Caught Playing Rummy in Assembly, Maharashtra Minister Manikrao Kokate Shunted from Agriculture Portfolio 2
In a late-night cabinet reshuffle, Maharashtra Minister and NCP MLA Manikrao Kokate has been removed from the agriculture ministry after a video of him playing an online rummy game during an assembly session went viral. The footage, reportedly captured during the recent monsoon session, showed Kokate engrossed in the game while seated in the legislative council. The clip was widely circulated by NCP (Sharad Pawar) leaders Rohit Pawar and Jitendra Awhad, sparking criticism and embarrassment for the government.
Following the controversy, Kokate has now been assigned the sports and youth welfare portfolio, in addition to the minority development and Auqaf departments, according to a notification issued by the General Administration Department on Thursday night. Dattatrey Bharne, who previously held the sports ministry, has taken charge as the new agriculture minister. Both Kokate and Bharne are MLAs from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party, representing Sinnar in Nashik and Indapur in Pune, respectively.
This is not Kokate’s first brush with controversy. Earlier this year, he faced backlash for allegedly comparing farmers to beggars. His reassignment marks the second high-profile shuffle within the Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP in recent months. In an earlier episode, Dhananjay Munde resigned from his ministerial post after his close aide, Walmik Karad, was named the prime accused in the Santosh Deshmukh murder case.
ED Busts 'Fake' Bank Guarantee Racket Tied to Odisha Firm; Reliance Subsidiary Under Lens 4
In a major crackdown, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday raided multiple premises linked to an Odisha-based company, Biswal Tradelink, accused of orchestrating a fake bank guarantee racket involving commissions and suspicious dealings with prominent business groups. Among the alleged beneficiaries is Reliance NU BESS Limited—a subsidiary of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Power—which reportedly submitted a fraudulent guarantee worth ₹68.2 crore to the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI).
The investigation, launched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), stems from a November 2024 FIR filed by the Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing. The ED conducted searches at three locations in Bhubaneswar and one associate entity in Kolkata, seizing critical documents linked to the fake guarantees.
According to agency sources, Biswal Tradelink allegedly issued forged bank guarantees against an 8% commission. The firm used a deceptive email domain—s-bi.co.in—closely resembling the official domain of the State Bank of India (sbi.co.in), to send fake communications to SECI while impersonating the national bank.
Documents related to the fake guarantees were reportedly seized during a recent raid on Reliance Group’s offices in Mumbai. Investigators have also found multiple suspicious transactions involving various companies routed through undisclosed bank accounts.
Further digging revealed that Biswal Tradelink is essentially a paper entity, with its registered office being a residential address linked to a relative. No official business records were found during the raids. The agency suspects the use of the Telegram app with disappearing messages enabled by key individuals to avoid digital trails.
The ED has also reached out to the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) for details regarding the fake email domain’s registration, while a forensic audit of seized data is underway. With financial fraud running into crores, the probe is likely to widen in scope as investigators track the money trail.
Debate On Operation Sindoor Turned Into a Political Battlefield 6
For the first time in a long while, the Parliament didn’t echo with scripted chest-thumping—it roared with real questions. The debate on Operation Sindoor turned into a political battlefield where the Prime Minister, his top ministers, and the entire BJP machinery were called out, cornered, and crushed by the opposition’s fierce and factual onslaught.
Yes, Prime Minister Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and EAM Jaishankar gave long, loud speeches—but none of them had the courage or substance to directly answer the barrage of valid, burning questions raised by the opposition.
Leaders like Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Kanimozhi, and Akhilesh Yadav didn’t just speak—they shook the very foundations of Modi’s political grandstanding. The Opposition didn’t indulge in drama; they held a mirror to a government that has lost its political will and moral compass—a government that thrives on PR but falters on accountability.
The House witnessed a direct face-off: Narendra Modi vs the Gandhi siblings—and for once, Modi was on the back foot.
