India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
Surat: Authorities in Bharuch district have shut down the Dhadhar river bridge to heavy vehicular traffic following safety concerns raised after the recent Gambhira bridge tragedy that claimed 21 lives. The bridge, which connects the towns of Amod and Jambusar and is one of the busiest routes in the district, has now been restricted to light vehicles only.The decision came after Bharuch District collector Gaurang Makwana, provincial officer Dr Supriya Ganguly and officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) conducted an on-site inspection of the bridge near Jambusar. Based on initial structural assessments, they issued directives to restrict heavy vehicle movement as a precautionary measure.Traffic heading towards Jambusar will now be diverted through Matar toll, the Expressway and Samiyala toll. Heavy vehicles may also use alternate routes through Sarbhan, Manjola, Vasana, Umaj, Vanchhara and Marad. The same routes will be used in reverse for vehicles heading from Jambusar to Amod.Officials stated that the bridge had previously shown signs of wear and had been the subject of multiple repair complaints over the past few years, which remained unaddressed. The move to restrict access follows growing concerns over the safety of aging infrastructure in the wake of the Gambhira bridge collapse.In a broader safety review, a preliminary inspection of other bridges in the district -- including those over the Kaveri river and Ratanpur Creek -- was conducted by a team of engineers and district officials, including mamlatdars and the executive engineer. These inspections fall under the jurisdiction of the state roads and buildings department.Authorities have instructed the National Highway Authority, roads and buildings department and panchayat department to conduct comprehensive safety audits of all bridges across Bharuch. These audits will include structural stability assessments, identification of cracks, corrosion, or damage and recommendations for strengthening or reconstruction where necessary.Any bridge found to be in a critical condition will be closed immediately, and appropriate signage and barricades will be installed to prevent accidents.
Chennai: Hours before Union home minister Amit Shah was to arrive in Madurai, Thuglak editor and an associate of Shah, S Gurumurthy on Saturday met PMK founder S Ramadoss. The PMK leader, however, ruled out the possibility of meeting Amit Shah during his two-day visit to Tamil Nadu.Gurumurthy met Ramadoss for the second time amid reported tension within PMK regarding alliance strategies and insistence by Anbumani Ramadoss to remain party president. The hour-long meeting took place at the T Nagar residence of A K Vijay Mahesh, son of former Union minister and PMK leader A K Moorthy, sources sai ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 2 (ANI): A day after a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Himachal Pradesh's Panchayati Raj and Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh for allegedly assaulting an NHAI official, the minister on Tuesday categorically denied the charges, saying he would fully cooperate with the investigation and face the law. He also accused the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) of carrying out "unscientific and dangerous" construction work across the state, leading to massive damage to lives and property. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Horror: Teen ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 2 (PTI) The controversy over a five-storey building collapsing in Bhatta Kuffar area in Shimla saw two officials of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) being booked on Wednesday on complaints by residents for allegedly endangering life and intentional hurt. This came a day after a case was filed against Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on charges of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt after he allegedly assaulted the two NHAI officials while inspecting the building collapse site. The FIR against the minister was lodged on the complaint fil ...Read More >
Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], July 5 (ANI): Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Saturday accused the Congress of misleading the country with its claim that the BJP-led government at the Centre wants to change the Constitution. He added that AICC has now become the 'All India Cheating Congress'. "The words 'secular' and 'socialist' were not there in the Constitution. It was added after the 42nd Amendment. The Amendment was brought during the Emergency. Emergency was a black day in the democratic history of our country. So, the original Constitution did not have the words 'secular' and ...Read More >
New Delhi: State-owned NHAI on Friday said it has strengthened the process for reporting 'loose FASTag' for blacklisting users to ensure smooth tolling operations. In view of upcoming initiatives like the annual pass system and multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling, it is critical to address this issue to ensure FASTag authenticity and system reliability, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) said in a statement. "To ensure smooth tolling operations and strengthen reporting of 'loose FASTags', NHAI has further streamlined its policy for the Toll Collecting Agencies and Concessionaires ...Read More >
