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ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s main opposition party, Congress, while raising the issue of several deaths due to the consumption of contaminated water in the states of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, has criticized the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. &nbsp; Congress in a post on X shared the speech of Deputy Leader of Congress in Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/delay-in-pipeline-tender-under-scanner-after-multiple-contamination-deaths-in-indian-city" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">on the issue</a> on Monday.&nbsp;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 720px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2018228080138145799&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=ba324b59a8e7e0620abcbfdbbac589621ad36140&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>In his speech, Tiwari raised the issue that in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, and Indore, Madhya Pradesh, several people have died due to drinking contaminated water. &ldquo;I would like to draw your attention to a serious issue, which is related to humanity and every person in India. Gandhinagar is in Gujarat. The minister is also from Gujarat.&rdquo; He said that he wanted to ask the minister what steps the government is taking to improve the quality of groundwater.&nbsp; &ldquo;Please inform the House about this&rdquo;, he said. &ldquo;Water is extremely essential for the life of all of us, but the government is feeding people poisonous water,&rdquo; Tiwari said. &ldquo;Corruption in this department is at its peak; the government should seriously consider this,&rdquo; he said&nbsp;32 dead in Indore&nbsp;Meanwhile, Indian media reported Indore&#39;s contaminated water tragedy has claimed yet another life quietly, painfully, and after weeks of suffering. Anita Kushwah, 65, who had been battling for survival for over a month, died on Sunday night, taking the official death count to 32, the report said.

India

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari criticizes the BJP government over contaminated water in Gandhinagar and Indore, blaming corruption; the Indore tragedy has claimed 32 lives, highlighting urgent concerns about groundwater safety and government accountability.

Indian opposition accuses BJP government of 'poisonous water' crisis

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s western state of Maharashtra is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) system to identify what authorities describe as <a href="http://UN%20watchdog%20questions%20India%20on%20discrimination%20of%20Bengali%20Muslims%20in%20Assam" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">&ldquo;illegal&rdquo; Bangladeshi and Rohingya migrants</a>, a move that has raised questions over accuracy, profiling and civil liberties, according to Indian media reports.&nbsp;Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the tool is being developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay and will be used by law enforcement agencies across the state.&nbsp;The chief minister publicly linked the project to a political pledge earlier this month while unveiling the ruling Mahayuti alliance&rsquo;s manifesto. &ldquo;We will free Mumbai of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas,&rdquo; Fadnavis said at the event, as reported by local media.&nbsp;According to Indian media, the proposed AI system is language-based and is designed to analyze speech patterns, tone and word usage to identify undocumented migrants. The approach has drawn scrutiny because people in India&rsquo;s West Bengal and neighboring Bangladesh share closely related languages, dialects and accents.&nbsp;The state government has not explained how the AI system will distinguish between Indian citizens and migrants from the Bengal region, nor has it outlined safeguards to prevent misidentification.&nbsp;The project, being developed by Maharashtra&rsquo;s information technology department, is estimated to cost ₹3 crore ($327,535) and remains in an experimental phase.&nbsp;Fadnavis said the system has been tested for about three months and currently has an accuracy rate of around 60 percent, a figure that suggests a high margin of error.&nbsp;Despite this, the government has indicated plans to expand its use, with Fadnavis stating that accuracy would improve over time.&nbsp;Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kirit Somaiya has separately claimed that the Maharashtra government has &ldquo;cancelled&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bjp-leader-threatens-special-mission-to-deport-224000-bangladeshi-nationals" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">224,000 allegedly fake birth certificates</a>&nbsp;issued to Bangladeshi nationals.&rdquo;&nbsp;He also announced plans for a &ldquo;special campaign&rdquo; to identify and deport undocumented migrants after local body elections.&nbsp;Authorities have not publicly detailed how speech data for the AI system will be collected, or whether it will rely on mobile applications, direct interviews or other audio inputs. It also remains unclear whether the technology will analyze real-time conversations, recorded samples or passive listening.&nbsp;Fadnavis has further said that detention centers are being established to hold suspected undocumented migrants ahead of deportation, adding that land has already been allotted for the facilities.&nbsp;The lack of transparency surrounding the AI tool&rsquo;s methodology, combined with its limited accuracy rate and the government&rsquo;s hardline rhetoric, has intensified concerns over profiling and the potential targeting of linguistic and ethnic communities, though officials have not addressed these issues publicly.

