Politics News

PM Modi kicks off NDA's Tamil Nadu poll campaign, brands DMK 'CMC'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday kickstarted the NDA's 2026 election campaign in Tamil Nadu, mounting a spirited attack on the ruling DMK on issues, including corruption and coined an abbreviation--CMC-- to lash out at the Dravidian party. According to the PM, CMC means "Corruption, Mafia, Crime." "The DMK is CMC -- a Corruption, Mafia, Crime promoting government. The people of Tamil Nadu have made up their mind to uproot DMK, CMC," he said at the massive gathering comprising of public and cadres from NDA constituents, including the AIADMK, AMMK and PMK (Anbumani faction). In his maiden visit to Tamil Nadu in the poll year, the PM's rally turned out to be a show of strength with top leaders from the key alliance parties --- AIADMK chief and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami, Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) chief TTV Dhinakaran, PMK's Dr Anbumani Ramadoss, TMC-M leader G K Vasan and many others in attendance. Continuing his attack against the DMK, Modi said the

I am secular in true sense, appeasement charge is wrong: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday rejected allegations of indulging in appeasement, asserting that she is "secular in the true sense" and participates in programmes across faiths without discrimination. She was speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Durga Angan', a cultural complex dedicated to Goddess Durga, at New Town in Kolkata. People accuse me of indulging in appeasement, but it is not correct. I am secular in the true sense, she said, adding that she attends programmes of all religions. The Trinamool Congress chief did not identify the accuser, but the opposition BJP often charges her with appeasing the Muslims. You do not say anything when I visit a gurdwara, but start criticising me when I attend an Eid programme, Banerjee said. Banerjee also flagged concerns over the ongoing SIR process, alleging harassment of people and loss of lives. People are being harassed unnecessarily. Over 50 lives have been lost within a month during the SIR proc

BJP scores record local body poll win, says Fadnavis; Oppn cries foul

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said the BJP has set a record in local body polls with 48 per cent of councillors winning on the party symbol, and its candidates elected as presidents in 129 municipal councils. He attributed the Mahayuti alliance's success in the municipal council and nagar panchayat elections to the BJP organisation and development agenda of the government. Counting of votes for elections to the posts of president and members in 286 municipal councils and nagar panchayats held in two phases began in the morning. Fadnavis said the BJP has once again emerged as the single largest party. "48 per cent councillors have been elected on the BJP symbol, which is a record. The BJP has created another record with 3,300 councillors being elected from the party. "BJP candidates have been elected as presidents in 129 municipal councils. In 75 per cent of the local bodies, Mahayuti nominees have been elected as municipal presidents," he said. Fadnavis .

BJP slams Gehlot's 'Save Aravalli' campaign, assures mining will not expand

Senior BJP leader Rajendra Rathore on Sunday rejected former chief minister Ashok Gehlot's claim that the Union government's report redefining the Arvallis would destroy 90 per cent of the mountain range in the state, and claimed it lays down a stricter framework for its conservation. The Supreme Court, on November 20, 2025, accepted the recommendations of a committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on the definition of Aravalli Hills and Ranges. According to the new definition, "Aravalli Hill is any landform in designated Aravalli districts with an elevation of 100 metres or more above its local relief" and an "Aravalli Range is a collection of two or more such hills within 500 metres of each other". However, Rathore noted that the 100-metre criterion is not limited to height alone. "According to the court-approved definition, all hills of 100 metres or more, their slopes, and terrain within 500 metres between two hills remain outside the mining ambit

Lok Sabha clears SHANTI Bill by voice vote amid Opposition walkout

The tough provisions of India's nuclear liability laws led to "silent phobia" among industry, prompting the government to bring a new comprehensive bill to address their concerns and open up the atomic energy sector for private participation, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. Singh was replying to a discussion in the Lok Sabha that passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill by a voice vote amid a walk out by the opposition. The opposition contended that the government was putting citizens in harm by allowing suppliers of nuclear equipment to escape the liability net in case of a nuclear accident. "The government will deal only with the operator, it is upon the operator to deal with the supplier," Singh, the Minister of State in the PMO, who oversees the Department of Atomic Energy, told the Lok Sabha. He said the operator liability has been rationalised through graded caps linked to reactor size to encoura

SIR opposed to keep illegal immigrants on poll rolls, says Amit Shah

Shah attributed the Opposition's protest against the SIR to the incompetence of its leadership to win elections, and not Electronic Voting Machines or 'vote chori (theft)'

