The New Indian Express News

BHOPAL: A local BJP leader from Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur district has been caught on camera abusing a visually impaired woman over allegations of religious conversion. The video which went viral on Monday, is related to an incident which reportedly happened in the premises of a Church in Hawa Bagh area under Gorakhpur police station of Jabalpur district on Saturday. In the video, the BJP's recently appointed Jabalpur city unit vice president Anju Bhargava is seen shouting at a visually impaired

NEW DELHI: Slamming Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for attending a tea party hosted by the BJP government after the conclusion of the Winter Session of Parliament, INDIA bloc ally CPI(M) on Monday said the move sent a wrong message at a time when the Centre had bulldozed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Speaking to reporters in the national capital, CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said the optics of Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi

JAIPUR: Environmentalists and social organisations staged demonstrations against the Supreme Courts acceptance of the Union Environment Ministrys definition of the Aravalli mountains in several cities of Rajasthan on Monday. Meanwhile, a political war of words has erupted between former chief minister Ashok Gehlot and Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. Protests were held in Udaipur, Jodhpur, Sikar, Alwar and Ajmer, with police action reported at some places. Leader of Opposition Tikaram

Days after the BJP-led Union Government passed a contentious law replacing the two-decade-old MGNREGA , CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas on Monday claimed that the Centre is now moving towards removing Mahatma Gandhis image from Indian currency notes. The allegation comes despite repeated denials by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) that any such proposal is under consideration. Speaking to reporters in the capital, Brittas said a high-level meeting on the issue had already taken place, signalli

GUWAHATI: Assam's Biswanath district administration has directed two women, declared as Bangladeshis by the Foreigners' Tribunal, to leave the country within 24 hours of receiving the orders, officials said on Monday. The Tribunal had declared Asmull Khatun of Missamari village and Afuja Begum of Bakrapatta village as 'foreigners' from Bangladesh at different point of time following which Biswanath District Commissioner Lakhinandan Saharia issued an order under Section 2 of the Immigrants (Expul

Four years after its launch in May 2021, the Centre's ambitious Rs 18,100 crore battery manufacturing scheme is yet to start commercial production. Launched under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, the Production Linked Incentive scheme aims to establish a domestic manufacturing capacity of 50 GWh for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) batteries, critical for electric vehicles, renewable energy storage and grid applications. However, so far it has failed to produce a single unit of commercial battery

RANCHI: Two youths poured boiling oil on a woman for allegedly resisting sexual harassment late Sunday evening in Jharkhand's Giridh. According to police, one accused has been arrested, while the other is still on the run. As per information received, the woman runs a shop selling fritters to support her family. The accused persons, Uday Chaudhary and Manish Chaudhary, had gone to her shop on Sunday evening. At that moment, the power went out. Both accused took advantage of the situation and att

A Christmas event scheduled to be held at a hotel run by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department on the banks of the Ganges in Haridwar has been cancelled following objections from Hindu outfits, a hotel official said on Monday. Several activities for children were scheduled for December 24 at Hotel Bhagirathi on the occasion of Christmas, but they will not be held now, hotel owner Neeraj Gupta said. After information about the Christmas event at the hotel spread on social media, Hindu organisation

RANCHI: Jharkhands Social Welfare Directorate is set to launch a a first-of-its-kind campaign to curb child marriage by sharing real-life stories of girls who stood up against the practice. The campaign will showcase the success stories of girls who protested against the outdated practice and persuaded their families to not go through with their marriages, while also discussing the challenges they faced throughout their struggle for autonomy. Through these stories, young girls will be sensitised

MUMBAI: Following its defeat in the Maharashtra local body elections, Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut has approached Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with a request to form an alliance ahead of the upcoming elections to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), scheduled on January15, 2026. In the local body elections, the BJP has emerged as the single largest party . After winning the 41 Nagar Panchayat president posts in the local body elections, the Congress has gained