Bangladesh

Maharashtra, in partnership with IIT Bombay, is developing a language-based AI tool to help police identify suspected "illegal" Bangladeshi and Rohingya immigrants.

India plans AI tool to target ‘illegal’ Bangladeshis and Rohingyas in Maharashtra

ISLAMABAD: Authorities in eastern India arrested two men in connection with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/mob-targets-mosque-in-indian-capital-police-silence-draws-criticism" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">mob killing</a> while disputing family allegations that the attack was religiously motivated, a case that reflects broader tensions over religious identity and vigilante violence in the world&#39;s most populous &lsquo;democracy&rsquo;. Police in Jharkhand state arrested Munnilal Marandi and Anant Marandi on Jan. 10, three days after a mob of 20 to 25 people beat 45-year-old Pappu Ansari to death near the state&#39;s border with Bihar. Both suspects confessed and named additional accomplices, according to Godda district police. The arrests came as investigators maintain the attack stemmed from cattle theft suspicions, while Ansari&#39;s family and legal representatives insist it was a hate crime targeting Muslims. The divergent narratives reflect a pattern documented by the Centro for the Study of Organized Hate, a US rights monitoring group tracking mob violence cases. The organization&#39;s report shows authorities frequently attribute cattle-related killings to theft disputes while victims&#39; families cite religious targeting. Cattle trade and religious tensions Ansari, a Muslim cattle trader and transporter, was returning from a cattle market in Bihar when his vehicle was intercepted in Matihani village on the night of Jan. 7. His associates escaped, but Ansari was cornered and attacked with axes and sticks, local police said. Cows are considered sacred in Hinduism, practiced by roughly 80% of India&#39;s 1.4 billion people. Several states have enacted laws restricting cattle slaughter and trade in recent years. Critics say the legislation has emboldened vigilante groups that target&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/bihar-mob-lynching-shows-growing-hatred-toward-muslims-indias-civil-rights-body" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Muslims</a>, who constitute about 14% of India&#39;s population and are traditionally involved in cattle trading and meat industries. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 768px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=eyJ0ZndfdGltZWxpbmVfbGlzdCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOltdLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2ZvbGxvd2VyX2NvdW50X3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9iYWNrZW5kIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19yZWZzcmNfc2Vzc2lvbiI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZm9zbnJfc29mdF9pbnRlcnZlbnRpb25zX2VuYWJsZWQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib24iLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X21peGVkX21lZGlhXzE1ODk3Ijp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRyZWF0bWVudCIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3Nob3dfYmlyZHdhdGNoX3Bpdm90c19lbmFibGVkIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6Im9uIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH0sInRmd19kdXBsaWNhdGVfc2NyaWJlc190b19zZXR0aW5ncyI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdXNlX3Byb2ZpbGVfaW1hZ2Vfc2hhcGVfZW5hYmxlZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdmlkZW9faGxzX2R5bmFtaWNfbWFuaWZlc3RzXzE1MDgyIjp7ImJ1Y2tldCI6InRydWVfYml0cmF0ZSIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfbGVnYWN5X3RpbWVsaW5lX3N1bnNldCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOnRydWUsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9LCJ0ZndfdHdlZXRfZWRpdF9mcm9udGVuZCI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJvbiIsInZlcnNpb24iOm51bGx9fQ%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2009906778327396794&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3472%2F&sessionId=f500681ce23a07d0e2264fe9ef4f428d622f34cb&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Godda Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar told reporters the mob acted on theft suspicions. The local Indian police claimed the victim had a criminal record and had been jailed previously. Ansari&#39;s family rejected the theft allegations. In statements to local journalists, they said attackers identified his religious identity before assaulting him. &quot;They took off his pants and tried to determine his religion,&quot; independent journalist Ashraf Hussain wrote on social media, citing family allegations. &quot;He was murdered because of his religious identity.&quot; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2009916358281318862&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F3472%2F&sessionId=f500681ce23a07d0e2264fe9ef4f428d622f34cb&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px"></iframe></div></div>Political context The killing occurred in Jharkhand, a state of 38 million people governed by a coalition led by the regional Jharkhand Mukti Morcha party with the Indian National Congress. The coalition took power in 2024, opposing the hardliner Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party, which governs nationally and in most northern states. Modi&#39;s BJP, which draws support from Hindu nationalist groups, has faced criticism from rights groups over rising communal tensions and insufficient response to mob violence targeting Muslims. Party leaders reject such claims. Representatives from the governing JMM condemned Ansari&#39;s killing. Party leader Rizwan Krantikari said those responsible would not be spared, according to Indian media reports. Kumar formed a Special Investigation Team led by Deputy Superintendent JPN Chaudhary to track remaining suspects. Police have not announced additional arrests. Documented pattern The Centre for the Study of Organised Hate documented a pattern of mob violence linked to cattle-related accusations in Jharkhand and northern India dating to 2015. The group cited Mohammad Akhlaq&#39;s 2015 killing in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, over beef storage rumors and Alimuddin Ansari&#39;s 2017 death in Ramgarh, Jharkhand, on cow smuggling suspicions. The organization documented three similar incidents in early 2025 before Ansari&#39;s death, including Mohammad Sharif, who died in March after being assaulted during Hindu Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh while observing the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The center said victims are predominantly Muslim men and that most attacks are carried out by Hindu vigilante groups. The report cited&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/taj-mahal-hindu-nationalist-revisionism-reshapes-indias-monuments-and-memory" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">inflammatory rhetoric from officials</a>, including remarks by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at a January youth event where he urged young Indians to carry &quot;the fire of revenge&quot; over historical grievances. Social media users questioned the limited attention to Ansari&#39;s case. &quot;Why is everyone silent on the mob lynching and subsequent death of Pappu Ansari in Jharkhand?&quot; one user wrote on Jan. 10. Ansari is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son. The Special Investigation Team has not announced a timeline for completing its investigation.