No law should be burden on citizens, govt reforms must make life easy: PM

Sending a clear message that making people's lives easy is his government's priority in its third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said no law should be a burden on any citizen, and rules and regulations should always be for people's convenience. Addressing an NDA parliamentary party meeting here, Modi also said the country is now in a full-fledged "Reform Express" phase, where reforms are happening rapidly and with clear intent. The government's reforms are completely citizen-centric and not just economic or revenue-focused. The goal is to remove everyday hurdles of people so that they can grow to their full potential, the prime minister emphasised. Briefing reporters after the meeting, which was attended by all NDA MPs, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said Prime Minister Modi gave very good guidelines for the lawmakers and conveyed that the most significant issue in the third term of his government is the "Reform Express". "I want to stress that the

Law, identity, and the 2026 Assam mandate amid Sarma's reform pitch

Report looks at how the Sarma government's pitch for reform and transparency through three key decisions could open wounds in the state right before it goes to the polls

Interlocutor's Darjeeling visit in limbo as CM objects, demands unresolved

The interlocutor's Darjeeling visit is in limbo amid CM's objections, leaving Gorkha political demands unresolved

Uddhav, Raj Thackeray discuss alliance, seat-sharing for civic polls

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday met Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) president Raj in Mumbai and both leaders are understood to have discussed seat-sharing arrangements for the upcoming municipal corporation polls. Uddhav visited 'Shivtirth', the residence of Raj in Dadar in central Mumbai, the latest in a series of meetings this year between the once politically estranged cousins who have been warming up to each other in recent times amid signs of reconciliation and possible alliance between their parties. Although the Shiv Sena (UBT) and MNS are yet to formally announce an alliance, the Thackeray cousins have given enough hints of an imminent tie-up for local body polls, especially the crucial Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other civic bodies in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Pune and Nashik, where the two outfits have pockets of influence. A Shiv Sena (UBT) leader disclosed that during the meeting, Uddhav and Raj are believed to have discussed ..

AAP, BJP clash over Yamuna pollution in Delhi after Chhath festival

The Aam Aadmi Party and the ruling BJP in Delhi sparred over the pollution in the Yamuna on Sunday, with the opposition party's Saurabh Bharadwaj alleging the river has returned to its polluted state after the Chhath festival. The BJP was quick to hit back, saying the opposition has scored a self-goal by "admitting" the Yamuna has "returned" to the same condition the AAP government had left it. Days after Chhath Puja ended, AAP's Delhi unit chief Bharadwaj visited the Vasudev Ghat on Sunday and alleged that workers were dismantling the pipeline that had secretly supplied filtered water to the "fake river the BJP had created" for the festival. In a video, he was seen holding the Yamuna's black water in his palms. "After being caught red-handed, the BJP government is now erasing every trace of the fake Yamuna it created," he said. Bharadwaj had earlier alleged that a section of the river was filled with clean water at the Vasudev Ghat for Chhath Puja. "At the Vasudev Ghat, the BJP i

Palaniswami criticises CM Stalin for ignoring monsoon crisis, praises films

AIADMK general secretary and Tamil Nadu Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday lashed out at Chief Minister M K Stalin over the government's handling of the ongoing monsoon-related issues and charged the CM with becoming a "full-time movie critic". Palaniswami has been raising the issue of crop damage in the state due to the heavy monsoon rains. In a social media post, the LoP said he could feel the indescribable pain of the farmers when he held the sprouted paddy crops in his hands recently. "But the hands of the CM that need to hold this paddy are holding those of the film crew," he said in an apparent reference to Stalin recently watching Tamil movie 'Bison' and congratulating its director and the team. Although, there was nothing wrong in watching movies or lauding the talented movie crew, he said. "But, forgetting why he became chief minister, the puppet CM has become a full-time movie critic and this is a matter of concern," Palaniswami said. Referring to Sta

Meeting between MHA, Ladakh leaders begins weeks after deadly protests

In the first sign of a thaw, leaders of Ladakh, where four people died in police firing during the recent pro-statehood protests, met with Home Ministry representatives here on Wednesday for sub-committee level talks. During the meeting, the Ladakh representatives demanded an immediate release of all arrested leaders, including climate activist Sonam Wangchuck, the widely recognised face of the agitation. The Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) said that the next of kin of those killed should be given adequate compensation. Talks between the Centre, LAB and KDA had broken down after four protesters were killed and several were injured during widespread violence in Leh on September 24. Both the Ladakh organisations stayed away from the dialogue with the high-powered committee of the MHA slated for October 6. The invitation for the talks had been made by the Centre on September 20. The last round of talks between the two sides was held in May. Lok Sabha MP f

