Due to the proactive measures adopted by the Ministry of Railway, the number of train accidents has significantly come down over the last year. Speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Friday (25th July), Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the case of train accidents reduced to 31 during 2024-25 compared to 135 cases during 2014-15. He added that only three train accidents have been recorded till June this year.
Responding to a query, the Minister said that a total of 1,711 train accidents happened between 2004 and 2014, which amounted to an average of 171 train accidents every year. However, this number has hit a record low in the last year.
Explaining the reason behind the reduced train accidents, Vaishnaw said that the Indian Railways adopted a number of measures to ensure the security of passengers. The measures include installing electronic interlocking systems at 6,635 railway stations, which has reduced the accidents caused by human error. Apart from this, interlocking systems have also been installed at 11,096 level-crossing gates to enhance safety at railway crossings.
Along with this, track circuiting has been done at 6,640 railway stations to electronically confirm the presence of a train on a railway track. Besides, the ‘Kavach’ technology adopted by the National Automatic Train Protection System in 2020 is being implemented in a phased manner.
The Railway Minister said that all the engines have been fitted with ‘vigilance Control Devices’ to ensure alertness of loco pilots. Retro-reflective sigma boards have been installed on the OHE masts to alert the pilot about low visibility during foggy weather. In addition to that, GPS-enabled ‘Fog Safety Devices’ have been provided to loco-pilots in fog-affected areas so that they can locate important points like railway signals and level-crossing gates in foggy weather.
Several Bangladeshi youth have gone to Pakistan to undergo training to become terrorists. This revelation was made in a news report by Ekkator TV on Friday (25th July).
As per the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU), the accused Bangladeshis joined the camps of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and 9 other proscribed terrorist outfits.
TTP, which is responsible for the 2014 Peshawar school massacre, is now spreading its wings in Bangladesh. Based on intelligence about its activities, ATU has arrested one Mohammed Faisal on 2nd July from Savar in Dhaka district.
During the interrogation, Faisal told ATU that he and his aide Zubair were inspired by the ideology of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The duo travelled to Pakistan via Saudi Arabia in September 2024, i.e. within a month of the undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina.
Mohammed Faisal informed that his aide, Zubair, was killed during military action in Waziristan. He returned to Bangladesh via Dubai in November 2024 after undergoing training in Pakistan.
10 terror outfits trying to make inroads in Bangladesh
As per the Anti-Terrorism Unit, a Muslim youth named Al Imran has claimed to be the chief of the Bangladesh unit of TTP.
He had encouraged Mohammed Faisal, Rezal Karim Abrar, Asif Adnan, Zackaria Masood, Mohammed Salam to take part in jihad. The ATU had booked 6 of them under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009.
Interrogation of Mohammed Faisal has also led to the arrest of Shamin Mahfooz, the chief of the banned Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. Mahfooz also has ties with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Screengrab of the 10 terror outfits currently active in Bangladesh, image via Ekkator TV
The Anti-Terrorism Unit in Bangladesh has pointed out that a total of 10 Islamic terror outfits are trying to make inroads in the country. These include
Shahadat-e al Hiqma
Jama’at Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)
Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB)
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B)
Hizb ut-Tahrir (Bangladesh)
Ansarullah Bangla Team
Ansar al-Islam
Allah’r Dal
Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
Rise of Islamism in Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus
Bangladesh is gradually descending into the jaws of Islamism under the watch of ‘chief advisor’ to the interim government, Muhammad Yunus.
The situation is so grim that comparisons are being made with the Taliban rule, and genuine fears are being expressed about the country turning into Afghanistan.
After coming to power, Muhammad Yunus first revoked the ban on the radical Islamist outfit ‘Jamaat-e-Islami.’ Thereafter, he released the leader of the radical outfit ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’ Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani.
At the same time, Muhammad Yunus downplayed the targeted attacks on the Hindu community by violent Muslim mobs. He has gone on record from lamenting about attacks on Hindus to saying that the claims of atrocities are ‘exaggerated‘.
In that way, the controversial US asset was able to placate Islamic extremists. Given that Awami Legaue was against Islamism, the interim government first banned its student wing ‘Chhatra League,’ and then the parent party.
Under the watch of Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh saw a drastic rise in vigilante Muslim mobs, which unleashed violence under the pretext of protecting the tenets of Islam.
These mobs were largely unorganised and called themselves ‘Tawhidi Janata (meaning Revolutionary People).’ They came under the spotlight over acts of vandalism and harassment of people.
The Yunus regime introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students, which falsely claimed that the first declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made by Ziaur Rehman (a favourite icon of Muslim hardliners in Bangladesh).
The interim government also appointed a Hizb ut-Tahrir terrorist named Mohammad Azaz as the administrator for the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC).