Indian mob lynching of Muslim man. (Social activists staging protest against mob lynching, in Bhopal on July 07, 2017.)

Two men arrested in the Indian state of Jharkhand for mob lynching of Pappu Ansari, amid conflicting claims of theft and religious hate crime.

Mob lynching exposes India’s crisis amid denial of anti-Muslim violence

ISLAMABAD: The opposition in India has criticized the country&#39;s Election Commission for serving notices to prominent citizens, including Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and international cricketer Mohammed Shami, and termed it &ldquo;a deliberate BJP [ruling Bharatiya Janata Party] tactic.&rdquo; Indian National Congress (INC) national spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed, in a post on X on Tuesday, wrote: &ldquo;We have already seen that even prominent citizens like Amartya Sen, former Navy Admiral Arun Prakash, and cricketer Mohammed Shami are missing from the lists.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2011104016911266281&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=8ed77d2d00081bb47726d566733c5b6575426bfd&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>She said, &ldquo;If such well-known individuals can be excluded, imagine what will happen to ordinary citizens.&rdquo; &lsquo;Deliberate BJP tactic&rsquo;&ldquo;This is happening across Uttar Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, everywhere,&rdquo; the INC spokesperson asserted.&nbsp;&nbsp;She said, &ldquo;People who are away from home or unable to fill forms in time are being disenfranchised.&rdquo; &ldquo;This is a deliberate BJP tactic to exclude voters who do not support them.&rdquo;&nbsp; &ldquo;The Election Commission and ED have become two arms of the BJP,&rdquo; she said. &lsquo;Columns left blank&rsquo;&nbsp;As per the Election Commission&rsquo;s notification, such cases automatically call for a hearing, and the individuals were summoned along with several other similarly placed electors, Indian media had earlier reported &ldquo;The Enumeration Form clearly shows that the linkage columns have been left blank by the elector,&rdquo; the state CEO&rsquo;s office had said in a post on X.

