legislature complex on
KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit the streets of Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon to protest the alleged harassment of Bengali-speaking people in BJP-ruled states. Senior leaders of the party, including TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, joined Banerjee as she led thousands of people in the march, which began from College Square in central Kolkata around 1.45 pm. The march will terminate at Dorina Crossing in Dharmatala. The nearly 3-km route was wrapped in sec
AHMEDABAD: Just days after the Gambhira bridge collapse between Vadodara and Anand claimed 21 lives, Gujarat has been jolted by another alarming bridge mishap this time in Junagadhs Mangrol taluka. In Ajak village, a portion of a dilapidated bridge gave way, plunging over eight people and a breaker machine into the river from a height. Miraculously, all were rescued without fatalities. Even as panic spread, the Junagadh District Executive Engineer claimed, the bridge hadnt collapsed but was bein
AHMEDABAD: Just days after the Gambhira bridge collapse between Vadodara and Anand claimed 21 lives, Gujarat has been jolted by another alarming bridge mishap this time in Junagadhs Mangrol taluka. In Ajak village, a portion of a dilapidated bridge gave way, plunging over eight people and a breaker machine into the river from a height. Miraculously, all were rescued without fatalities. Even as panic spread, the Junagadh District Executive Engineer claimed, the bridge hadnt collapsed but was bein
NEW DELHI: The Centre has informed the Delhi High Court it has no plans to introduce Rs 50 coin as people prefer banknotes. The submissions came in response to a PIL seeking directions to produce currency notes and coins, particularly Rs 50 and below, which would be easily identifiable by blind persons. A division bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Anish Dayal on Wednesday noted though the counter affidavit was filed with the registry, it was not on record. Let necessary steps be t
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the ruling BJP of reneging on its pre-poll promises and asked people to remain united in the fight to protect their 'jal, jungle and zameen' (water, forest, land). He alleged the BJP was trying to intimidate everyone in the country and misusing central probe agencies against its opponents. Speaking at a public rally titled, 'Jai Jawan-Jai Kisan-Jai Samvidhan' at Science College Ground in Raipur amid heavy rains, the Leader of Opposition in
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday appealed to citizens to preserve and nurture the knowledge shared by the state's saints and icons, calling it a responsibility. Maharashtra produced not just warriors, but protectors of dharma, visionaries of the nation, and architects of modern India, he said. Though we may not be the direct descendants of Dnyaneshwar, Shivaji Maharaj, Savitribai Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, we are the carriers of their intellectual legacy. With
NEW DELHI: Terming the framing and implementation of the three new criminal laws as the biggest reform in Independent India, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that they are framed in such a way that all rights of citizens are protected and no criminal goes unpunished. Speaking at a function here to mark the one year of implementation of the three laws - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), Shah asserte
IMPHAL: The Manipur Police on Tuesday said security forces have launched search operations to arrest the gunmen who killed four people in an ambush in Churachandpur district a day ago. An FIR has been registered in connection with the killing of the four people, and security has been tightened to prevent any escalation of violence, a police statement said. Operations have been launched by security forces to arrest the culprits involved in the incident. An FIR has been registered in connection wi
SRINAGAR: Three Kashmir-based political parties have come together to form a new political alliance named the Peoples Alliance for Change. The alliance comprises the Peoples Conference, led by MLA Sajjad Gani Lone; the Peoples Democratic Front (PDF), headed by former MLA Hakim Mohammad Yasin; and the Justice & Development Front (JDF), a newly-formed party comprising former members of the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami. The announcement was made at a press conference in Srinagar by JDF President Sham
People think I am the next Lalu Prasad: Tej Undeterred by his ouster from the family and expulsion from the party for six years, Tej Pratap Yadav, the eldest son of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and RJD MLA, now claims that there are conspiracies against him as people recognise him as the next Lalu Prasad. I would like my brother Tejashwi Prasad Yadav to become the CM after the elections later this year. I aim to play the role of a kingmaker, Tej said. He, however, made it clear that he would not change