Rahul Gandhi’s powerful, piercing words tore through the BJP’s false bravado. His direct challenge: “Say it in this House—Donald Trump is lying; India didn’t agree to a US-brokered ceasefire. Say it, if you even have 50% of Indira Gandhi’s courage!” left the PM speechless. And Priyanka Gandhi’s question was brutal in its honesty—why hasn’t Amit Shah resigned after the Pahalgam attack that killed innocent citizens? Why has no one taken responsibility?
While the government tried to celebrate Operation Sindoor as a victory, Priyanka Gandhi exposed the bitter truth—a truth soaked in the blood of the innocents. She named the victim, Shubham Dwivedi, whose wife waited an hour during the attack and saw no security personnel, no soldier—just bloodshed and fear. That silence, that vacuum of state presence, is the Modi government’s real face.
She shattered BJP’s favourite attack line about 26/11 and the UPA’s alleged inaction. “The terrorists were killed during the attack, and those responsible in the UPA resigned. That’s what accountability looks like—not this shameless denial and blame-shifting,” she said.
The so-called ‘56-inch chest’ shrunk in front of facts.
Rahul Gandhi drove the stake in deeper. He exposed the BJP’s strategic cowardice—tying the military’s hands, refusing to strike military targets in Pakistan, leading to unnecessary losses. He invoked India’s Defence Attaché and quoted the Defence Minister himself—that India lost aircraft because of political constraints.
He made it clear: “The Army is filled with tigers, ready to die for this country. But tigers must be set free. Don’t cage their strength with your cowardice.”
He thundered that India needs a leader who empowers the military like Indira Gandhi did, not someone obsessed with self-image and media optics. Modi was reminded that the nation is bigger than his brand, bigger than his selective patriotism.
Perhaps the most damning moment was when Rahul Gandhi pointed out that not a single country condemned Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack. That’s how low India’s diplomatic credibility has sunk under Modi.
Throughout the 16-hour debate, it became evident: the Modi government had no answers. Their voices echoed, but their words rang hollow. The Opposition was relentless, sharp, factual—and finally, fearless.
For once, Modi didn’t dominate the narrative—he struggled to survive it.
This was not just a debate; it was a democratic storm. And it revealed a hard truth—when you ignore accountability, when you suppress dissent, when your governance becomes a spectacle, the day will come when Parliament itself demands answers.
Sonia, Priyanka, Akhilesh Lead 'Stop SIR' Protest, Accuse EC of Attacking Democracy 8
For the eighth consecutive day, senior opposition leaders, including Congress parliamentary party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex against the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The protest, organized by MPs from the INDIA bloc, demanded an immediate rollback of the EC’s voter list revision, alleging it undermines democratic principles.
Before Parliament proceedings began on Thursday, the opposition leaders gathered near the Makar Dwar steps, holding placards reading “Stop SIR” and standing behind a large banner that declared “SIR – Loktantra Pe Vaar” (Attack on Democracy). Protesters accused the Election Commission of acting in collusion with the central government, aiming to disenfranchise voters in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Members of the Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD, and Left parties raised slogans and demanded a full debate in both Houses on what they termed an unconstitutional move by the EC. The coordinated protest reflects growing opposition concern over alleged manipulation of the electoral process.
Rahul Gandhi Slams Modi Govt: Says 'India Is a Dead Economy' Except for PM and FM 10
In a sharp political attack, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday claimed that everyone except Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman acknowledges that India is a “dead economy.” He alleged that the BJP-led government has systematically destroyed the nation’s economic, defence, and foreign policies.
Speaking to reporters at the Parliament House complex, Gandhi reacted to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent comments calling India and Russia “dead economies,” and announcing a 25 per cent tariff along with other penalties on India. “He is right,” Gandhi said. “Everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister. I’m glad President Trump has stated a fact.”
Gandhi also took a swipe at India’s foreign policy, suggesting that the Prime Minister blindly follows U.S. interests. “A trade deal will happen, Trump will define it, and Modi will do what he tells him to,” he remarked.