Indian National Congress spokesperson says, ‘This is a deliberate BJP tactic to exclude voters who do not support them; the Election Commission and ED have become two arms of the BJP.’

India’s Congress terms voter registration notices to Amartya Sen, Shami ‘deliberate’ 

ISLAMABAD: India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again blurred the line between politics and sport by branding Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan &ldquo;anti-national&rdquo; over his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise&rsquo;s decision to sign a Bangladeshi cricketer.&nbsp;The controversy erupted after the IPL 2026 auction in Abu Dhabi, where Khan&rsquo;s franchise secured Bangladeshi left-arm fast bowler Mustafizur Rahman for $1.02 million.&nbsp;BJP leaders and affiliates responded with public accusations and threats, drawing widespread criticism for injecting hyper-nationalist politics into a professional sporting league.&nbsp;Former BJP MLA Sangeet Som accused Khan of betraying India, declaring, &ldquo;If you earn money, it comes from this country. But you have betrayed the nation&hellip; there should not be any place for such traitors.&rdquo;&nbsp;Religious figure Jagadguru Rambhadracharya also joined the campaign, calling Shah Rukh Khan &ldquo;anti-national&rdquo; and questioning his character, alleging that his views had consistently been against the country.&nbsp;The rhetoric escalated further when BJP-affiliated figures issued direct threats. Abhishek Thakur, speaking in a video circulated on social media, said, &ldquo;We will beat Mustafizur Rahman and Shah Rukh Khan if they allow the former to play in IPL.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2007093215787471269&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard&sessionId=bddc91dad91e30354161280cbf0fd80065d61fab&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2007093215787471269"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;The incident exposed an increasingly hostile environment for foreign players, particularly from neighboring countries, amid India&rsquo;s domestic political discourse.&nbsp;Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla echoed the hardline position, stating, &ldquo;I completely agree that no player from Bangladesh should play in the IPL.&rdquo;<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=e30%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2006740198017871968&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard&sessionId=bddc91dad91e30354161280cbf0fd80065d61fab&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2006740198017871968"></iframe></div></div>&nbsp;In contrast, opposition leaders criticized the BJP&rsquo;s approach, warning that politicizing cricket undermines both sport and regional stability. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said cricket should not be used as a proxy for political disputes.&nbsp;&ldquo;Cricket should not be made to bear the burden for attacks on minorities in Bangladesh,&rdquo; Tharoor said.&nbsp;Congress leader Priyank Kharge also criticized the ruling party&rsquo;s campaign, cautioning that dragging sport into political hostility risks damaging India&rsquo;s relations with neighboring countries.&nbsp;The episode has revived broader criticism of India&rsquo;s repeated politicization of cricket, with observers noting that sporting bodies and tournaments have frequently been affected by political considerations, particularly in matters involving regional rivals and neighboring states.

Cricket

India’s BJP sparks controversy by branding Shah Rukh Khan anti-national for signing Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman, drawing criticism over politicizing cricket and issuing threats.