Following the controversy surrounding the recent Supreme Court order regarding the new definition of the Aravalli hills based on a 100-metre criterion, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupendra Yadav said the directive aims to restrict illegal mining. He added that the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) will develop a detailed, district-wise conservation plan for the Aravalli region in accordance with the Supreme Court's order. The Supreme Court or

LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday presented a supplementary budget of Rs 24,496.98 crore for the financial year 202526 during the second day of the five-day winter session of the state legislature. The budget was presented in the Assembly by State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna, who said it was aimed at sustaining the momentum of development, providing additional resources to essential sectors, and fast-tracking welfare schemes in response to emerging needs. Khanna said the origina

CHANDIGARH: After falling victim to an alleged online fraud by cyber criminals to the tune of Rs 8.10 crore, former Inspector General of Police Amar Singh Chahal shot himself in Patiala on Monday and is in a critical condition. Sources said that Chahal was rushed to Park Hospital with a serious chest injury and is undergoing treatment. A handwritten note recovered from the scene said that he was a victim of an online fraud. The note, written in the form of a letter and addressed to Prime Ministe

KOLKATA: Hearing of three PILs over the fiasco during Argentine football legend Lionel Messi showcasing event last week that saw spectator rampage at the Salt Lake stadium here concluded before the Calcutta High Court on Monday. The petitioners sought investigation into the incident by central agencies as well as refund of ticket price to the spectators, a section of whom had gone on a rampage over not being able to see their favourite star and early conclusion of the event following a messy sit

Union Health Minister and BJP President J P Nadda on Monday targeted the Congress, accusing some party insiders of facilitating the 2013 Jhiram Ghati Naxal attack, which led to the killing of its state leaders. Addressing the 'Janadesh Parab' (people's mandate festival) event held to mark the completion of two years of the Vishnu Deo Sai-led BJP government in Chhattisgarh, Nadda alleged, Today, I say this with great responsibility that no one else was providing information and inside details abo

NEW DELHI: A day after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to the VBGRAMG Bill, turning it into a law, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sonia Gandhi over her recent article criticising the changes. Gandhi had accused the Modi government of bulldozing MGNREGA, a charge the BJP strongly rejected. Amit Malviya, national head of the BJPs Information and Technology wing, responded with a detailed rebuttal on X, describing Sonia Gandhis arti

NEW DELHI: Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday accused the Congress of spreading misinformation and lies on the issue of the new definition of the Aravallis and stressed that mining can be carried out legally in only 0.19 per cent of the area covered by the mountain range. At a press briefing, he said the Narendra Modi government remains fully committed to protecting and restoring the Aravallis. The Congress, which allowed rampant illegal mining in Rajasthan during its tenure, i

GUWAHATI: Protestors on Monday torched the ancestral residence of Assams Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang. The incident comes amid the demand for the eviction of outsiders from a few village grazing reserves (VGRs) and professional grazing reserves (PGRs). At least three protestors were injured. The violence broke out at Donkamokam in the hill district of West Karbi Anglong, where tribal Karbis are in the majority. Ronghangs house was gutted in the

NEW DELHI: In a major relief to Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader and former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed his conviction in a cheating and forgery case. Issue notice to the Maharashtra government. Meanwhile, the conviction of the petitioner (Manikrao Kokate) shall remain stayed to the extent that there shall be no result of disqualification as a member of the state legislative assembly. However, that will not entitle the petitioner to hold an office of profit.