The situation had become so grim that Bangladeshi ambassador to Morocco Mohammad Harun Al Rashid was forced to slam the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in a scathing Facebook post in March 2025.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has chargesheeted a key perpetrator, a resident of Tamil Nadu, in an ISIS radicalisation and conspiracy case, the agency said on Saturday.
The accused, A Alfasith, hailing from Mayiladuthurai in Tamil Nadu, has been chargesheeted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and sections 13 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act before the NIA Special Court in Poonamalle in Tamil Nadu. The chargesheet was filed on Friday.
The NIA said that Alfasith was closely associated with radicalised Islamists and die-hard supporters of ISIS, including Mohemmed Ashik and Sathik Batcha, who were involved in several terror-related cases in Tamil Nadu.
During the investigation, the NIA found sufficient evidence establishing that Alfasith and his associates circulated incriminating ISIS-related videos, documents, and images through social media platforms, targeting hundreds of young Muslim boys.
“They had created several WhatsApp and Telegram groups, such as ‘Islamic State’ and ‘Black Flag Soldiers,’ to promote unlawful activities threatening the unity, security, and communal harmony of the country,” the NIA said in a statement.
The anti-terror agency further said that their agenda was to spread ISIS ideology and radicalise the vulnerable youth.
“Investigations further revealed that Alfasith followed the activities of the global terrorist group ISIS, and had downloaded incriminating videos and documents from the ISIS-operated Telegram Channel ‘nashida33’ (Al Wala Val Baro),” mentioned the NIA.
The NIA is continuing its investigation to uncover the larger conspiracy behind the case in Tamil Nadu.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
India celebrates 26 years of its victory in the Kargil War this year, but the festivities have a deeper significance now. It has been almost three decades since India gave a strong response to Pakistan, only this time with a powerful retaliatory attack known as Operation Sindoor, which followed the Pahalgam terror attack. The courage of our soldiers remains unchanged, but the methods and means of war have changed totally.
In 1999, the Indian Army battled a hard war at the high-altitude mountains of Kargil, where Pakistani intruders had taken control of strategic positions surreptitiously. The war raged on for almost three months, from 3rd May to 26th July, and resulted in India re-taking all the areas along a 150-kilometre length.
India lost 527 men during that battle. The war was mainly fought by infantry troops, artillery regiments, and a few air strikes, making it one of the most intense face-to-face battles in recent memory.
Fast forward to 2025: Operation Sindoor
On 26th July 2025, while celebrating 26th Kargil Vijay Diwas, just a few months back, India achieved a new victory, Operation Sindoor. This operation was initiated after the horrific terror strike in Pahalgam, where terrorists sponsored by Pakistan martyred some Indian civilians. India responded by carrying out targeted attacks on terror bases within Pakistan and PoK.
This differed from Kargil in that it was not an infantryman’s war in close combat. This was a high-tech, no-contact war by means of missiles, drones, and air defence. But the message sent to Pakistan was the same: India would not accept terrorism or invasion. Same Enemy, Different Style of Response
Both Kargil and Sindoor were concerning halting Pakistan’s efforts to upset peace in Jammu and Kashmir. In 1999, Pakistan sought to internationalise the Kashmir dispute through the capture of territory. In 2025, the aim was to incite terrorism and goad India.
But in both instances, the Indian Armed Forces retaliated with a vengeance. Following Indian troops laying waste to nine terror camps in Pakistan in May 2025, Pakistan attempted to strike back by attacking Indian civilian and military establishments. But India struck back even more vigorously, attacking several Pakistani airbases and defence installations.
From defence to offence
One of the largest transformations between Operation Vijay and Operation Sindoor is India’s strategy. India fought primarily a defensive war in 1999, repelling Pakistani troops.
While Kargil was a protracted, gradual war with open combat, Operation Sindoor was swift and targeted. The main attacks took place in 25 minutes. And within four days, Pakistan requested a ceasefire, although India maintains that the operation continues.
Understanding the generations of war
Experts state that wars have evolved through the ages. The Kargil War was a Fourth Generation War, where technology was involved, but the bulk of the fighting was still direct on the ground. There were snipers, artillery, and close combat.
But Operation Sindoor was even more sophisticated, what some describe as Generation 4.5 warfare. That is, employing advanced high-tech weapons, drone aircraft, and precision-guided missiles to attack from a distance, without committing large forces to combat.
The Weapons that made the difference
In the Kargil War, the Indian Army used the Bofors FH-77B howitzer to devastating effect, employing its precision and firing range to drive competitors out of mountain posts. Infantry troops used the INSAS rifles, LMGs, SLRs, and support weapons like the Carl Gustav rocket launcher. MiG-21s and Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force offered critical air cover and precision bombing, particularly during the recapture of key positions like Tiger Hill.