India’s BJP politicizes IPL, targets Shah Rukh Khan over Bangladeshi player

ISLAMABAD: Senior Indian Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has admitted that India was &quot;completely defeated&quot; by Pakistan during the May conflict between the two neighboring countries, leading to the grounding of the &quot;entire Indian Air Force.&quot;&nbsp; &ldquo;On the very first day, we faced a complete defeat,&quot;&nbsp;Chavan said while addressing a meeting of his party workers on Tuesday in Pune.&nbsp; &quot;On the 7th (May), during an aerial battle that lasted only half an hour, we were completely defeated, whether one accepts it or not. On that day, Indian aircraft were shot down, and the entire Indian Air Force was grounded. After that, not a single aircraft flew, because wherever a plane took off, whether from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high risk of it being shot down by Pakistan. For this reason, our entire Air Force was grounded&hellip;&rdquo; <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2000928800410837083&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=10c89db9e0c826dff6ae4ba2de6d82a467037389&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 624px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), responding to the statement, expressed anger at the Congress leader, saying that the Congress party &ldquo;hates Indian armed forces.&rdquo; BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla criticized Chavan&rsquo;s &ldquo;shocking controversial statements&rdquo; and said, &ldquo;Congress hates Indian Armed Forces. Sena ka apman is Congress ki pehchan [Insulting the army is Congress&rsquo;s identity],&rdquo; he posted on X.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2000917025733111969&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fsections%2F&sessionId=10c89db9e0c826dff6ae4ba2de6d82a467037389&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 744px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div>Further criticizing the Congress leader in his post, he said: &ldquo;From Sadak ka gunda [street thug] to doubting Sindoor/Surgical Strike/Balakote and even Op Mahadev.&rdquo;

Prithviraj Chavan has admitted that India was 'completely defeated' by Pakistan during the May conflict between the two neighboring countries, leading to the grounding of the 'entire Indian Air Force.'

India was 'completely defeated' by Pakistan: former Maharashtra chief minister

ISLAMABAD: In India, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan received a disproportionately high share of central tax devolution between 2020-21 and 2024-25, even though they contribute far less to the nation&rsquo;s total tax collections, according to an Indian media report. The data shared by the Ministry of Finance with the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) shows that Uttar Pradesh accounted for 4.6% of the total tax collected in the country between 2020-21 and 2024-25, but received 15.8% of the taxes shared by the center during this period. Bihar&rsquo;s share in devolution exceeded its contribution to total taxes by 8 percentage points, Madhya Pradesh&rsquo;s by 5.5 pp, and Rajasthan&#39;s by 3.55 pp. &lsquo;Fiscal discrimination&rsquo;&nbsp;Tamil Nadu, where the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party is in government, has in the past blamed the central government for discrimination. In September, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu accused the center, or Union, government of practicing &ldquo;fiscal discrimination against opposition-ruled states,&rdquo; warning that such bias was undermining the spirit of cooperative federalism. According to Indian media, he argued that partisan policies were depriving states such as Tamil Nadu of their legitimate financial allocations and turning cooperative federalism into coercive federalism. Thennarasu alleged that the ruling BJP discriminated against states governed by opposition parties. &ldquo;Just because we belong to the opposition, we are not treated on par with BJP-ruled states. When it comes to the matters of fiscal issues, there must be cooperative federalism, it must be in true spirit.&quot; Six criteria&nbsp;Meanwhile, the Indian Ministry of Finance has clarified that States&rsquo; contributions to central taxes are not a criterion considered by the 15th Finance Commission when it formulated its devolution formula for the period 2020-21 to 2025-26. &ldquo;Devolution to States during the last five financial years was based on the inter-se percentage worked out by the 15th Finance Commission on the basis of six criteria &mdash; population, area, income distance, demographic performance, forest &amp; ecology and tax &amp; fiscal efforts. Contribution to the Central Exchequer was not adopted by the 15th FC as a criterion,&rdquo; Minister of State for Finance Panka Chaudhary said in his reply.

Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan received disproportionately high central tax devolution between 2020-21 and 2024-25, while contributing less to national taxes; opposition-ruled Tamil Nadu has in the past alleged ‘fiscal discrimination.’

Multiple BJP-ruled Indian states receive higher tax devolution despite lower contributions