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 15 (ANI): The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has announced the temporary suspension of toll collection on a 28.71 km stretch of the Amritsar-Jamnagar Expressway (NH-754K), owing to essential repair work currently underway. This stretch falls under Package-4 of the Sanchore-Santalpur section of the expressway, a key infrastructure link being developed under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana. According to the official statement, the toll suspension will be effective from 8:00 AM on July 15 and will remain in place until the completion of the on ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar: Normal life was disrupted in southern Odisha Monday as low-pressure-induced rain lashed Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Gajapati and Koraput districts, officials said. Due to continuous downpour over the last two days, many low-lying areas in Malkangiri district have been inundated by floodwaters. Water was flowing four feet above Pottaru, Kangurkonda, Kalimela Kanyashram bridges, they said. Similarly, Malkangiri-Motu-Jeypore National Highway 326 remained out of bounds for vehicles as water was flowing above the road in some places, they said, adding that due to the submergence of the ...Read More >
Jaipur: Police in Didwana have stepped up their probe into a cross-border smuggling case in which they arrested two arms and drug smugglers on June 27 for supplying Austrian Glock and Chinese Norinco pistols. It has emerged that the case has links to a massive Rs 300-crore heroin consignment seized by Punjab's Amritsar police near the India-Pakistan border in Barmer on June 30. Canada-based Joben Kaler was identified as the main overseas handler of the heroin consignment. Didwana-Kuchaman police had arrested Mohammad Ilyas from Khunkhuna and Amarjeet Singh Takhar, alias Prince, from Jalandhar ...Read More >
Shimla, July 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) Slamming Himachal minister Anirudh Singh, who was booked for wrongful restraint and assaulting NHAI officers, the state BJP unit on Thursday took offence at the accused's assertions against Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who reacted strongly over the incident. "Nitin Gadkari knows Himachal Pradesh completely and he's the same Union Minister who visited Himachal Pradesh post-disaster (in 2024) and gave road construction works of Rs 1 lakh crore, laid a network of roads in the state and also took forward the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana," BJP state media in-ch ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 28 (PTI) India's gains from importing discounted Russian oil are estimated to be just USD 2.5 billion per annum, significantly lower than the previously speculated range of USD 10-25 billion, a research report said on Thursday. Stopping Russian oil imports would force India, the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, to rely on limited alternatives, potentially driving global crude prices up to USD 100 per barrel amid rising demand and tight supply. "Benefit from Russian oil imports is way less than exaggerated media numbers," brokerage CLSA said in a report. While ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India] September 13 (ANI): Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, visited various regions of Himachal Pradesh affected by recent natural disasters, including sudden floods, landslides, and cloudbursts, as per a release. The Minister inspected several locations along the Kullu-Manali route, covering Vaishno Mata Temple, Sabzi Mandi (Bandrol), Raison, Dohlu Nala, Fozal Nala, Duada Vihal, Jatehar Vihal (Patlikuhal), Nalsu Nala, Manalsu Nala, Solang, Palchang, Samahan, Bahang and the 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th Mile areas situated on the ...Read More >
Shimla: An early morning cloudburst in Gutrahan village of Bilaspur's Shri Naina Devi constituency on Saturday damaged crops and at least four vehicles, though no casualties were reported.Bilaspur deputy commissioner Rahul Kumar said the cloudburst was reported around 3 am, bringing a large amount of debris onto the road and into surrounding fields, which destroyed standing crops. The extent of crop damage is being assessed, and relief will be provided as per regulations once the report is received. All damaged vehicles have been removed, while the public works department has begun clearing th ...Read More >
Srinagar: Before towering cranes and cutting-edge engineering transformed the Himalayan landscape, the monumental dream of connecting "Kashmir to Kanyakumari" by rail began with the plodding footsteps of humble mules. This extraordinary backstory underpins the official realization of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, a project crowned by the awe-inspiring Chenab Bridge. According to Afcons Infrastructure Limited, the company behind the Chenab Bridge, the earliest and most formidable hurdle wasn't just the design of ...Read More >
