Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over the all-party meeting held in the capital on Thursday, a day after India conducted cross-border strikes in Pakistan as well as PoK and briefed the Opposition on ‘Operation Sindoor’, its aftermath and also about the government’s intentions behind bombing the terror bases and its preparations for any eventuality.

The all-party meeting, called by the Centre, was to brief the Opposition leaders about the Army’s one of the most expansive operations against terror camps and infrastructure, across the border.

Top leaders of all parties, including Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi and others, attended the meeting.

As Rajnath Singh briefed the Opposition, all parties lauded the Army’s action and extended support to the government in its endeavour to crush terrorism emanating from foreign soil.

Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, told the media, "We have extended our full support to the government.”

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation in border districts following indiscriminate shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) by the Pakistan Army.

Officials said that the Chief Minister chaired the emergency meeting with Deputy Commissioners of all border districts through video conferencing to assess the situation in the wake of intense cross border shelling in these districts.

“The situation and preparedness to deal with exigencies were reviewed in view of the current developments and escalating tension, particularly along the LOC and districts close to the international border.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday praised the Indian Army for the successful execution of 'Operation Sindoor', describing it as a decisive and strong response against terrorism and asserted that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India remains committed to pursuing every perpetrator of terror.

Taking to social media platform X, FM Sitharaman posted, “The 'Operation Sindoor' is a strong response by Indian Army — hitting at the terror hubs in Pakistan. India shall never tolerate terrorism. Under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, we will ensure every perpetrator of terror is pursued.”

Her remarks came after India carried out 'Operation Sindoor', a high-precision military operation targeting nine terror infrastructure sites deep inside Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

The operation targeted infrastructure linked to terror groups responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen in Jammu and Kashmir. The strike was a direct retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired a meeting of the Union Cabinet, where he shared details on Operation Sindoor -- a targeted military strike carried out by the Indian defence forces on nine terror camps across the border in the early hours of the day.

During the meeting, PM Modi informed the cabinet that the operation was executed exactly as planned, with “no mistakes whatsoever.”

He emphasised that the Army had carried out the mission with utmost precision, adhering strictly to the detailed preparations that had been made in advance.

Sources said the Prime Minister praised the armed forces for their “commendable job” and “immaculate execution,” underlining their professionalism and commitment to national security.

 A reaction hailing India posted by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on X, presumably on ‘Operation Sindoor’ that the country launched against Pakistan, attracted snide comments from people on Wednesday morning.

Chief Minister Banerjee, who is generally known for ending any statement, verbal or written, with the slogan “Jai Bangla” on Wednesday made a post on her official X handle which read “Jai Hind! Jai India!”

Soon after the comment was posted there were snide reactions from individuals.

One person questioned whether the Chief Minister’s X account had been hacked and the post “Jai Hind! Jai India!” was made by the hacker.

 Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hailed the Indian armed forces for carrying out 'Operation Sindoor', saying it is India's response to the brutal Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 innocent civilians on April 22.

He also reaffirmed India's commitment to eliminating terrorism from its roots.

In a military operation following the Pahalgam terror attack, India launched 'Operation Sindoor', striking nine high-value terror targets deep inside Pakistani territory.

Taking to X, HM Shah posted, "Proud of our armed forces. Operation Sindoor is Bharat's response to the brutal killing of our innocent brothers in Pahalgam."

"The Modi government is resolved to give a befitting response to any attack on India and its people. Bharat remains firmly committed to eradicating terrorism from its roots," he added.

The operation targeted infrastructure linked to terror groups responsible for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen in Jammu and Kashmir.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta joined a cleanliness drive by offering ‘Shramdan (service)’ at the Hanuman Mandir complex in Connaught Place on Tuesday and said the message from this symbolic event was to encourage elected representatives, officials and RWAs to collectively make Delhi beautiful.

“A clean and green Delhi is the responsibility of all. We all have to hit the streets to join this 20-day cleanliness drive in the city,” she said.

She said the officials were expected to personally join the efforts and the citizens were expected to bring to the government's notice the presence of any garbage or filth.

Flanked by Vice Chairman of New Delhi Municipal Council, Kuljeet Singh Chahal, the CM conducted a symbolic act of sweeping and collected waste in a dust collector.

Talking to mediapersons, she requested RWAs and organisations which hold public events to ensure that they keep the venue litter-free after the programme.

Continuing its drive against encroachments, the Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA) demolished unauthorised structures in Gachibowli.