PATNA: The Bihar government on Monday claimed that the State has 'almost' got rid of the Maoist menace. The number of Maoist-infested districts has declined from 22 to zero, with no major incidents reported in the past few years, according to Bihar Home departments additional chief secretary (ACS) Arvind Kumar Chaudhary. Stating that Naxal-related violence has not been reported in the past 3-4 years in the State, Chaudhary said the number of left-wing Maoist-infested districts has reduced to nil

NEW DELHI: A latest study revealed that hot and humid conditions driven by climate change could increase cases of stunting in South Asia's children by over three million by 2050. Researchers found that pregnant women are known to be susceptible to heat stress due to the additional weight and hormonal changes, which make them 'vulnerable' to overheating. The findings published in the journal Science show that humidity can worsen the impacts of exposure to heat, in part as it prevents pregnant wom

LUCKNOW: After nearly nine years of legal proceedings, five convicts of the Bulandshahr NH-91 gang rape case were sentenced to life imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 1.81 lakh each by the local court on Monday. Initially, 11 people were named as accused in the case, which pertained to a family that fell victim to brutal atrocities in 2016. Prime accused Salim Bawariya died during the course of the trial in 2019, while two other accused were killed in separate encounters by the STF. Those who

KOLKATA: Four members of a family were charred to death while sleeping inside a room during a fire on Sunday night in Howrah district of West Bengal, officials said on Monday. The incident took place around midnight in Sauria village under the jurisdiction of Joypur police station in Howrah. The deceased were identified as Durjodhan Dolui (72), his son Dudhkumar Dolui (45), daughter-in-law Shibani Dolui (40), and granddaughter Shampa Dolui (15). Their bodies were recovered from the room by polic

CHANDIGARH: A patient was allegedly assaulted by a doctor at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in Shimla triggering protests by his kin outside the hospital premises. Medical superintendent of the hospital Rahul Rao said that action against the accused doctor has been initiated and a report has been sought. Further action will be taken after the report is received, he said, adding that the victim has lodged a police complaint and an FIR has been filed against the doctor who is a specialis

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged minorities, who traditionally support the ruling Trinamool Congress, to remain united at a time when the partys suspended MLA Humayun Kabir floated a new political platform , the Janatar Unnyan Party (JUP). The move has raised concerns over a possible split in the minority vote bank barely four months ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled next year. Addressing a meeting of Trinamool Congress Booth Level Agents (BLAs) in the

CHANDIGARH: With the objective of making Himachal Pradesh self-reliant in the energy sector, the state government has set a target to meet over 90 per cent of its energy requirements through renewable sources and transform Himachal Pradesh into a Green Energy State by March 2026. As part of this initiative, 500 kW ground-mounted solar power projects will be installed in all panchayats across the state, said Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Shimla on Monday. At present, the states annual

Indian H-1B visa holders who travelled back to India this month to renew their American work permits have been left stranded after their visa interviews were abruptly rescheduled by US consular offices, The Washington Post reported, citing three immigration lawyers. The high-skilled workers had appointments cancelled between December 15 and 26, a period that overlaps with the US holiday season, and many are now facing new dates months later, with interviews reportedly pushed to March next year.

ETAH:The Uttar Pradesh Police have intensified their crackdown on the alleged illegal trade, diversion and distribution of regulated codeine-based cough syrup, arresting six persons in separate operations in Etah and Mirzapur districts, officials said on Monday. The action comes as the probe widened into the alleged codiene syrup trafficking racket, suspected to be involved in illicit trade estimated to be worth hundreds of crores -- with links stretching across several states and possibly beyon

Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Monday sought to turn Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths do namune jibe into a political gotcha moment, claiming the remark was a self-goal that amounted to an open admission of an alleged rift within the Bharatiya Janata Party, particularly between its Delhi and Lucknow power centres. The sharp exchange unfolded amid a political slugfest over the alleged illegal trade of codeine-based cough syrup, with Adityanath taking potshots at opposition

KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday once again lashed out at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that he controls the Election Commission of India (ECI). Addressing a meeting of Trinamool Congress Booth Level Agents (BLAs) at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, around 1.5 km from the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) at BBD Bag, the Chief Minister intensified her attack on Shah. I have never seen such an autocratic, worthless home minister who controls