Srinagar- Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday said foreign countries were told clearly during the post-Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach that in case of a fresh provocation, India would repeat its action. Speaking at a discussion at the Ahmedabad Management Association, Tharoor said Indian delegations which visited foreign countries in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor managed to convey that India acted with restraint and responsibility. "In other places, we actually were able to get some very high-placed people to say not only that they respected and supported India's right of self- ...Read More >
CHANDIGARH: A day after a case was registered against Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh for allegedly assaulting and threatening two officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the minister has denied the allegations and demanded a high-level inquiry into alleged irregularities in road construction in the state. Singh, addressing the media on Tuesday, claimed that the First Information Report (FIR) against him was a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the Bhattakuffar building collapse in Shimla, which he alleged occurred due to the NHAI's neglig ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 3 (PTI) The Shimla administration on Thursday announced that the recent collapse of the five-storey building on the outskirts of Shimla city will be investigated, and a report will also be prepared on the construction of the four-lane road that passes near the mishap site. The panel, headed by additional district magistrate (law and order), will investigate the reasons behind the building collapse and submit a report, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap said. Also Read | Who Is Soham Parekh, Indian Techie Accused of Duping Multiple Companies? What's His Reaction to Allegati ...Read More >
Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 5 (ANI): The BJP national president and Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday came down heavily on the Himachal Pradesh government, calling the current state of administration 'an all-time low,' while terming the recent incident involving Shimla (Rural) MLA Anirudh Singh and NHAI officials as 'unfortunate'. 'When the protector himself becomes the predator, how will the administration function. I am worried and hurt the way things are happening in Himachal Pradesh,' said the BJP national chief while addressing the Media in Bilaspur on Saturday. Addressi ...Read More >
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], July 7 (ANI): Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has directed that all damage to highways, as well as rural and urban roads, caused by heavy monsoon rains, be repaired on a priority basis and restored to their original condition without delay, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a press release. In a high-level meeting, the Chief Minister emphasised that road networks--crucial for development and daily public transportation--must not remain damaged due to heavy rainfall, and that immediate repairs should be undertaken to ensure their continued operatio ...Read More >
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], July 16 (ANI): Following the tragic road accident in the Muwani area of Pithoragarh district on Tuesday that claimed eight lives, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that the state government would provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. This would be in addition to the ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF), announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which would be given to the next of kin of the deceased. Also Read | Weather Forecast Today, July 16: Check ...Read More >
Ramban Sep 15: The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remained partially open on Monday with authorities permitting only one-way traffic at Tharad in Udhampur district. Only Jammu-bound vehicles are being allowed to ply, and even that under strict regulation due to the narrow, single-lane passage and the severely uneven road surface. A problematic 250-300 meter stretch at Tharad continues to pose serious challenges to vehicular movement. Traffic officials deployed at Chenani said that while fruit-laden trucks stranded for days were allowed to move towards Jammu, the movement was slow and cauti ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The government has approved shifting of Gurgaon's Kherki Daula toll plaza on the Delhi-Jaipur National Highway (NH-48) to Pachgaon, a place beyond Manesar, paving the way for easy commute for lakhs of office goers.When the plaza is moved to Pachgaon, over 15 kilometres from Gurgaon, commuters travelling between Delhi and Manesar also won't have to pay toll. Locals have been demanding its removal since 2014.TOI has learnt that Union road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari has approved the plan, and to ensure the new spot doesn't see any congestion, the National Highways Au ...Read More >