HYDRAA staff pulled down illegal structures in the layout of the Fertilisers Corporation of India Employees’ Cooperative Housing Society in the Sandhya Convention area.

The enforcement team of the agency found several encroachments by merging roads and parks without any proper layout approvals. Structures built without permissions were demolished by deploying bulldozers.

HYDRAA carried out the demolition after receiving complaints about encroachments on public roads. Plot owners had complained that buildings were constructed in such a way that their plots were no longer visible.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids at 10 locations in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in connection with a Rs 100 crore fraud involving Salim Jummakhan Pathan, who is accused of illegally posing as a Waqf Board trustee and siphoning off rent from Waqf properties.

The action follows an FIR registered by the Gaekwad Haveli police, where five individuals were earlier arrested for allegedly misrepresenting themselves as trustees of the Waqf Board.

The group is accused of illegally collecting rent from properties associated with the Waqf Board, including the historic Kaanch Ni Masjid (Glass Mosque) and Shah Bada Qasam Trust in the Jamalpur area.

According to police investigations, the accused were never officially appointed as trustees by the Gujarat State Waqf Board.

The officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) were conducting raids and search operations at multiple locations in and around Kolkata on Tuesday in relation to a case pertaining to massive irregularities in admission to private medical colleges in West Bengal under Non-Resident Indian (NRI) quota.

At the same time, sources aware of the development said that notices for interrogation have been sent to at least 50 people, most of whom are either close relatives or associates of several politically influential individuals in the state.

Those who have been served with notices, sources added, have also been asked to submit their financial details, including income tax returns, bank accounts, and properties registered in their names, to the central agency.

The Supreme Court has decided to place assets of the apex court judges in the public domain by uploading these on its official website.

“The Full Court of the Supreme Court of India has on 1st April, 2025 decided that the statement of assets of the Judges of this Court shall be placed in the public domain by uploading the same on the website of this Court. Statements of assets of Judges already received are being uploaded. Statement of assets of other Judges will be uploaded as and when the current statement of assets is received,” said a press release issued by the top court.

In a bid towards transparency in the judiciary, all the judges of the Supreme Court had agreed to make a declaration of their assets and upload the details on the apex court website.

The move was seen to be taken against the backdrop of the cash discovery episode at the residence of a Delhi High Court judge on March 14.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting him to have a dialogue with all political parties soon on the issue of the caste census.

Kharge shared the letter on his X handle on Tuesday.

In the May 5 letter, Kharge has put forth his three suggestions for the PM’s consideration on the issue of caste census.

The first point says the design of the census questionnaire is crucial. “The Union Home Ministry must draw upon the Telangana model - both the methodology adopted for finalizing the questionnaire, as well the final set of questions asked.”

The second point says, “Whatever the results of the caste census will be, it is abundantly clear that the arbitrarily imposed 50% ceiling on reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs must be removed by a Constitutional amendment.”

Strongly condemning the organizations announcing road and rail blockades in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann stated that legal action will be taken against those who disrupt public life and hinder the state’s progress.

In a statement issued today, the Chief Minister said that there are many other ways to express dissent,blocking transportation routes and hampering the development of the state cannot be tolerated. He added that such protests particularly harm the people of Punjab, especially hardworking individuals who earn their livelihood through daily labor. Road blockages often delay emergency medical services, and during the ongoing wheat procurement season, uninterrupted rail services are essential for the transportation of crops. Therefore, halting transport services severely impacts the interests of the state.

Sumit Jain has been re-elected as the Indian Deaf Cricket Association (IDCA) president for 2025–2029 term in the internal elections conducted here at the India Habitat Centre, where the new executive committee was elected to lead the organisation's efforts in promoting deaf cricket all over India and overseas.

Sumit Jain, who is also Vice President and member of the Differently-Abled Cricket Committee of BCCI (DCCI), established IDCA in 2020 with a one-point agenda - to establish a dedicated forum for hearing-impaired cricketers in India. In all these years, IDCA has emerged as a strong national organisation advocating the cause of inclusive sport and has achieved recognition as a member of the Deaf International Cricket Council (DICC) and works closely with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The BJP launched a scathing attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday, criticising her for what they termed a "delayed and politically calculated" visit to Murshidabad, a district recently rocked by communal violence linked to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, in which three people were killed.

Leading the charge, JPC Chairman and BJP MP, Jagdambika Pal accused CM Banerjee of abandoning her constitutional responsibility during the height of the unrest.