Times have changed by leaps and bounds today. The army now employs sophisticated rifles such as the SIG716i and AK-203, and sophisticated artillery such as the Dhanush and M777 ultra-light howitzers, ideal for mountainous terrain. The K9 Vajra self-propelled gun has also been included in India’s arsenal.
India also employed the BrahMos supersonic missile in a live combat scenario for the first time, targeting important Pakistani establishments like Rafiqui, Murid, and Rahim Yar Khan deep within enemy lines.
Drones, missiles, and anti-air defence
One of the largest highlights of Operation Sindoor was the employment of drones and anti-drone systems. India’s indigenous D4 Anti-Drone System, produced by DRDO, detected and destroyed enemy drones. Surface-to-air missiles and guns were employed by air defence teams to destroy projectiles from the other side of the border.
India’s Akash missile system, also developed by DRDO, was used to protect the skies. It can destroy enemy aircraft and drones from a distance of up to 30 km.
India has also used the MRSAM system in this attack. This is also a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, but it is capable of hitting a longer distance than the AKASH system. This has also been developed by DRDO. It has been made in collaboration with Israel. MRSAM consists of supersonic missiles.
Suicide drones and smart warfare
One of the new missiles used was the Nagastra-1, a suicidal drone manufactured by an Indian company. It can travel for one hour and attack targets 20 km away. The drones are portable, compact, and lethal—ideal for present-day warfare.
India also employed L-70 anti-aircraft guns to destroy Pakistani drones. The guns, initially produced in Sweden but now produced in India, were used extensively during the operation.
The immense success of Akash, BraMos, C-UAS and other indigenous systems gives a major boost to the Indian defence sector and bolsters confidence in the capabilities of native manufacturers to increase self-reliance in the defence arena. With indigenous defence systems outclassing Chinese and Turkish technology, as seen in Operation Sindoor, these systems would play a significant role in curbing India’s dependence on foreign suppliers.
With Operation Sindoor’s success, India has made a giant leap towards self-reliance in defence and less reliance on foreign defence suppliers.
But how India wages its wars has changed entirely. With more intelligent weapons, quicker reactions, and smarter planning, India is better equipped than ever to address any danger. And right at the centre of it all, the bravery and sacrifice of our soldiers is still the same, always prepared, always without fear.
Investigation into the Balrampur Islamic conversion racket run by Jalaluddin aka Chhangur Baba has uncovered a vicious network of Jihadi activities spread across various districts. In the latest development in the investigation of the racket, the police came across a Muslim man named Badar Akhtar Siddiqui, a resident of Kidwainagar, Islamabad in the Lisari Gate police station area in Meerut. Badar is accused of abducting and converting multiple Hindu women.
Police are looking for Badar and his father, Mehmood Akhtar Siddiqui, who are on the run. Badar reportedly targeted and converted 5 Hindu women in Meerut and Noida, three of whom are still missing, and no information is available about their whereabouts.
Authorities sprang into action after Badar’s name emerged during the investigation into the Islamic conversion racket of Jalaluddin in Balrampur, Uttar Pradesh.
Bengaluru-based woman,who escaped Jalaluddin’s trap named Badar
Badar’s name came to notice following the statements of a Bengaluru-based woman, who was able to escape from the clutches of Jalaluddin’s conversion gang. The victim came into contact with a person, who introduced himself as Raju Rathore from Saharanpur, through social media. Raju Rathore, whose real name was Waseem, promised her that she would get her a job through Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, on the condition that she came to Dubai.
The victim went to Dubai and talked to Jalaluddin over the phone, who told her that he would not be able to meet her there due to his ill health. Jalaluddin told her that his associate, Badar Akhtar Siddiqui, is present in Ad-Dilam city of Saudi Arabia, and he will guide her regarding religious conversion. “Badar and Waseem tried to force me to convert to Islam, but I did not give in. Therefore, they sent me back to India and threatened me not to disclose anything,” the victim told Dainik Bhaskar.
On April 19, 2025, the victim wrote e-mails to the President of India, the Prime Minister and the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister narrating the entire episode. Subsequently, on June 6, 2025, she went to Gorakhpur and took part in the Janata Darbar of CM Yogi Adityanath and told him everything she knew about Jalaluddin’s gang. Thereafter, the authorities began an investigation against Jalaluddin.
Inspector Abdur Rehman who refused to file case against Badar suspended
Mention of Badar’s name in connection with Jalaluddin’s conversion gang led to the filing of a case in the disappearance of Asha Negi, who went missing six years ago. An FIR was lodged against Badar and his father at the Civil Lines police station on Thursday (24th July) on the instructions of SSP Dr Vipin Tada. Anil Negi, brother of the victim, who is a resident of Sanjay Nagar in the Civil Lines police station area, filed a complaint against him and his father. The victim’s family has reportedly been struggling to get a case registered against Badar and his father since 2019.