Further criticizing the government, Gandhi alleged that economic policy has been manipulated to benefit industrialist Gautam Adani. He questioned the effectiveness of India’s global diplomacy, pointing to the lack of international condemnation against Pakistan and rising Chinese aggression. “How are they running the country? They simply don’t know how,” he said.
Sudden Brakes on Highways Are Negligence, Rules Supreme Court in Landmark Road Safety Verdict 12
In a landmark ruling that may shape future road safety norms, the Supreme Court of India has held that abruptly halting a vehicle on a highway without warning constitutes negligence. The apex court observed that a driver must provide clear signals before stopping, especially on high-speed roads, where such actions can trigger catastrophic consequences.
The judgment was delivered by a bench comprising Justices Suddhanshu Dhulia and Aravind Kumar, who were hearing the plea of S Mohammed Hakim, an engineering student from Coimbatore. Hakim’s life changed forever on January 7, 2017, when his motorcycle collided with a car that had stopped suddenly on the highway. The impact threw him onto the road, where he was tragically run over by an oncoming bus, resulting in the amputation of his left leg.
The car driver defended his action, citing a sudden vomiting sensation experienced by his pregnant wife. However, the court found the justification unreasonable, stating that “on a highway, high speed is expected, and it is a driver’s duty to signal if they intend to stop.” The bench ruled that the driver bore 50% liability for the accident, rejecting his explanation as insufficient and irresponsible.
While acknowledging that Hakim lacked a valid driving license and had not maintained adequate distance, the court limited his contributory negligence to 20%, noting that the root cause of the accident remained the car’s sudden braking.
The bus driver was held 30% liable. The Supreme Court recalculated the total compensation to be ₹1.14 crore, deducting 20% due to the victim’s contributory negligence. The court directed the insurance companies of both vehicles to pay the remaining amount within four weeks.
This decision overturned earlier findings by both the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal, which had absolved the car driver, and the Madras High Court, which had assigned 40% liability to the car driver and 30% to Hakim.
Sadhvi Pragya, Six Others Acquitted in 2008 Malegaon Blast Case After 17-Year Trial 14
In a landmark verdict 17 years after the deadly Malegaon blast, a special NIA court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including BJP leader and former MP Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, citing lack of conclusive evidence and procedural lapses. The 2008 explosion, which occurred in the communally sensitive town of Malegaon in Maharashtra’s Nashik district, claimed six lives and left over 100 injured.
Delivering the judgment, Special NIA Judge A.K. Lahoti stated that while the prosecution established that a bomb blast occurred — involving explosives allegedly fitted to a motorcycle — it failed to prove the critical detail that the bomb was actually placed on that specific motorcycle. The explosion happened near Bhikku Chowk on the night of September 29, during the holy month of Ramzan, just before Navratri, in a town with a sizeable Muslim population.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the probe, had charged seven individuals: Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, Lt Col Prasad Purohit, Major (Retd) Ramesh Upadhyay, Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi, and Sameer Kulkarni. The court, however, ruled that the evidence against them was insufficient.
“There is no evidence that explosives were stored or assembled at Lt Col Purohit’s residence,” the judge observed. He also noted that no proper sketch of the scene was drawn during the investigation, no fingerprints or digital data were recovered from the site, and that the motorcycle’s chassis number was unclear, undermining claims of its ownership.
In Sadhvi Pragya’s case, the court said the prosecution failed to establish that the bike was in her possession immediately before the blast. Furthermore, the judge dismissed the application of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the case, declaring both sanction orders as defective and non-compliant with legal procedures.
The accused were charged under various sections of the UAPA and Indian Penal Code, with the trial beginning in 2018 and concluding in April 2025. The verdict brings closure to a prolonged legal saga, highlighting critical shortcomings in investigation and prosecution.