"It is already too late. When the violence was happening, she remained silent. She didn't meet with the clerics in Kolkata. While the violence was unfolding, the police stood by as mute spectators, as fathers and sons were being killed," he professed.

He alleged that the state government failed to protect its citizens, especially the Hindu community.

The ruling National Conference (NC) spokesperson, Tanvir Sadiq, said on Monday that the Lt Governor has not rejected the transaction of business rules (TBR) file sent to him, but raised some queries, which are being responded to by the Jammu and Kashmir cabinet.

The NC spokesperson refuted media reports that said Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has rejected the TBR recommendations sent for his approval by the elected government.

“The L-G did not reject the recommendations, but raised some queries from Raj Bhavan. This morning, the Cabinet under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah prepared responses to those queries. The file will be sent back to the L-G's office today. It appears to be a work in progress, and an appropriate response has been prepared,” Tanvir Sadiq said.

The West Bengal government and the ruling Trinamool Congress have received unprecedented support from its arch-political rival CPI(M) on the issue of the Governor C.V. Ananda Bose suggesting the Union government consider provisions of Article 356 of the Indian Constitution in his report on the communal violence in Murshidabad district.

The CPI(M) state secretary in West Bengal and the party’s politburo member, Md Salim, on Monday, issued a statement claiming that the transfer of power from the state government to that of the Governor through the President’s rule will not solve the problems of West Bengal.

“It is beyond doubt that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the state home minister and the state police minister, failed miserably in maintaining the law & order situation in the state. But that does not mean that the problems will be solved if there is a transfer in power to the Governor through President’s Rule,” Salim said.

J&K National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah on Saturday visited Kashmir’s Pahalgam and interacted with tourists and expressed solidarity with the victims, who fell to terror bullets on April 22, which saw the death of 26 people, mostly civilians.

“I came here (Pahalgam) and felt very happy. When I saw that people have come from Maharashtra as well, and after what happened (terror attack), they all told me they are not afraid. They said, ‘We have come to stand with our fellow citizens.’ I also spoke to their children, even the youngest ones, and they said, ‘We are not afraid.’ They want to show those who committed this act that we are not scared of them. This is a very powerful message,” the NC president told, who was accompanied by party leaders and local representatives.

Madhya Pradesh Sports and Youth Welfare Minister, Vishwas Sarang, on Saturday said that those targeting Hindu girls for "love-jihad" and raping minor girls, deserve no leniency and should be "shot dead".

The Minister's remarks came a day after Farhan, the prime accused in the shocking case of sexual assault and blackmailing of girls, was shot in the leg when he tried to seize the pistol from the police.

"Those who commit heinous crime and rape minor girls should be shot dead. Such criminals are a burden on human society, and they deserve no leniency. It would have been better if the police shot him (Farhan) in his chest, instead of leg," Sarang, a senior BJP leader and MLA from Bhopal's Narela constituency, said.

Police said Farhan had told the officers to stop the vehicle on the pretext of going to the washroom. He snatched the pistol of a Sub-inspector, and during the chaos, a bullet hit him in the leg, police said.

Karnataka Police have arrested eight people in connection with the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, which occurred in the communally-sensitive city of Mangaluru. In a significant move to prevent further communal violence in the region, the Karnataka government has decided to form an Anti-Communal Task Force.

Minister for Home, G. Parameshwara, while addressing a joint press conference on Saturday alongside senior police officers and Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao — who is also the district incharge minister for Mangaluru — announced that the eight accused in the Suhas Shetty murder case have been arrested.

HM Parameshwara stated, “The police department will provide more detailed information regarding the arrests. To prevent incidents of communal violence, an Anti-Communal Task Force will be set up to operate in the Mangaluru and Udupi districts.”

“The task force, which will be headed by an officer of Inspector General (IG) rank, will work to prevent communal violence in the coastal region and will begin functioning within two weeks. It will operate in coordination with the police department,” he added.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met a high-level 10-member delegation from Nepal’s Sudurpashchim Province, led by Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah, at his official residence on Saturday.

The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation in border areas.

Discussions covered a range of issues, including development in border districts through mutual coordination, promotion of cultural and religious connections, boosting tourism, and improving disaster management strategies.

CM Dhami emphasised the deep-rooted social and cultural ties between Uttarakhand and Nepal, underlining their shared historical and civilisational heritage.