Ghaziabad Police Commissioner J Ravindra Gaur has suspended Ghaziabad Crime Branch Inspector Abdur Rehman, who refused to register the complaint of Asha Negi’s family in 2019, when he was posted at the Civil Lines Police Station in Meerut. A departmental enquiry has been initiated against him.
Speaking to Dainik Bhaskar, Advocate Vineet Choudhary, who has been handling Asha Negi’s case for the last six years, said that when police refused to help Asha’s family in 2019, he and her family decided to conduct a private investigation. In the investigation, they found that Badar had targeted 5 Hindu women, 3 of whom are missing.
Asha Negi from Meerut married Badar despite the opposition of her family
Asha Negi’s family is originally from the Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand. The family came and settled in Meerut about a decade ago. In 2015, Asha Negi joined a local News Channel as an HR executive. Later on, she was transferred to the Noida office of the channel. While living in Noida, she met Mehmood Akhtar Siddiqui regarding an insurance policy. She submitted her documents with Mehmood to avail the insurance policy, and that’s how her contact details reached Badar Akhtar Siddiqui.
Badar, who used to work as a gym trainer and food supplement supplier in Meerut, started talking to Asha on the phone. In 2017, Asha converted to Islam and performed Nikah with Badar against the wishes of her family. They started living in Noida, and Asha lost touch with her family.
In 2019, Asha called her brother and told him that Badar had been beating her up and threatening to kill her. By that time, she had grown extremely suspicious of Badar and expressed the apprehension that something unfortunate might happen to her. She shared pictures of Badar’s passport, PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, and Voter ID with her brother.
Asha Negi (Image via Dainik Bhaskar)
Asha told her brother that if something untoward happened to her, her family would be able to trace Badar using the documents. As she was talking to her brother on the phone, crying, she clicked a picture of herself and sent it to her brother. This is the last picture of Asha Negi with her family beside the 42-minute recording of her call to her brother. This was Asha’s last call to her family.
In December 2019, recovery agents of Bajaj Finance arrived at Asha Negi’s home in Meerut. They informed her family that an LED TV and an iPhone were bought in her name on an instalment plan, and the instalments are pending. They said that they first visited Asha’s Noida residence but did not find her there, and therefore, they came to her Meerut address.
After coming to know that Asha was not at her Noida residence, her mother, Basanti Negi, went to the Civil Lines police station in Meerut to file a missing person’s complaint on December 24, 2019. But Abdur Rehman, who at the time was posted at the Civil Lines Police Station, refused to file a case, saying that the case fell under Noida Police’s jurisdiction.
“We went to the house of her (Asha Negi) so-called husband in 2020. Badar’s parents were present at the house. They showed us an affidavit and said that they have severed all ties with Badar. They claimed that they had expelled him and that they did not know where he lived. Her mother told us that her son (Badar) was not a good man,” Asha Negi’s brother told Dainik Bhaskar.
Her brother said that he did not believe what Badar’s family said back then and added that he was sure that they were still in touch with him. He said that he has been doing the rounds of the police station since 2019, but no action has been taken. Asha’s family fears that she might not be alive or, if she is alive, she might have been smuggled to the Gulf countries. Asha’s helpless brother said that if she were alive, she would certainly have tried to contact her family by now.
Priya Tyagi from Meerut was brainwashed against her family by Badar
Priya Tyagi from Sarurpur, Meerut, was studying travel and tourism in Noida when she met Badar in a gym. Badar started talking to her regularly and won her trust. According to Priya Tyagi’s sister, Badar brainwashed Priya against her own family and promised her a luxurious lifestyle. Priya Tyagi visited her home once before she went missing in 2019. Her sister said that Priya’s behaviour was not good with her family members, as she was unhappy with them.
Victim Priya Tyagi with Badar Akhtar Siddiqui. (Image via Dainik Bhaskar)
Priya stopped performing Hindu rituals after meeting Badar, as told by her sister. She stopped fasting on Mondays, which she had been doing for a long time. Her sister said that Badar used to feed Priya special rice given by Jalaluddin. Priya’s family filed a case against Babar Siddiqui regarding her disappearance. Meerut Police’s crime branch has been investigating her case without success.
When Priya’s family started looking for her, they found out that Badar was in touch with many Hindu women, some of whom were missing like Priya. Her sister said that Badar had promised Priya that he would take her to Dubai for modelling. She also said that Priya often mentioned the name of Chhangur (Jalaluddin) while talking to her.
Soni from Delhi married Badar against her family’s wishes
Another victim of Badar, Soni, from the Nizamuddin area of Delhi, has also been missing since 2021. She had performed Nikah with Badar against the wishes of her family. Her mother could not bear the shock of Soni’s decision to marry Badar and passed away soon after her Nikah. Her family filed a missing persons complaint at the Chandni Mahal police station, but she has been untraceable.
