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.
Dhaka/New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal prosecution team on Tuesday warned the army that 15 of their serving officers will be declared "fugitives" unless they were produced in court on Wednesday. "If they fail to appear or are not produced tomorrow, the tribunal will set a new date, and notices with their summons will be published in two newspapers. Non-appearance on that date would lead to them being declared absconding," ICT-BD Prosecutor Gazi MH Tamim told reporters. He said the tribunal earlier issued arrest warrants against several former and current officers and the police inspector general was ordered to execute that order while "copies of the warrants were also sent to the heads of the (armed) forces concerned". "Under the International Crimes Tribunal Act, the accused officers can either appear voluntarily or be arrested by the law enforcers and brought to the tribunal," Tamim said. The ICT-BD issued arrest warrants against 16 serving army officers and 14 others, including deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, on October 8 for their alleged role in the "enforced disappearances or abduction and torture of political dissidents" during the past Awami League regime. The army in a media briefing on October 11 said they took into "military custody" 15 of the 16 officers soon after ICT-BD issued arrest warrants. However, it declined to have received any copy of any warrant amid anxious speculations over their trial in a civil court under the ICT-BD Act instead of court marshal under the Army Act. ICT-BD Chief Prosecutor Tajul Islam demanded their court appearance for two consecutive days after the army announcement but the military ignored the call. The government, meanwhile, declared a building inside the Dhaka Cantonment as a makeshift "prison" without detailing its purpose while a sense of unease visibly gripped Bangladesh over their trial. Bangladesh Army's adjutant general Major General Mohammad Hakimuzzaman told during the October 11 press conference that 16 of their officers were asked to report to army headquarters and 15 of them responded and they were kept in military custody. "We acted even before receiving warrants," Hakimuzzaman said without detailing if they would be produced before the ICT-BD but added that the Army Act does not apply to nine retired officers and police might act upon the warrant. He said the 16th serving officer, a major general who earlier served as the deposed premier's military secretary, went into hiding but steps were taken to prevent his departure abroad. Several former military officers and security analysts said the serving officer's production in a civil court under an amended ICT-BD Act instead of army law could affect the morale of the armed forces personnel. Former prime minister Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which emerged as the main party in the political landscape, last week cautioned interim government chief Muhammad Yunus against antagonising the army. "We (BNP) want you to maintain a good relation with the armed forces... we don't want to draw any risk as we will not be able to afford it," BNP's standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed told Yunus during a meeting with political parties. He said the BNP did not want to see the creation of any "imbalance in the armed forces" as "we cannot afford it at this moment" in an oblique reference to planned general elections in February next year. A violent student-led street campaign dubbed as July Uprising ousted the Awami League government on August 5, 2024 when Hasina left for India and three days later Yunus flew in from Paris and took charge of the interim government. Yunus's administration amended the ICT-BD law to try the leaders of the past regime, including Hasina, appointing Tajul Islam as its chief prosecutor. The ICT-BD was formed by the past government to try hardened collaborators of the Pakistani troops during Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War, when Tajul Islam appeared as a key-lawyer to defend the accused. Most Awami League leaders and key figures of the past government are now in jail or on the run at home and abroad but its activists and supporters are trying to make visible their presence by staging flash street marches in Dhaka and elsewhere. Several such flash marches were held in Dhaka streets on Tuesday as well when police arrested at least six activists. PTI AR GSP GSP
DHAKA: Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das failed to get any relief on Tuesday as his bail hearing in a Bangladesh court was postponed for a month due to the unavailability of any lawyer to represent him, according to a media report. After an initial hearing on the bail petition on Tuesday, the judge set January 2 for another hearing, Chattogram Metropolitan Police ADC (Prosecution) Mofizur Rahman was quoted as saying by bdnews24.com. Das will have to wait a month to see if he will receive bail in a sedition case against him, it said. His bail plea was set to be heard by the court of Chattogra ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jun 5 (PTI) The Assam Congress on Thursday demanded a CBI inquiry into alleged illegal stone mining in Karbi Anglong district in violation of a Supreme Court order. Addressing a press conference here, former Rajya Sabha member Ripun Bora also alleged that Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council Chief Executive Member Tuliram Ronghang was allowing illegal activities in the district in nexus with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. "Large-scale illegal stone mining is taking place in the hills of Karbi Anglong in violation of the Supreme Court order. The SC had banned mining in and around K ...Read More >