He assured full support from the Uttarakhand government in collaborative efforts related to trade, health, education, and infrastructure development along the border.

The Delhi government on Saturday launched a 'Mobile Registration Campaign' under the Ayushman Vaya Vandana Yojana, a major healthcare initiative for senior citizens aged 70 and above in the national Capital.

The scheme, part of the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), promises free treatment of up to Rs 10 lakh per beneficiary.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta flagged off the campaign from the RK Puram Assembly constituency, where Delhi Cabinet Minister Sardar Manjinder Singh Sirsa and local MLA Anil Sharma were also present.

The campaign will deploy 70 mobile vans, one in each of the 70 Assembly constituencies, over a period of 70 days to facilitate the registration process for elderly citizens.

Congress leader Udit Raj on Friday launched a scathing attack on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati, alleging that she has effectively become the "unofficial spokesperson" of the BJP.

The remarks came after Mayawati accused both the BJP and Congress of politicising the issue of caste-based census. In a series of posts on X, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister alleged that the "anti-Bahujan stance" of both national parties continues to deprive Other Backward Classes (OBCs) of their rightful entitlements.

"The BJP and Congress are now rushing to take credit for the caste census issue, attempting to portray themselves as champions of OBCs. However, their track record reveals a consistent pattern of oppression and exclusion of Bahujan communities," Mayawati said.

A court here on Friday issued notices to Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in the alleged National Herald money laundering case.

The Rouse Avenue Courts asked the Gandhis and others accused to show cause as to why cognisance should not be taken on the charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Last week, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne temporarily declined to issue notice on ED’s prosecution complaint and asked the federal anti-money laundering agency to place the requisite documents on record and remove the defects.

As the prosecution contended that the court can take cognisance of a charge sheet without hearing the accused and, therefore, notices should be issued, the judge had said: "I cannot pass such an order until satisfied."

The all-party meeting, chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here on Friday to discuss the issue of giving additional water to neighbouring Haryana, unanimously decided that the state itself has no surplus water. They also decided to meet either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to apprise them of the situation.

The meeting comprised leaders from the AAP, BJP, the Congress and the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Later there was a media interaction after the all-party meeting of all prominent parties expressed unanimity with the AAP government’s refusal to share extra water with Haryana.

Chief Minister Mann told the media that all the political parties, rising above their ideology, suggested to the government that it must save every drop of the water which is the state’s lifeline.

Promising to tackle air pollution and traffic congestion in a phased manner, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday launched 400 electric buses and promised to induct another 2,080 of these smoke-free vehicles under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (DEVI) scheme this year.

Speaking at the launch event, the CM highlighted her government’s commitment to give clean air to Delhiites but added that e-buses were just a part of the strategy, which also requires more and more private vehicles to go electric.

“We will come out with an EV policy to give incentives and encourage private vehicle owners to use these pollution-free vehicles,” she said.

The launch of the new fleet of nine-metre green mini-buses is a major step towards revolutionising the national capital’s public transport sector, counter pollution and providing last-mile connectivity to users of Metro.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National President, Mayawati on Friday launched a sharp attack on both the Congress and the BJP, alleging that their ambiguous and insincere stance towards the Bahujan and OBC communities had deprived these groups of their due share in the nation’s development.

“If the intentions and policies of the Congress and BJP were truly clear and honest towards the Bahujan Samaj, the OBCs would today be full partners in the development process,” she said in a post on X while commenting on the caste census.

Mayawati criticised the political posturing around the caste census, stating, “After opposing it for a long time, the Central government has finally agreed to conduct a caste census alongside the national census. Now, both the BJP and the Congress are scrambling to take credit and present themselves as pro-OBC. But the reality is that because of their anti-Bahujan mindset, these communities remain backward, exploited and marginalised.”

The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) on Thursday welcomed the Central government's landmark decision to include caste-based enumeration in the upcoming national census and said that it was possible due to the INDIA bloc's persistent demands for this.

The Centre declared on Wednesday that a caste census would be conducted along with the next population census, a nationwide exercise administered at the central level. The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs (CCPA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

NCP(SP) leader and Member of Parliament (MP) Supriya Sule said, "It was possible because it was the INDIA bloc that had demanded this. Whether it was Rahul Gandhi, Akhilesh Yadav, Amol Kolhe, or even myself -- we all raised this demand many times, both in Parliament and on the streets through protests."