Victim Soni with Badar Akhtar Siddiqui. (Image via Dainik Bhaskar)
The other two victims
One of the other victims also performed Nihar with Badar in 2015. However, she separated from him soon after and has been living in Delhi after remarrying. Another victim, who is an advocate from Delhi, filed an FIR in 2017 against Badar for molestation and rape. Badar managed to get bail in the case. Asha Negi’s name was mentioned in the documents filed by Badar for his bail application. The victim later withdrew her case, for unknown reasons.
Badar’s brother-in-law was a civil judge in Meerut
According to Advocate Vineet Choudhary, Priya Tyagi’s family lodged an FIR at the Sarurpur police station against Badar in 2021. The investigation of the case was entrusted to the Meerut Crime Branch. At that time, Badar’s brother-in-law was posted in Meerut as a Civil Judge. He, in the presence of another civil judge who was hearing the case against Badar, called the Investigating Officer of the Meerut Crime Branch and told him not to pressure Badar. The case has been pending ever since, and even the chargesheet has been filed after four years.
Case filed against Badar
A case was filed by Meerut Police on 24th July against Badar and his father regarding the disappearance of Asha Negi under Section 323 of the BNS and Sections 3 and 5 of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. With this, a total of two cases have been registered against Badar in Meerut, relating to the disappearance of Asha Negi and Priya Tyagi.
The tussle of War with words reached a new high after Karnataka’s deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar’s officer, allegedly threatened the Special Duty Officers (SDOs) of Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to assault his counterpart with a shoe in front of everyone.
The clash broke out at Karnataka Bhavan in Delhi amid a long verbal confrontation for power between Siddarmaiah and Shivakumar and growing speculation over a potential leadership change in the state.
The special Duty Officer to the Deputy Chief Minister, H Anjaneya, in a complaint, accused Mohan Kumar, Special Duty Officer to the Chief Minister, of allegedly threatening to assault him with shoes in front of other staff members.
“I was threatened to beat me with a shoe, and it has hurt my honour and dignity. Conduct a criminal trial against him (Kumar) and give me justice,” the officer’s complaint alleged.
The officer also alleged that he had been harassed and faced obstruction in the performance of his duties since Kumar took charge.
Raising concerns about his safety, the SDO assigned to Siddaramaiah stated, “If any untoward incident occurs, Kumar will be held accountable.”
In his complaint, he also accused Kumar of prior misconduct, alleging that he had once assaulted MM Joshi, disrespected senior officers, and displayed arrogance while serving as the Chief Minister’s special officer on duty.
Anjaneya further mentioned that he had earlier sought a transfer to avoid such confrontations. In response, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh has ordered an investigation, and Resident Commissioner Imkongla Jamir confirmed that the complaint has been received.
Long battle for the Chair
The fight for the Chief Ministerial chair has been playing out for a long time. The harsh statements from the political leaders of Karnataka show that the eyes are on the chair. On July 13, KN Rajanna, Karnataka minister, claimed that CM Siddaramiah will continue as Chief Minister for the entire tenure. He also suggested that neither the party high command nor the MLAs are ready for a change in leadership.
“Yes, Siddaramaiah will be Chief Minister for five years. If change is there, only the high command and MLAs can do it. I think neither is ready to change now,” he said.
Asserting that it would be premature to say would be the party’s face in the state for the 2028 election cycle, Rajanna said, “Can anyone do an election without him (Siddaramaiah) in the Congress party? 2028 MLAs will decide who will be the Chief Minister. It won’t be decided now. All leaders, including Siddaramaiah, must be included for the next election. MLAs will then decide.”
Meanwhile, Congress MLA from Mandya, Ravi Kumar Gowda, seems to have sided with DK Shivakumar as he said the deputy CM deserves to be the Chief Minister, and when the time is right, he will become the CM.
“DK Shivakumar will become Chief Minister when the time comes. 138 MLAs support both DK Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah. When the time is right, DK Shivakumar too will become Chief Minister. When time and circumstance align, good things will happen. He definitely deserves to become Chief Minister, and he will become Chief Minister,” Gowda said.
Amid ongoing speculation over a possible leadership change in Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on July 12, stirred the pot by stating that one must make the most of opportunities when they arise. Speaking at the Kempegowda Jayanti event organized by the Bengaluru Advocates Association, Shivakumar remarked, “People keep fighting for positions. While you lawyers say you don’t want the chair, I say, when you get a good chair, sit on it. Opportunities are rare; grab them when they come.”
His comments have added fuel to the rumours of a potential leadership reshuffle in the state Congress.
However, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah dismissed all such talks soon after the meeting with Congress General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge, Randeep Singh Surjewala. He told reporters in Bengaluru, “Surjewala has clearly stated there is no change in leadership and that the issue isn’t even being discussed within the party. So, why the speculation?”
Shivakumar, who also returned from Delhi around the same time, avoided further remarks and deferred to Siddaramaiah’s statement, saying the Congress high command’s position on leadership had already been made clear.
The Moradabad Police have registered a case against a YouTuber named Aamir and his team for allegedly spreading abusive and obscene content insulting Hindu gods and goddesses on social media platforms. The police have also arrested Aamir in connection with the case.
According to officials, the charges against Aamir include using vulgar language, sharing obscene material, and hurting religious sentiments, similar to a recent case involving YouTuber Mehak Pari in Sambhal. Aamir, a resident of Hashampur Chauraha in Pakbara, was arrested after members of Karni Sena and Bajrang held a protest against him and lodged complaint against him at the police station.
Aamir, who regularly shares videos containing abusive language on his social media accounts, recently uploaded a video on YouTube where he appeared dressed as a Hindu ascetic while using objectionable language. The video triggered public outrage for allegedly hurting religious sentiments, leading to a formal complaint at the Pakbara Police Station.
सोशल मीडिया पर अश्लील, असामाजिक एवं महिलाओं के प्रति अभद्र सामग्री प्रसारित करने वाले आमिर TRT चैनल के विरुद्ध कार्रवाई होनी चाहिए ।
Following an investigation, the police registered an FIR against Aamir and his team under relevant sections. Police said he has been making such objectionable videos for a long time and would probe the audience who share those videos. It was believed that he was the son of a famous politician, and famous personalities like Honey Singh and Prince Narula are following him on social media, which makes him more powerful to make such content.
SP City Ranvijay Singh confirmed the arrest and stated that the accused had been sharing inappropriate and obscene videos for a long time. “Such content sends a wrong message to society and hurts the youth,” Singh said. He also emphasized that strict action would be taken not only against content creators but also against those who share such content online. Authorities have warned that such activities will not be tolerated under any circumstances.
Aamir was produced in the local court after his arrest, and was granted bail.
थाना पाकबड़ा क्षेत्रान्तर्गत निवासी आमिर (TRT यूटयूब चैनल) द्वारा सोशल मीडिया पर अश्लील, असामाजिक एवं अभद्रता, प्रोपेगेंडा जैसी सामग्री प्रसारित करने के संबंध में थाना पाकबड़ा पर अभियोग पंजीकृत कर, आरोपी को गिरफ्तार किया गया है, इस संबंध में #SP_CITY@moradabadpolice की बाइट । pic.twitter.com/XM8psMfMgM
Aamir is a well-known YouTuber with over 5.83 million subscribers on his comedy channel. His YouTube channel’s name is Top Real Team. However, many of his videos frequently contain vulgar language. He also has a significant following on Instagram, with over 5 million followers.
Earlier, in a similar incident, the Sambhal Police had arrested YouTuber Mehak Pari for using abusive language in her videos. Though she was later granted bail by the court under strict conditions, the case had drawn widespread attention.
The race for rapid fame and more followers on social media appears to be driving some creators to use increasingly vulgar and obscene content. Experts and law enforcement officials warn that such trends are damaging to societal values and have a disturbing influence, especially on young audiences.
A Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court courted controversy after it compared the relationship between the High Court and the District Court to that of a ‘Savarna’ and ‘Shudra.’
The Bench invoked the ‘caste system’ to claim that judges in the lower Judiciary were treated like ‘Shudras’ while Judges in the High Court function with the entitlement of ‘Savarnas.’
The controversial observations were made by Justices Atul Sreedharan and Dinesh Kumar Paliwal on 14th July.
The Judges were hearing the case of a former Sessions Judge named Jagat Mohan Chaturvedi, who was dismissed from service in September 2015 for granting bail to some accused in the Vyapam scam.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court quashed the termination and noted that he suffered ‘gross injustice.’
Madhya Pradesh High Court recently drew a stark comparison, likening the relationship between High Court judges and the district judiciary to that of a feudal lord and a serf in Jagat Mohan Chaturvedi v. The State of Madhya Pradesh and Others.
It directed the restoration of his pension benefits, reinstatement of his service and back wages with interest, a compensation of ₹5 lakh for hardships and humiliation caused to former Judge Jagat Mohan Chaturvedi.
The said Judge served the lower Judiciary for 28 years with an ‘unblemished record’. He was reportedly removed despite no evidence of dishonesty, corruption or malicious intent.
During the hearing of the case, the Bench claimed, “At a subliminal level, the penumbra of the caste system manifests in the judicial structure in this state where those in the High Court are the savarnas and the shudras are the les misérables of the District Judiciary.”