NEW DELHI: India is trialling mobile software systems as it prepares to conduct the world&#39;s largest &mdash; and first fully digital &mdash; population census in 2027. The upcoming census will be the country&#39;s first since 2011 and will, for the first time since independence, register people&#39;s castes -- a politically sensitive exercise last undertaken in 1931 under British rule. A 20-day trial begins Nov. 10 in selected areas of the southern state of Karnataka. It will test a mobile app&ndash;based data collection system and self-enumeration options designed to replace traditional paper-based methods. &quot;The objective is to assess the functioning and efficiency of the digital application across diverse areas -- from urban regions to those with limited mobile network connectivity,&quot; the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement. &quot;This trial marks a significant step toward India&#39;s first-ever fully digital census, replacing traditional paper-based schedules.&quot; The exercise presents an immense logistical challenge -- voting in the 2024 general elections was electronic, and polling took place in seven phases over six weeks. But a census must be conducted at a single point in time to capture a single snapshot of the population -- and avoid double-counting. The main count is scheduled for March 1, 2027. But in high-altitude Himalayan regions -- including Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, and the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmir -- the census will begin earlier on Oct. 1, 2026, before snowfall begins. Caste remains a powerful determinant of social status in India, shaping access to resources, education, and opportunity. More than two-thirds of India&#39;s 1.4 billion people are believed to belong to historically disadvantaged communities, long subject to systemic discrimination. The millennia-old social hierarchy divides Hindus by function and social standing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party has in the past opposed the idea of enumerating people by caste, arguing it would deepen social divisions, but backed the new survey in May. Proponents say detailed demographic information is crucial for targeted social justice programmes, including earmarking university seats and government jobs for socially disadvantaged communities. Successive governments have avoided updating caste data, citing administrative complexity and fears of social unrest. A caste survey conducted alongside the 2011 census was never released after officials said the results were inaccurate.

The upcoming census will be the country's first since 2011 and will, for the first time since independence, register people's castes -- a politically sensitive exercise last undertaken in 1931 under British rule.

Indian digital system to register people's castes in politically-sensitive census