Bihar polls: With a day left for nominations, INDIA bloc looks unsettled

Chinks in the INDIA bloc's armour became all too obvious on Sunday in poll-bound Bihar, where disgruntled aspirants in the RJD and the Congress, the two largest constituents, had a field day charging the leadership with having put tickets up for sale. With less than 24 hours left for the filing of nomination papers for the second and final phase to be over, the multi-party coalition was still unable to declare things like a chief ministerial candidate and the formula of seat-sharing among six alliance partners. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, however, continued to disburse party symbols at will, which did not go down well with the party's media cell president Ritu Jaiswal, who announced that she would be filing her nomination papers as an Independent from Parihar seat, against the official candidate Smita Purve. In an emotional Facebook post, Jaiswal, who had contested the seat five years ago and was the RJD candidate from Sheohar in Lok Sabha polls last year, losing on both occasions with

After coup, Madagascar's Gen Z demand a voice in shaping what comes next

Madagascar's young population, averaging just 19, faces a litany of problems that are largely the result of mismanagement by a succession of older men

Caste census in Karnataka extended till Oct 31, says D K Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said that the government has decided to extend the Social and Educational Survey --widely referred to as the 'caste census' -- till October 31. He said, teachers will not be used for enumeration work during the remaining period of the survey. The survey, being conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, began on September 22, and was originally scheduled to end on October 7. However, the state government had subsequently decided to extend the survey till October 18, and to also extend the Dasara holidays for government and aided schools till October 18 to enable completion of the survey with the help of teachers, who were deputed as enumerators. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday chaired a meeting with senior ministers and officials and Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes Chairman Madhusudan R Naik regarding the progress of the survey. "In all other parts of the state except Bengaluru .

Statehood of J&K to be restored at appropriate time, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday promised restoration of statehood for Jammu and Kashmir at "an appropriate time" and a "good resolution" of demands raised by people of the Union Territory of Ladakh. Speaking at a media conclave in Patna, he also claimed that after the abrogation of Article 370, terror-infested Jammu and Kashmir has "taken a U-turn" and "no local terrorist has been recruited in the last nine months". "This is a qualitative change that Jammu and Kashmir, where separatism had been festering since the 1990s, witnessed. Earlier, Pakistan felt no need to send terrorists from across the border. They used to place arms in the hands of our children. Now the situation has changed. The people of Jammu and Kashmir feel they belong to the entire country and the entire country belongs to them," Shah said at the conclave organised by ABP News and Hindustan. "Today, democracy has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir. Panchayat and municipal polls have taken place, and so ha

Earlier govts reformed out of compulsion, we do it with conviction: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that while earlier governments carried out reforms as compulsion his dispensation does it with conviction and has turned every risk into reform. Addressing the NDTV World Summit here, Modi said that India now does not remain silent after terror attacks but hits back using surgical and air strikes. "Earlier governments carried out reforms as compulsion, we now do it with conviction. Age of unknown can be uncertain thing for world but it is opportunity for India as it has always turned risks into reforms "... We have turned every reform into resilience and every resilience into a revolution," he told the gathering. The prime minister underlined that India now does not remain silent after terror attacks but hits back at using surgical and air strikes. "India no more remains silent after terror attacks but gives befitting reply through air strikes, surgical strikes and Operation Sindoor," he said. "When wars became headlines globally,

Rahul Gandhi gets relief in 12-year-old case linked to Muzaffarnagar riots

A court here on Tuesday dismissed a revision petition filed against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in a 2013 case in which he was accused of making objectionable remarks against Muslims. It was alleged that during an election rally in October 2013, Gandhi referred to Muslim youths in connection with the Muzaffarnagar riots and claimed they had links with the ISI, the Pakistani intelligence agency. Originally, advocate Mohammad Anwar had filed a court complaint when Gandhi was the Congress Vice President. Mohammad Anwar, Raja Ram Upadhyay, and Vishal Barnwal were presented as witnesses in the case. On January 30, Special Magistrate Shubham Verma dismissed the complaint. Following this, Mohammad Anwar approached a District Judge's court with a revision petition against the magistrate's order. Gandhi's counsel, Kashi Prasad Shukla, presented his arguments in the Fast Track Court-2. After hearing both sides, Judge Rakesh quashed the petition, effectively giving the Leader of the Oppositio

In Karnataka, BJP-JDS alliance appears to be fraying at the edges

The BJP-JDS alliance in Karnataka appears to be fraying at the edges ahead to the crucial civic polls, even as Modi and Deve Gowda share a strong rapport