It described the judicial hierarchy as based on fear, submission and psychological subjugation.
Justices Atul Sreedharan and Dinesh Kumar Paliwal further stated that the relationship between the Higher Judiciary and District Judiciary judges is similar to that of a ‘feudal lord’ and ‘serf’.
While comparing the relationship to ‘caste system’, the Madhya Pradesh High Court stated, “(Judges of the district judiciary) are almost never offered a seat by the Judges of the High Court, and on a rare occasion when they are, they are hesitant to sit down before the High Court Judge.”
It concluded, “An overbearing High Court, ever willing to excoriate the District Judiciary for the most innocuous of its errors, ensures that District Judiciary is kept under perpetual and morbid fear of punishment.” The fear, he said, is not irrational trial court judges have families, children, sick parents, and financial responsibilities, and an abrupt termination for passing a single judicial order can leave them and their dependents on the streets, without pension and facing a society that questions their integrity.“
26th July, 2025, is the 26th anniversary of the day India won the Kargil War. Known as Kargil Vijay Diwas, this day is a reminder of the courage and sacrifice of Indian soldiers who fought bravely in one of the toughest battles in our country’s history. The war, which ended on this very day in 1999, was fought to drive out Pakistani troops and militants who had secretly taken over key positions on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistani infiltration along the LoC triggered the conflict
The war began in May 1999, when the Indian Army detected that Pakistani troops and terrorists had entered Indian territory across the Line of Control (LoC). Nevertheless, the infiltration itself had begun earlier, in February 1999, under a secret operation called Operation Badr.
Pakistani troops of the Northern Light Infantry and mujahideen combatants moved in stealthily into the Indian side of the LoC. They dressed up as militants and seized strategic mountain peaks and ridges. This was a timely move, undertaken during winter when Indian posts at high altitudes tended to remain unmanned due to extreme weather conditions.
The objective was to capture the Srinagar-Leh highway (NH 1), which is the lifeline of Srinagar, linking it to Leh and the Siachen Glacier. By capturing peaks overlooking this highway, the intruders would be able to keep tabs and impede Indian troop and logistics movement. The mastermind behind the plan
Mastermind behind ‘Operation Badr’
General Pervez Musharraf, the then Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, was said to be the mastermind of the infiltration in Kargil. The intention behind the infiltration strategy was to seize strategic heights in the Kargil sector so that Pakistani troops could control a strategic area and sever the important Srinagar-Leh highway, thus crippling Indian supply lines. The plan was to build international pressure on India so that it would be compelled to negotiate about the issue of Kashmir. It is a notion that one of the key causes of the Kargil War was to persuade India to retreat from Siachen if Pakistan retreated from Kargil.
There was one odd thing that almost no one else in the higher-level ranks of the Pakistan leadership knew what he was doing. Not the Prime Minister, not the Air Force or Navy, not even the majority of top-rank officers in the army. Musharraf only revealed it to a few of his trusted generals. As Pakistani officer Lt Gen (retd) Shahid Aziz has later explained in his book, even the Director General of Military Operations did not know.
Slipping into Kargil, peak by peak
Pakistani troops had occupied over 150 Indian positions on the Line of Control by February 1999. They entrenched themselves at Dras, Batalik, Mushkoh, Kaksar, and Tololing, even conquering the formidable Tiger Hill. These were not hills; these were positions that provided them with a bird’s-eye view of NH-1 highway, India’s jugular to Ladakh and Siachen.
Using artillery at these heights, they might have choked supplies and troop movements to large areas. The plan was cruel. And nobody in India knew what had happened for quite some time. How India discovered and responded quickly
A shepherd from Garkhon village, Tashi Namgyal, had first spotted the intruders at Jubar ridgeline in Batalik on 3rd May, 1999, and alerted the Army. Indian patrols soon went out and discovered bunkers, camps, and enemy presence deep within Indian land.
There is also one which says Musharraf’s phone calls were tapped when he was travelling in China and told the CIA, which in turn informed India. Whatever the truth, by the early part of May, India knew something serious was going on in Kargil. This was no small invasion. It was an undeclared war.
India strikes back: Operation Vijay begins
The Indian government moved into action immediately with Operation Vijay, a military campaign to evict the intruders and recover the posts. But this was no typical battlefield. Soldiers had to climb vertical slopes, with 20 kg loads of backpacks on their backs, as they were being fired at from above. The night temperatures were below sub-zero. Oxygen was thin. And the intruders enjoyed the benefits of higher ground.
The Indian Air Force also launched Operation Safed Sagar to provide air support and conduct airstrikes on enemy positions. This led to intense combat in the rugged and harsh mountain terrain to recapture the occupied territories.