India Safe from Tsunami Threat After Massive 8.7 Magnitude Earthquake in Russia: ITEWC 16
India remains unaffected by the massive 8.7 magnitude earthquake that struck off the East Coast of Kamchatka in Russia early Wednesday, according to the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC). In a morning bulletin, the centre confirmed that based on pre-run model scenarios, there is no tsunami threat to the Indian coastline.
“No threat to India,” the ITEWC bulletin stated, reassuring coastal communities and halting any immediate concern. It also added that no further bulletins would be issued unless new information becomes available.
The ITEWC operates under the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) based in Pragati Nagar, Hyderabad.
The quake, among the strongest recorded globally in recent years, triggered small tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska. Warnings were also issued for Hawaii, parts of North and Central America, and several Pacific islands extending toward New Zealand. Despite its intensity, the impact on India remains negligible as per official assessments.
Congress Slams PM Modi for Silence on Trump's Ceasefire Claims: "On a Very Weak Wicket" 18
The Congress party has launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of deliberately refusing to unequivocally deny former US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims of mediating a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. Citing over 30 such statements by Trump across various countries, the Congress alleged that Modi is “on a very weak wicket” and has “much to cover up.”
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the prime minister’s silence, stating, “He doesn’t even have the guts to call Trump a liar. In his two-hour-long speech in Parliament, he didn’t mention Trump even once. It seems there’s something fishy.” Kharge reiterated India’s long-standing policy against third-party mediation in Indo-Pak affairs and demanded that the government clarify why Trump’s version has gone unchallenged.
On Tuesday, Trump once again claimed — while speaking aboard Air Force One — that he played a key role in halting hostilities between India and Pakistan. Sharing a video of Trump’s comments, Congress communications head Jairam Ramesh said, “Why is the PM still refusing to categorically deny what Trump has said now 30 times? It’s because he has something to hide.”
Congress media department head Pawan Khera drew a sharp analogy, saying, “Trump is coiled around Modi like a snake, hissing bitter truths. Rahul Gandhi gave Modi a perfect opportunity to wriggle out—just say Trump is lying. But Modi’s refusal speaks volumes.”
In the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi dared Modi to state plainly in Parliament that “Donald Trump is lying.” Modi, however, refrained from addressing Trump’s remarks directly. He only said no foreign leader had asked India to halt Operation Sindoor, and blamed the Congress for failing to back Indian soldiers during the crisis.
Post-debate, Rahul Gandhi reiterated his point, saying, “Trump has claimed 29 times that he helped secure a ceasefire, and yet Narendra Modi didn’t once respond to it.”
Since May 10, when Trump declared on social media that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire after mediation by the US, he has consistently repeated the claim. However, the Indian government maintains that the ceasefire was the result of direct discussions between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two nations.
Last month, in a 35-minute phone call with Trump, Modi reportedly made it clear that India has never accepted and will never accept third-party mediation. The call came days after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. The operation targeted terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India and Pakistan agreed to cease hostilities on May 10 following four days of cross-border strikes.
Sonia Gandhi Leads Seventh Day of Opposition Protest Against Bihar Voter Roll Revision 20
Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi, along with several MPs from the INDIA bloc, staged a protest in the Parliament House complex on Wednesday for the seventh consecutive day, demanding the rollback of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar.
Before the day’s parliamentary proceedings began, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and other opposition MPs gathered near the Makar Dwar entrance, holding placards that read “Stop SIR” and standing behind a large banner that declared “SIR – Loktantra Pe Vaar” (SIR – An Attack on Democracy). The coordinated protest was aimed at drawing national attention to what the opposition alleges is a deliberate attempt by the Election Commission to disenfranchise voters in Bihar ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
Leaders from Congress, DMK, TMC, Samajwadi Party, RJD, and Left parties united in protest, raising slogans and demanding a debate on the issue in both Houses of Parliament. The opposition maintains that the EC’s voter roll revision could significantly impact electoral fairness and transparency, calling the move unconstitutional and politically motivated.