MUMBAI: In the Goa Zilla Panchayat polls, the results of which were declared on Monday, the BJP is set for a massive victory by winning 17 of the total 50 seats. The Congress party won five seats, while other smaller parties together secured four seats. Goa has two Zilla ParishadsNorth Goa and South Goawhich together comprise 50 district panchayat seats. In this election, over six lakh voters cast their ballots, with a voter turnout of 72.6 per cent in North Goa and 68.9 per cent in South Goa. T

JAIPUR: Rajasthan has taken a historic step towards strengthening tiger conservation by airlifting a tigress from Madhya Pradeshs Pench Tiger Reserve to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi district, to improve the genetic diversity of its tiger population. Wildlife experts said this is the first instance in the country of an interstate transfer of a tigress by air. The operation was conducted under strict scientific protocols, tight security, and multi-level coordination between agencies. T

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday slammed the Uttarakhand government over the grabbing of forest land, observing that the state government and its authorities were sitting like mute spectators, and initiated a suo motu case. A vacation bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the chief secretary of Uttarakhand to form an inquiry committee and submit a report. What is shocking to us is that the State of Uttarakhand and authorities are sitting like mute spectator

CHANDIGARH: The cash-strapped Punjab government has begun geo-tagging properties across the state to improve property tax recovery. At present, around 94,000 commercial property owners owe nearly Rs 1,100 crore in property tax, as identified by various civic bodies. Poor recovery has begun to affect revenue-dependent essential services. Of the total 1.55 lakh owners of commercial, industrial and other properties, 94,000 are commercial property owners. The Local Bodies Department has so far compl

BELDANGA: West Bengal MLA Humayun Kabir on Monday floated a new outfit, Janata Unnayan Party, days after he was suspended by the TMC for laying the foundation stone for a Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad district. Addressing a public meeting in Beladanga, Kabir named a few candidates that his new party will field in the 2026 assembly elections in the state. Kabir, the MLA of Bharatpur, said he would contest the assembly polls from two seats, Rejinagar and Beldanga in Murshidabad. 'Will be kingm

NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Monday reserved its order in a case related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar is an accused. Special Judge Dig Vinay Singh reserved the order for January 22 after the final arguments concluded in the case. Kumar was produced before the court amid heavy security. In February 2015, a special investigation team registered two FIRs against Kumar based on complaints of violence in Delhi's Janakpuri and Vikaspuri during the riots. The firs

RAIPUR: A Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) constable shot his colleague dead inside the barrack camp during the intervening night of Sunday-Monday in Khairagarh district, about 130 km west of Raipur. The firing incident occurred in 17 CAF battalion at Ghagra base camp following an altercation between the accused jawan and his colleague. There was some heated arguments between the accused constable Arvind Gautam and the deceased Sonbir Jaat, a mess commander, over some issue late at night. The argu

PATNA: A beauty parlour owner was allegedly attacked with acid in Mokama on the outskirts of Patna, police said on Monday. The incident happened when the 40-year-old woman was returning home after closing her parlour on Sunday night, they said. Police said two men arrived on a motorcycle and allegedly threw acid on her. She suffered minor burns on her face. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital by locals. Her condition is out of danger, SDPO of Barh Anand Kumar Singh told PTI . A case h

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed conviction of former Maharashtra minister Manikrao Kokate in a cheating and forgery case. A vacation bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notice to the Maharashtra government on Kokate's plea. Issue notice. In the meanwhile, conviction of petitioner shall remain stayed to the extent that there shall be no disqualification as a member of legislative assembly. However he shall not hold any office of profit, the bench sai

HOWRAH: Four members of a family were charred to death in a fire at their house in West Bengal's Howrah district, officials said on Monday morning. The incident happened in Sauria village in the Joypur police station area around midnight, they said. The deceased were identified as Durjodhan Dolui (72), his son Dudhkumar Dolui (45), daughter-in-law Shibani Dolui (40), and granddaughter Shampa Dolui (15). An investigation is underway to ascertain how the kuchcha house caught fire, officials said.