The Battle that made history
One of the toughest and earliest battles was for Tololing. It was in the sector of Dras and controlled the highway. The opposition was well entrenched. But Indian soldiers, led by young officers, kept pushing forward. On 13th June, 1999, Tololing was retaken after days of fierce combat. It was a great morale enhancer.
And then there was the battle for Tiger Hill – the most symbolic of all. The hill was heavily fortified. Climbing it in the face of heavy artillery fire was suicidal. But Indian troops, by sheer will and cunning strategising, broke out with a surprise night attack. By 4th July, 1999, the tricolour was back at the top of Tiger Hill. News sent waves of jubilation across India.
The second big battle was that of Point 4875. This battle was important in the war because of the peak’s strategic location in the Dras region, from which any activity on the Srinagar-Leh Highway could be monitored. Pakistani troops had covertly occupied the height. Upon detection, the Indian military launched an attack, ultimately recapturing the point.
Combat was also raging in Batalik, Kaksar, and Mushkoh. Again, Indian forces were forced to climb hills, often straight into the enemy’s line of fire, to recapture posts inch by inch. In Turtuk’s sector along the Nubra Valley, the army repelled Pakistani intrusions towards Siachen. The second key victory was at Sando Top, a summit that gave an uninterrupted view of the Dras sector and was crucial to the overall strategy of India.
India evicted Pakistani intruders and reclaimed every inch
After nearly three months of fierce fighting, the Indian Army successfully repelled all the infiltrators. On 26th July, 1999, the government officially declared that all occupied posts had been regained. It has been celebrated on this date ever since.
But the cost of that victory was heavy. Approximately 527 Indian soldiers lost their lives, and over 1,300 soldiers were wounded during the conflict. Two Indian MiG-21s, one MiG-27, and one Mi-17 helicopter were shot down while several artillery pieces and other military equipment were damaged or destroyed in the Kargil war.
On the other hand, the Pakistani military lost around 700-1,000 soldiers. The exact number of wounded Pakistani soldiers is not precisely known but is believed to be substantial. And even though their claims of “freedom fighters” being included were made, it was clear that this was a Pakistan Army operation from the start.
Even Pakistan’s authorities admitted as much later. Major General (Retd) Abdul Majeed Malik characterised the Kargil war as a “total disaster.” The then-Pakistani Navy Chief even demanded that General Musharraf be court-martialled for his suicidal venture.
The Kargil War made several things change. It exposed the necessity for utmost vigilance even during times of peace. It confirmed the requirement for improved intelligence and surveillance. It also demonstrated that the Indian Army had enough ability to achieve the most difficult tasks, however improbable they may have been.
Even after 26 years, the acts of bravery in those hills make us get goosebumps even today. The faces of martyrs like Capt Vikram Batra, Lt Manoj Pandey, and several others remain not just in books and statues, but in every Indian’s heart.
A new restriction has been imposed by BlackRock on its employees over electronic devices while traveling to China. It allowed them to use temporary loaner phones and prohibited them from carrying the company’s laptops during any business trip to China.
BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, detailed the “policy enhancement” in an internal memo effective July 16, as per a Bloomberg report. It barred the employees from using BlackRock-issued iPhones, iPads, Laptops, and remote access via private network while staying in China. They will additionally lose access to the BlackRock network during personal travel to the country.
By enforcing these restrictions, BlackRock aims to mitigate potential data breaches and ensure adherence to local regulations, a crucial step given the increased scrutiny on foreign firms operating in China.
US-China tensions the trigger
This significant move reflects a way to alleviate any unnecessary tension that can be linked to the company. China has been in the spotlight with the geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing, which continues to strain international business relationships.
The move didn’t come out of the blue; it was preceded by a series of incidents involving Western businesses being prevented from leaving China. Beijing’s Foreign Ministry described it as a criminal matter after Wells Fargo suspended travel to China last week and one of its senior trade financing bankers, Chenyue Mao, was blocked from departing the country.
China has also done something similar by restricting a US patent and Trademark Office employee from leaving during a personal visit earlier this month. While a US Commerce Department worker has reportedly faced hurdles in leaving China for several months
Data security challenge
The global companies have met with many struggles to balance operational needs with compliance requirements since China implemented stricter data security laws in 2021. They found difficulty in establishing onshore data centers to keep Chinese information within the country, adding significant costs and complicating business management.
BlackRock continues to have a strong foothold in China through its fully owned mutual fund company and a wealth management joint venture with China Construction Bank Corp. Its updated travel policy highlights the growing difficulties global financial firms face as regulatory and security complexities intensify between the US and China.
Meanwhile, Amazon is closing its AI lab in Shanghai due to escalating geopolitical tensions. Established in 2018, the lab produced over 100 academic papers and played a key role in developing a neural network framework that reportedly contributed nearly $1 billion in sales, according to a lab scientist.