Imphal, June 29 (UNI) A series of successful operations carried out by Manipur Police and security forces during the last 24 hours led to the arrest of several individuals involved in vehicle theft, insurgent activity, and the recovery of a significant cache of arms and ammunition. Police arrested a vehicle lifter identified as Syed Riyaj from his residence at Lilong Chaobok in Thoubal District. The arrest was made under Lilong Police Station. Authorities seized a blue two wheeler without registration number, along with a key and an Aadhaar card believed to be linked to the suspect. In a s ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], July 1(ANI): Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in Himachal Pradesh, Jai Ram Thakur, on Tuesday expressed grave concern over the extensive damage caused by rains in the state over the last two days, especially in the Mandi and Kullu districts, and lashed out at the Congress government "for failing to restore" communication and road access in affected areas. The BJP leader also launched a scathing attack on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, who has been accused of assaulting a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) ...Read More >
NEW DELHI/SHIMLA: Shimla police registered an FIR against rural development and Himachal Pradesh minister Anirudh Singh Rana late Monday night for allegedly assaulting two NHAI engineers officials who were visiting the site of a collapsed five-storey building.The FIR was registered on the basis of NHAI manager Achal Jindal's complaint at Dhali police station under five sections of BNS dealing with assaulting a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace, wrongful restraint and common intention. Jindal in his complaint, which TOI reported ...Read More >
Patna, Aug 1 (PTI) Healthcare services were affected at AIIMS-Patna on Friday as resident doctors went on an "indefinite strike" in protest against the alleged high-handedness of Sheohar MLA Chetan Anand. According to a press statement issued by the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), AIIMS-Patna, on Friday, "The RDA expresses deep disappointment and anguish over the lack of action by the administration following the violent and traumatic incident that occurred on Wednesday, when MLA Chetan Anand, his wife and their armed guards breached hospital security, physically assaulted staff, and thr ...Read More >
New Delhi: In a joint operation, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) have eliminated As'ad Abu Sharaiya, a senior leader of the Mujahideen terrorist organization in Gaza, and another terrorist, Mahmoud Muhammad Hamid Kuhail. According to the IDF, Abu Sharaiya was directly involved in the October 7, 2023, massacre, infiltrating Kibbutz Nir Oz, and was responsible for the abduction and murder of several Israeli citizens, including Shiri, Ariel, Kfir Bibas, and Nattapong Pinta. He also played a role in recruiting operatives for terror attacks against Israel and I ...Read More >
Shimla, July 2 (PTI) A day after he was booked for allegedly assaulting two NHAI officials, Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh on Wednesday denied the allegations and said that "the FIR does not mean that I am guilty." Singh also claimed widespread irregularities in road construction works by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and called its officials the "most corrupt in the country". The alleged incident occurred on Monday when the minister was inspecting a building collapse site in Shimla and called NHAI officers there. The owner of the building had claimed negligence by NHA ...Read More >
Shimla, Jul 5 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh forest department on Saturday filed a police complaint against the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), blaming it for the massive landslide on Kaithlighat-Dhalli road stretch in the suburbs of Shimla city on June 30. This is the fourth complaint filed against the road authority in Shimla in the last one week. Also Read | Manipur: Kuki-Zo MLAs Will Not Participate in Formation of New State Government, Say Tribal Bodies. A five-storey building had collapsed in the landslide on Monday. Nearly 8,550 square metres of protected land was damaged and ...Read More >
Shimla: As rains wreaked havoc in Himachal Pradesh on Thursday, officials said flash floods in River Ravi have washed away several government buildings at the remote Bada Bangal village in Kangra district. However, no loss of life has been reported, they said. "A primary and high school, the panchayat ghar, an ayurvedic dispensary and a civil supplies store that housed about 70 quintals of ration were washed away in lower Bada Bangal on Tuesday. The village has been cut off from the rest of the state as two bridges were also swept away," Baijnath Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sankalp Gauta ...Read More >
Bilaspur, July 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amidst a "rift" between the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Himachal Pradesh government, BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday said work is going on 25 national highways in the state, whose total length is 2,592 km. Out of these, 785 km is being built by the NHAI, 1,238 km by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways MoRTH and 569 km by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), all Central government organisations. Nadda thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for these projects. The rift between the NHA ...Read More >