NEW DELHI: Congress MP and General Secretary in-charge of Communications Jairam Ramesh, on Monday announced the party's plan to organise a public agitation campaign to repeal the abolition of MGNREGA. In a post on the social media platform X, Ramesh shared the background of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which is now replaced by the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgaar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act (VB-G RAM-G) . Sharing the timeline of how Congress laid

NEW DELHI: India and New Zealand on Monday concluded a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) , marking a significant step in strengthening bilateral economic and strategic ties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with his New Zealand counterpart, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, during which the two leaders jointly announced the conclusion of what they described as a historic, ambitious and mutually beneficial pact. Negotiations for the IndiaNew Zealand FTA were initiated during Pr

DEHRADUN: Legal pressures are intensifying dramatically for Shabab Hussain, the central figure in the massive Loni Urban Multi Credit and Thrift Cooperative Society (LUCC) scam that crippled thousands of depositors across Uttarakhand. Hussain, already facing scrutiny for the multi-crore cooperative society fraud that originated by aggressively courting investors in Uttarakhand starting in 2019, has now been summoned by a Mumbai court over a separate, high-value financial dispute involving an avi

BENGALURU: Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday strongly criticised the Union government's VB-G RAM G Act 2025 that replaced MGNREGA, claiming that changes in the new legislation weaken and undermine the previous act's core promise as a rights-based rural employment programme. In a post on social media platform 'X', Priyank Kharge said the act would gradually make the scheme untenable by transforming it from a demand-driven legal entitlement into a supply-driven arrangement, thereby strip

A Mumbai-bound Air India Boeing 777 aircraft returned to Delhi on Monday morning after the crew detected a technical issue with the right engine, officials said. The oil pressure reportedly dropped to zero, prompting the return. Flight AI887, carrying around 335 passengers, took off from Delhi at about 6.30 am and was airborne for nearly an hour before making an air turn-back. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident. Air India said the decisio

A Mumbai-bound Air India Boeing 777 aircraft returned to Delhi on Monday morning after the crew detected a technical issue with the right engine, officials said. Flight AI887, carrying around 335 passengers, took off from Delhi at about 6.30 am and was airborne for nearly an hour before making an air turn-back. The aircraft landed safely in Delhi and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident. Air India said the decision to return was taken shortly after take-off in line with standard

BIJNOR: Four people, including an Islamic scholar, were killed after a car rammed into a dumper from behind here, police said on Monday. Circle Officer, Najibabad, Nitesh Pratap Singh, said the accident occurred around 11.30 pm on Sunday on the Haridwar road near Jalpur village under Nangal police station limits. The car hit the dumper that was moving ahead of it. Due to the impact of the collision, the car was left badly mangled and police had to cut open its doors to retrieve the bodies, he sa

RAIPUR: A 20 year old engineering student of O P Jindal University in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district allegedly died by suicide in her hostel room on Saturday late night. The deceased has been identified as Princy Kumari, 20, a native of Jamshedpur in Jharkhand who was pursuing her second year B.Tech Computer Science. Speaking to TNIE, Raigarh ASP Akash Markam said the incident came to light after the hostel warden found her body hanging from a ceiling fan. The body was sent for post-mortem exam

THANE: A 68-year-old man was allegedly cheated of Rs 23.5 lakh by cyber fraudsters who threatened him with digital arrest in Maharashtra's Thane district, police said on Monday. This is a second such incident reported in the district this week, an official said. Based on a complaint, the Kalyan police have registered a case under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act, Assistant Inspector Vinod Patil of Mahatma Phule police station said. The complainant alleged that two unidentifi

A 23-year-old man from Gujarats Morbi district, currently in Ukrainian custody for allegedly fighting on behalf of Russia, has appealed to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for help in securing his release. In video messages sent to his family, he also warned Indian citizens planning to go to Russia for studies or work to be cautious of scams. The man, Sahil Mohamed Hussein Majothi, a resident of Morbi, first came into the spotlight earlier this October after Ukrainian autho