New Delhi: The first warship in the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft series, equipped to conduct subsurface surveillance, search and rescue missions, and low-intensity maritime operations, is set to be inducted into the Indian Navy on June 18, officials said on Friday. The commissioning ceremony of 'Arnala' at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam will be presided over by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan. "The warship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L& ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a major development in Bangladesh, the chief advisor (CA) of its interim government Muhammad Yunus on Friday announced that the much-awaited national election will take place in the first half April 2026, adding the election commission of the country will provide the road map for polls in due course. Mr Yunus urged the maximum number of people to vote so that the elections "are remembered by the nation as the most free, fair and impartial" and the country does not plunge into a crisis like it did last year. With one of the prominent parties Awami League (AL) out of contention due ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: A meeting of the Parliamentary standing committee on External Affairs on Friday saw discussion on Bangladesh's growing proximity with Pakistan and China, and implications of India's strained ties with its eastern neighbour amid suggestions by some experts on engagement with the country, according to sources. Former foreign secretary and ex-National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, former High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Riva Ganguly Das and academician Amitabh Mattoo attended the meeting. The committee recorded evidence of the experts/non-offici ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 30 (PTI) Reliance Infrastructure Limited-promoted Reliance Defence Limited on Monday said it has signed an agreement with Coastal Mechanics Inc to jointly address India's Rs 20,000 crore defence maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and upgrade market opportunity. Coastal Mechanics is a US Department of Defense authorised contractor. Reliance Infrastructure in a statement said the partnership will focus on providing end-to-end MRO, upgrade, and lifecycle support solutions for the Indian armed forces, targeting a wide range of critical platforms such as 100+ Jaguar fighter aircra ...Read More >
Hindus and members of other minority groups say they have faced more attacks than ever since an interim government replaced the ousted prime minister, as Islamist groups have become more prominent and demoralized security agencies have left a security vacuum. The government says the threat to Hindus has been exaggerated. Around 91% of Bangladeshs population is Muslim, with Hindus making up almost all of the rest. Officials, witnesses and local media reports said that Krishna Das Prabhu, also known as Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, was arrested in Dhakas main airport on Monday while traveli ...Read More >
Ludhiana, Jun 8 (PTI) Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday asserted that his party will win the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll, scheduled to be held on june 19, with a "record margin". "Congress practically has no competition here", he claimed. Warring, who is also the Ludhiana MP, said that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was badly mistaken that the Congress would allow it to abuse power and misuse the official machinery for the elections. "First of all, we will not let any misuse of the official machinery and second, in case any official is found to be misusing ...Read More >
VISAKHAPATNAM: Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar inaugurated Andhra Pradesh's first Super ECBC (Energy Conservation Building Code) compliant building at Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam on Friday. Terming it a landmark in sustainable infrastructure, he emphasised the government's commitment to energy efficiency and green design in public facilities. The facility will serve as a national-level training hub for power sector staff. He urged power utilities to expedite 20 lakh rooftop solar connections, targeting 10,000 in each Assembly segment. He reaffirmed nine-hour uninterrupted power for agri ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India is vigilant of developments in its neighbourhood that "have a bearing" on its "interest and security", the external affairs ministry said of a recent trilateral meeting between Pakistan, Bangladesh and China, adding that it factors in the "evolving context" in its bilateral relations with these countries. According to The Wire, during a trilateral meeting in Kunming, China, on June 19 involving Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh's acting foreign secretary Ruhul Siddique and Pakistan's additional foreign secretary Imran Siddiqui, the three sides agreed to ex ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The government on Saturday extended the term of the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Ravi Agrawal by one year, an official notification said.The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved the re-appointment of Agrawal, an IRS officer of the 1988 batch, as CBDT chairman for one year from July 1 this year to June 30, 2026, on contract basis.Agrawal took over as the CBDT chairman from Nitin Gupta in June 2024 after Gupta's extended tenure ended. Agrawal has been a member of CBDT. He was member administration and had served as DG investigation in Delhi. The gover ...Read More >