"Our demand has now been fulfilled. It may have taken time, but better late than never," she said.

The announcement triggered a wave of reactions from across the political spectrum.

Aiming for speedy removal of dead voters’ names from electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to directly collect electronic data from the Registrar of Births and Deaths, an official said on Thursday.

At present, the names are not removed or verified by booth level officers till a formal request, through Form 7, is received.

Apart from this, the ECI is planning to modify the design of Voter Information Slips (VIS) to make it more voter-friendly, said the official.

Referring to recent decisions by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, the official said, “The Commission will now obtain death registration data electronically from the Registrar General of India in line with Rule 9 of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and Section 3(5)(b) of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 (as amended in 2023).”

Assuring safety and welfare of labourers, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said on Thursday that her government has directed employers to give a three-hour 'heat break' to construction workers between noon and 3 p.m. in view of the harsh summer.

Interacting with workers on Labour Day, CM Gupta said the BJP governments at the Centre and in Delhi are committed to protecting the interests and rights of labourers, promising health check of each worker and family members at their construction site.

“Our government has taken special measures for women in the workforce by planning to build 500 creches where they will be able to leave their children for day care and the kids will remain safe and healthy,” she said, enlisting labour-friendly measures taken by the Delhi government.

“We are also installing 3,000 water coolers in public spaces and near construction sites so that workers can fight the heat effectively,” she said at a Workers' Felicitation Ceremony event in Karol Bagh organised by the Department of Labour to honour workers who play a vital role in the development of the city.

 In an intelligence-led operation, Punjab Police’s Counter-Intelligence of Amritsar busted an international narcotics smuggling network operated by foreign-based Jassa and his associates with links to Pakistan-based smugglers, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Thursday.

Five kg of heroin was seized. He said preliminary investigation revealed that Jassa and his foreign-based accomplices have established links with their India-based associate, Jodhbir Singh, alias Jodha, a resident of Amritsar.

Acting on the instructions of his foreign handlers, Jodhbir Singh actively retrieved heroin consignments and distributed them to various locations across India.

Further intelligence indicates that Jodhbir Singh also collected drug proceeds and remitted them to Pakistan through hawala channels, said the DGP.

Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday urged the Centre to follow Telangana model for caste census by forming a group of ministers and experts' committee to study the caste profile in every state before undertaking caste census as part of general census.

Day after the Centre decided to conduct nationwide caste count along with the next population census, he suggested that the Modi government first constitute a group of ministers to build consensus by visiting the states to seek suggestions of the state governments and all stakeholders. Subsequently, a committee of experts, including officials, should be constituted to work out the terms of reference for caste census, he said.

Stating that every state has a different caste composition, CM Reddy said the expert committee should visit all the states to study the situation so that a questionnaire can be prepared for caste census.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to preside over the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Wednesday morning, making it the second such huddle after the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack, which shook the entire nation and countrymen.

A total of 26 people, including a Nepali national, were killed on April 22 while they were on holiday in the green meadows of Pahalgam's Baisaran valley.

The CCS meeting is likely to take place around 11 a.m.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, among others, will attend the high-level meeting.

The ED attached immovable assets worth Rs 5.92 crore, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, in connection with an illegal allotment of Gujarat government land by a bureaucrat to a private realtor, an official said on Tuesday.

The seized assets include immovable properties in the form of plots located in Bhuj, Kutch, the official said.

Retired IAS officer Pradeep Sharma was involved in the alleged land scam in collusion with Sanjay Shah, who developed the land for residential plots and generated the proceeds of crime.

Sharma, who joined the Gujarat Administrative Service in 1981, was promoted to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1999. He served as the collector of the Rajkot and Kutch districts.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) President Mayawati on Tuesday urged party workers to support and encourage her nephew, Akash Anand, who was recently reinstated in the party after being removed from key responsibilities.

In a detailed post on social media platform X, Mayawati addressed the internal dynamics of the party, stating that some BSP members, due to "ignorance, over-enthusiasm, carelessness, or being misled by opposition conspiracies", are occasionally removed from responsibilities -- and in serious cases, expelled.

"After some of them reflect and apologise, they are taken back in the interest of the party and the movement. This has been the practice since the party’s formation, and similar actions are seen in other parties as well", she added.

Referring specifically to Akash Anand, she said that "some selfish and sellable elements within the Bahujan Samaj" -- who have floated their own parties to divide the BSP vote -- have been spreading false propaganda in the media about his return.