Maham Khan

In late October 2025, Indian audiences watched a Bollywood hero demand a DNA test of the Taj Mahal. In &ldquo;The Taj Story&rdquo;, the protagonist claims the 17th-century mausoleum was originally a Hindu temple &lsquo;stolen&rsquo; by Muslim rulers. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has repeatedly rejected this theory, and centuries of historical and architectural records credit Mughal emperor Shah Jahan with commissioning the monument for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Yet in Narendra Modi&rsquo;s India, history is increasingly subject to reinterpretation. When cinema becomes a vehicle for myth presented as fact, and when millions absorb propaganda as entertainment, it amounts to a systematic reframing of Muslim contributions to the subcontinent, and of the identities of the 200 million Muslims who live in India today. India&rsquo;s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have refined a strategy of cultural revision: rewrite textbooks, challenge monument origins, recast Mughal history as occupation, demolish mosques and build temples in their place, and enlist Bollywood as a mass-scale amplifier. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/6cb9827c-b2ee-4b47-837d-1d998cce1d25-2.png" alt="2.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">Paresh Rawal promoting his movie The Taj Story on X.</figcaption></figure> The temple that never was The claim that the Taj Mahal was once a Shiva temple, &ldquo;Tejo Mahalaya,&rdquo; originated with P.N. Oak&rsquo;s 1965 book. Historians and the ASI have long dismissed the idea. In 2022, India&rsquo;s Supreme Court rejected a petition to open 22 sealed Taj Mahal rooms to search for Hindu idols, calling the request &ldquo;publicity interest litigation.&rdquo; The ASI has stated that the rooms are simple maintenance spaces. Even within India, voices are raising eyebrows over this narrative. Before the film premiered, many were quick to label it as propaganda.&nbsp; &quot;I think this story is pure propaganda,&rdquo; one Indian X user bluntly put it. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/bd64d234-dec7-4248-a489-c62aad1266b5-3.png" alt="3.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">An Indian X user stated that the entire story was &quot;pure propaganda&quot;. (X)</figcaption></figure> Some went further, openly hoping for the movie to flop &quot;badly&rdquo;. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/e36968de-f78d-4d9a-838b-627efa0fb68d-7.png" alt="7.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(X)</figcaption></figure> One particularly sharp-witted user quipped, &ldquo;Nothing says trusted research like watching a movie [and] rewriting history! 22 mystery chambers, divine murtis, courtroom &lsquo;eyewitnesses&rsquo;&mdash;all checked. &quot;Next up: history books sold at the popcorn stand. Taj Mahal facts brought to you by Bollywood, not archaeologists.&rdquo; <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/4d663e50-9c31-4bc8-ab9e-45ee20c20879-9 (this).png" alt="9 (this).png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(X)</figcaption></figure> And it wasn&rsquo;t just the narrative itself that irked people. The main actor&#39;s shifting stance didn&rsquo;t go unnoticed. A user unearthed an&nbsp;October 2017 post&nbsp;from Paresh Rawal, where he had stated, &ldquo;Taj Mahal&mdash;Symbol of Love becomes the symbol of Hate!!!(sic)&nbsp;Stupid [and] unnecessary [and] sad [and] pathetic controversy.&rdquo; As the&nbsp;user wryly noted, it looks like Mr. Rawal may have had a &quot;change of heart&quot;&hellip; or perhaps a change of narrative. <figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/0db6e1bb-c756-4612-a431-f3ae9829f95f-6.png" alt="6.png" class="fr-fil fr-dib"><figcaption class="caption-cover-image text-sm text-gray-600 italic">(X)</figcaption></figure> When myth shapes law The Taj Mahal&nbsp;debate evokes an earlier, far more consequential case: the Babri Mosque in Ayodhya. Hindu nationalist groups spent decades claiming the 16th-century mosque stood atop the birthplace of the Hindu deity Ram. In December 1992, tens of thousands demolished the mosque. The violence and riots killed thousands. After a 17-year inquiry, the Liberhan Commission named BJP and RSS leaders &ldquo;responsible&rdquo; for the demolition. But in 2019, the Supreme Court, while declaring the mosque&rsquo;s destruction illegal, awarded the land to a Hindu trust. In January 2024, Modi inaugurated a new temple on the site in a nationally televised ceremony. The message many took from the sequence was clear: demolish first, wait, then receive recognition. Rewriting identity in classrooms The historical revision extends to classrooms. School textbooks have been reworked to minimize the cultural, architectural, and scientific contributions of Muslim dynasties, particularly the Mughals, who shaped Indian identity for centuries. Mughal emperors are increasingly framed as &ldquo;foreign occupiers&rdquo; rather than rulers whose legacy is interwoven with Indian music, language, art, and city-building. Curriculum is not neutral. What children learn determines who they believe belongs. The politics behind the rewrite Proponents of these changes argue they are restoring &ldquo;authentic Hindu history&rdquo; suppressed by earlier scholars and Muslim rule. But the effect is to cast Indian Muslims as historical outsiders in their own country. If the Taj Mahal, a globally recognized symbol of India, is reframed as &ldquo;originally Hindu,&rdquo; then Muslim claims to Indian cultural heritage are weakened. If mosques are reclassified as former temples, then every mosque becomes contested. Pluralism erodes quietly, long before violence erupts, through shifts in who is considered rightful. What is at stake The Taj Mahal itself will not change. Marble does not respond to political pressure. But the idea of India that built the Taj, a state where Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and other communities participated together in shared cultural production, may not survive if historical narrative becomes a tool of exclusion. The transformation unfolding is not simply about monuments or textbooks. It is about defining who belongs in the world&rsquo;s largest &#39;democracy&#39;. When a nation with 1.4 billion people and one of the world&rsquo;s largest Muslim populations reorders its history around a singular religious identity, the implications are global. Cinema scenes can become political reality. A fictional demand for a monument&rsquo;s DNA test reflects a deeper shift: the attempt to rewrite not just history, but citizenship itself.

Articles

India’s ruling BJP have refined a strategy of cultural revision: challenge monument origins, recast Mughal history as occupation, demolish mosques and build temples in their place, and enlist Bollywood as a mass-scale amplifier.