Kolkata: A two-member National Commission for Women team on Sunday visited the south Kolkata law college where a student was allegedly gang-raped last week.The team, accompanied by a videographer, was initially denied entry and asked to produce a formal order. After an hour-long discussion at the college entrance, the team, led by Archana Majumdar, was allowed in under two conditions -- no access to the crime scene and no videography permitted.The visit lasted 10 minutes. "We were denied access to the crime scene and other floors. I will include this in my report," said Majumdar, who was the f ...Read More >
Dhaka: India should 'unequivocally' recognise the July-August uprising, which toppled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's regime, to start bilateral ties afresh, a key aide of Bangladesh's interim government said Wednesday. In a Facebook post, Mahfuj Alam -- considered a de facto minister in the interim government and a key leader of Bangladesh's Anti-Discrimination Students Movement -- noted that the Indian establishment tried to portray the uprising as "something militant, anti-Hindu, and an Islamist takeover" and asked India to "change the Post '75 playbook and realise the new Bangladesh realit ...Read More >
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], February 10 (ANI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday met Minister Delegate to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the National Army of Algeria General Said Changeriha in Bengaluru at Aero India 2025. Singh called their meeting a "great interaction." Also Read | US: Judge Finds Trump Administration Hasn't Fully Followed Order To Unfreeze Federal Spending, Orders White House To Release All Money. In a post on X, he said, "Great interaction with the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Defence and Chief of Staff of the National Army of Algeria Ge ...Read More >
New Delhi: Three Indian citizens vanished mysteriously in Tehran. Darkness closed in as hope seemed lost. A ruthless Pakistani gang with potential links to ISI snatched them away, casting a shadow of fear. But relentless Indian diplomats refused to back down. Against all odds, a daring rescue mission ignited. Now, the captives are free, and a chilling game of espionage comes to light. The Punjab-based trio - Amritpal Singh from Hoshiarpur, Jaspal Singh from SBS Nagar and Hushnapreet Singh from Sangrur - had landed in Iran on May 1. Promised a clandestine route to Australia via Dubai and Tehra ...Read More >
JAMMU: A search operation by a joint team of security forces is underway to track down three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in a forested area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said on Friday. A Pakistan-based JeM terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces on Thursday, and three of his associates remain trapped in the forested area of the Basantgarh belt. Backed by drones and sniffer dogs, the operation resumed afresh this morning, with the cordon further strengthened with additional reinforcements to eliminate the remaining terro ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Finding prima facie materials to establish his role in the abduction of a boy from Tiruvallur, the Madras High Court on Friday refused to grant anticipatory bail to KV Kuppam MLA and leader of Puratchi Bharatham party 'Poovai' M Jagan Moorthy. Justice G Jayachandran said the court has arrived at an irresistible conclusion that for a fair investigation and fearless trial, the petitioner needs to be secured and subjected to custodial interrogation. The teenager was allegedly abducted as his brother had married a girl outside his caste from an affluent family in Theni. "The call detail ...Read More >
Thane: A special court in Thane sentenced a 33-year-old man to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for raping a 15-year-old girl in August 2019. Special judge Ruby U Malvankar noted the "serious and heinous" nature of the crime while balancing punishment with the convict's age for proportionate justice.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the convict, Ajaj @ Ejaj Imran Ismail Khan, who was found guilty under sections 376 (rape) and 377 (unnatural offences) of the Indian Penal Code. The court order was pronounced recently.During trial, special public prosecutor Adv Varsha R Chandane argued ...Read More >
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a dig at the Congress party, saying people who imposed emergency did not just murder democracy but their goal was also to keep judiciary as their puppet, while speaking in the 123rd episode of Mann Ki Baat. The prime minister added that Emergency was a tough period for India. "George Fernandes was chained up, students didn't have the freedom to express themselves. Democracy had entered a dark period during those years. Under 'MISA', anyone was arrested arbitrari ...Read More >
New Delhi: The annual all-India conference of directors general of police and inspectors general of police will begin in Bhubaneswar on Friday where issues related to internal security, Jammu and Kashmir, and pro-Khalistan elements, among others are likely to be discussed, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval, among others will attend the three-day conference where cyber crimes, challenges posed by AI tools and threats emanating from drones are also expected to be discussed. About 250 officers of DGP and IGP ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], November 28 (ANI): India has expressed its concern over the escalating incidents of violence against Hindu minorities in Bangladesh and desecration, and damage to their places of worship, and has also called on the interim government there to ensure the safety of minorities. In a response to question asked by RJD MP AD Singh, Minister of State for Ministry of External Affairs, Kirit Vardhan Singh in a written reply to Rajya Sabha, stated that the "primary responsibility" for the protection of life and liberty of all citizens of Bangladesh, including minorities, "rests with ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: The heads of the border guard forces of India and Bangladesh will meet in New Delhi in mid-February for the first time since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government to discuss key issues such as the fencing of the boundary and tackling trans-border crime. The director general of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, will travel to India during February 16-19 for talks with the head of the Border Security Force (BSF), Daljit Singh Chawdhary, people familiar with preparations for the meeting said on condition of anonymity on Wednesday. Siddiqui's t ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): The 17th edition of the joint military exercise 'Nomadic Elephant 2025' between India and Mongolia is currently underway at the Special Forces Training Centre in Ulaanbaatar, the Indian Army said. According to the Indian Army, the training focuses on conducting non-conventional operations in semi-urban and mountainous terrain under a United Nations mandate. The objective is to enhance the operational capabilities of both forces. Participating contingents are actively exchanging best practices in counter-terrorism operations and precision sniping, thereby impro ...Read More >
New Delhi: Alleging "blatant misuse" of agencies to defame its leaders, AAP on Thursday questioned why the first information report filed against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain was being kept under wraps and "selective" press notes were being leaked to the media.Bharadwaj, who is Delhi AAP convener, alleged that only two former ministers were named in the case without any reasonable cause while all the officers of the health and public works departments, who were actually responsible for executing the hospital projects, were spared. "Is the FIR so baseless that BJP ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs will hold a meeting on Friday. During the meeting, the committee will record evidence of experts/non-official witnesses in connection with the examination of the subject 'Future of India-Bangladesh Relationship'. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has been the chairperson of the Committee of the External Affairs since September 2024. India has strongly condemned the demolition of a Durga temple in Dhaka, criticising the role of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in allowing the destruction and projectin ...Read More >
Deposed Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina accused Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday that he has been the mastermind behind the targeted violence against the minorities, especially Hindus in Bangladesh. She said this while virtually addressing the Awami league event in Now York. Hasina claimed that Yunus led the mass killing under a meticulously planned crusade with the help of student coordinators. The statement comes in the wake of heightened unrest after the arrest of ISKCON affiliated Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. She also stressed upon the statement of the son of her political rival Khaleda Zia, Ta ...Read More >
Moradabad (Uttar Pradesh) [India], December 13 (ANI): Samajwadi Party (SP) leader ST Hasan on Friday said that the 'One Nation, One Election' rule was not possible in the country with the various cultures and laws present. "The One Nation, One Election rule is not possible in our country. Our country has a lot of different cultures and religious laws. There is a huge conspiracy behind it... Indirectly, only the centre will rule. They are trying to change the Constitution. They are talking about a common civil court, saying One Nation One Constitution... tomorrow you'll say One Nation One Cult ...Read More >
Silchar: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday visited the flood-ravaged districts of Hailakandi and Sribhumi in the Barak Valley. He assured affected residents of providing timely disbursement of rehabilitation grants and swift repair of damaged infrastructure.This marks Sarma's second visit to the flood-hit region within four days, underscoring the gravity of the situation. Speaking to the media in Sribhumi after inspecting multiple relief camps, the CM said, "Flood-related problems may persist till July. I will return before Durga Puja to ensure that roads and infrastructure ar ...Read More >
Gurgaon: Two days after a law student died and his friend suffered critical injuries when a car knocked them down as they stood near railing on the service lane of Delhi-Jaipur highway in the early hours of Tuesday, a civil engineer was arrested on Thursday.Mohit (31), an employee of a private company in the city, told police that he got drowsy while driving. He is staying at a PG facility in Sector 14.The student who died, Harsh Singhal (25), was a resident of Om Nagar colony. His friend Abhishek Kumar (23), who is from Shanti Nagar in Sector 11, is undergoing treatment at a private hospital ...Read More >
India vs Bangladesh: Uncertainty continues to surround India's scheduled white-ball tour of Bangladesh, as political unrest in the host nation raises concerns over the timing and feasibility of the series. Despite the itinerary featuring three ODIs and three T20Is starting August 17, no final decision has been made. Aminul Islam, the president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB), has confirmed that while the board is in constant touch with the BCCI, the tour's fate hinges on the Indian government's clearance, given the evolving internal situation in Bangladesh. "We're having positive discu ...Read More >