Taj Mahal: Hindu nationalist revisionism reshapes India’s monuments and memory

ISLAMABAD: An Indian lawmaker from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Medha Kulkarni, has come under criticism after leading a controversial &quot;purification&quot; ritual at a historic site in the western city of Pune, following a video showing Muslim women offering prayers at the location.&nbsp;Kulkarni, a BJP Member of Parliament, led a group that poured a mixture of cow dung and urine at the Shaniwarwada fort, describing it as an act to &ldquo;cleanse&rdquo; the site. The move came after a short video circulated online showing a few Muslim women offering namaz, Islamic prayers, in a quiet corner of the fort.&nbsp;Speaking to local media, Kulkarni defended her actions, saying:&nbsp;&ldquo;If offering namaz is not a crime, then neither is prarthana [Hindu prayer]. We only performed prayers and purification to maintain the sanctity of this place.&rdquo;&nbsp;However, the act has been widely criticized by opposition parties, minority rights groups, and heritage activists for promoting intolerance and politicizing a public monument. Opposition figures in Maharashtra accused Kulkarni of &ldquo;disturbing communal harmony&rdquo; and &ldquo;misusing religion for political visibility.&rdquo;&nbsp;A senior opposition leader from western state of Maharashtra said in a televised statement:&nbsp;&ldquo;No religion teaches hatred. This fort belongs to every Indian, not to one community. Such acts of provocation serve no purpose other than deepening divisions.&rdquo;&nbsp;Local civic groups have also pointed out that Shaniwarwada is a protected heritage monument, not a temple, and is open to visitors of all faiths. The fort, built in 1732, was once the seat of the Maratha Empire&rsquo;s Peshwas and is an important cultural landmark in western India. Notably, the Maratha leader Baji Rao I lived there with his wife Mastani, who was of mixed Hindu and Muslim heritage, a historical symbol of plural coexistence.&nbsp;Growing concerns over religious polarizationThe incident comes amid growing concern over rising religious polarization in India. Analysts and rights observers say that Hindu nationalist politics under the BJP has intensified communal rhetoric, often targeting religious minorities, particularly Muslims.&nbsp;Since the BJP came to power in 2014, human rights monitors have documented multiple incidents of violence linked to accusations of cow slaughter or interfaith relations. Several of these have resulted in mob lynchings and social boycotts of minority communities.&nbsp;Social activists warn that events such as the &ldquo;purification&rdquo; ritual at Shaniwarwada risk normalizing exclusionary ideas under the guise of cultural pride.&nbsp;&ldquo;Such symbolic acts, though seemingly minor, reinforce a message of division,&rdquo; said a Pune-based social worker. &ldquo;India&rsquo;s strength lies in its shared spaces and inclusive heritage, not in rituals of separation.&rdquo;&nbsp;Historical significance of ShaniwarwadaThe Shaniwarwada fort, an architectural symbol of the Maratha legacy, holds deep historical and cultural value. Despite its association with Hindu Maratha rulers, the fort also embodies India&rsquo;s composite heritage, reflecting centuries of cultural intermingling.&nbsp;The incident has sparked debate within India over whether religious practices of any kind should be performed at protected monuments. Heritage experts have called for stricter enforcement of archaeological site regulations to prevent political or religious appropriation of historical spaces.&nbsp;Broader implicationsObservers in South Asia note that such developments highlight a worrying pattern of identity-based politics encroaching on cultural heritage and public life.&nbsp;For Pakistan and the wider region, the episode underscores the importance of safeguarding pluralism, tolerance, and respect for all faiths, principles that have historically underpinned South Asia&rsquo;s shared civilization.

Indian MP Medha Kulkarni faces backlash after leading a 'purification' ritual at Shaniwarwada fort following a viral video of Muslim women praying there.

Articles tagged with "Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)"

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India’s BJP politicizes IPL, targets Shah Rukh Khan over Bangladeshi player

India was 'completely defeated' by Pakistan: former Maharashtra chief minister

Multiple BJP-ruled Indian states receive higher tax devolution despite lower contributions

Indian digital system to register people's castes in politically-sensitive census

Taj Mahal: Hindu nationalist revisionism reshapes India’s monuments and memory

Indian lawmaker sparks outrage with ‘purification’ ritual at fort

Indian opposition accuses BJP government of 'poisonous water' crisis