Ahead of the secretive conclave to elect the next pope, all mobile phone signals will be deactivated in the Vatican on Wednesday, CNN reported, citing Italian state media.
The Vatican also plans to use signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to stop electronic surveillance or communication outside the conclave, where 133 cardinals vote to decide who will be succeed Pope Francis, CNN reported, citing Italian news agency ANSA.
Phone signals will be deactivated at 3 pm (local time) on Wednesday, an hour and a half before the cardinals are scheduled to proceed to the Sistine Chapel to start the papal conclave, CNN reported, citing Italian state broadcaster RAI reported on Monday.
On Monday, the Vatican announced that all 133 cardinals who will vote to decide the successor of Francis have reached Rome. For centuries the Catholic Church leader has been selected in a highly secretive gathering known as “conclave”, meaning “with key” in Latin, a nod to how cardinals get locked in until a new pope is chosen. Cardinals have been given the task to choose the next pope after an elaborate process with roots in the Middle Ages.
The cardinals will have to give up their mobile phones and electronic devices on Tuesday and they will receive their devices back after the conclave ends, a Vatican spokesman said.
The cardinals will remain in the Sistine Chapel and cut off from the outside world from Wednesday. All of the cardinals who will participate in the conclave will remain in complete isolation and will take a vow to observe “absolute and perpetual secrecy.”
The signal deactivation will not impact St Peter’s Square, where the people often gather, according to the spokesman. However, security has been increased throughout St Peter’s Square, with checkpoints at the entrances and the deployment of metal detectors and anti-drone systems at the public space, CNN reported citing news outlet Corriere della Sera.
During the conclave, the Sistine Chapel is placed under total lockdown to have complete secrecy. In 2013, signal blockers were installed to stop any calls, texts, or internet access that elected Francis. In addition, the electricians, plumbers and elevator operators who will keep the Vatican running during the conclave will commit themselves to secrecy.
The statement from the Vatican City State Governorate said, “They all take an oath and will be in full-time service, staying overnight in the Vatican, without having contact with their families.”
The funeral mass of Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21, concluded at St. Peter’s Square on April 26, with the bells of St Peter’s Basilica tolling to signal the end of the 2 hours and 10 minutes long service.
Large crowds lined up along Rome’s streets to pay their respects to Pope Francis as the white popemobile carrying his coffin made its way across the Vatican flanked by motorbikes on its way to the pope’s final resting place, a place of his choosing.
Pope Francis’ coffin was transported across the River Tiber to the fifth-century church in Rome, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, where bells tolled ahead of the arrival of the pontiff’s body. The Basilica of Saint Mary Major in was a place that the pope visited frequently throughout his 12-year papacy.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The Muslim-dominated Murshidabad district has witnessed large-scale incidents of violence, vandalism, arson and targeted attacks against the Hindu community on 11th April in the garb of protests against the newly enacted Waqf Amendment Act.
OpIndia has reported in detail how Hindus were selectively targeted, including their homes, shops and temples. The carnage began soon after Jumma Namaz on 11th April in the name of ‘protests’ against the new Waqf law and continued till 12th April.
On 22nd April, a team of journalists from Insight visited the violence-torn Murshidabad and met Hindu families who lost everything in the mayhem unleashed by Muslim mobs.
The victims narrated chilling testimonials of murder, attacks on Hindu temples and homes and the role played by mosques in supervising the violence.
They also highlighted the inaction of the local police, the complicity of TMC councillors in the violence and how party affiliation did not matter to the frenzied Muslim mobs.
All in unison pointed out that their Hindu identity was the reason for being attacked by the extremists in the 30-minute-long ground report published by Insight on its YouTube channel on 1st May.
Parul Das narrates how her husband and son were killed by a Muslim mob, police showed up after 4 hours
The Insight team met the family of Harogobindo Das, who was hacked to death alongside his son Chandan Das by a Muslim mob on 11th April.
A total of 4 extremists, namely Kalu Nadar, Dildar Nadar, Inzmam Ul Haque and Ziaul Sheikh, were arrested in connection with the murder of the father-son duo.
Parul Das, the widow of Harogobindo Das, informed, “First, they broke that shop. They looted everything and then went away. Later, they came back and destroyed our kitchen. They then pelted stones, threw glasses and bottles on our rooftop. They pelted stones and bricks from the other side of the fence. When they came for the 3rd time, they were armed with spades, shovels and other sharp weapons.”
She narrated how her husband and son were hacked to death by a Muslim mob. “The father and the son were standing there. They dragged the father-son duo out. The father was hacked near the drain. My son was killed just underneath that tree.”
On being asked whether she received any help from the police, Parul Das stated, “No, nothing. The murders would not have happened during the third time (if cops were there). They (the police) came 4 hours later.”
The helpless woman informed that she was able to identify the perpetrators from the visuals highlighted on TV. “We are in a state of terror. We want BSF camp,” she said.
Parul Das narrated that she cannot stay at her own house anymore since it has no doors. On being asked why her husband and son were killed, the woman stated, “How do I say? We did not have enmity with anyone.”
It was recently that Parul Das and her daughter-in-law Pinki Das are being harassed by Trinamool Congress goons and the West Bengal police.
Hindu victim exposes the role played by TMC councillor in Murshidabad violence
A Hindu man named Dipen Mondal highlighted the complicity of the TMC councillor in the violence perpetrated by the Muslim mob. “The councillor was present. If he wanted, he could have stopped the carnage,” the Hindu man informed the Insight team.
“Amirul (TMC MLA from Samserganj) had come. He knew everything. After he came, there was an attack from this side. Those who were there with him also took part in the vandalism and loot,” he added.
Mondal added, “If the councillor did not know, how did the villagers come here and carry out destruction? There is Mehboob Alam. How are people from his village coming and attacking our village? If he had told them no, they wouldn’t have come.”
He narrated how he and his family had to flee his village and settle in Malda’s Par Lalpur for 7-9 days. “This is happening to your own people in West Bengal, who are forced to go from one place to another. Others could come. But she (Mamata) did not get time?” the Hindu man asked.
He informed that the police chased them away from Malda and sent them back to Murshidabad. “They forcibly sent us back…Police told us that they will file cases. They told us to go away. They told us we cannot keep you here. They gave many excuses to remove us from that place,” Mondol emphasised.
He also highlighted how Muslims broke into a temple and attempted to break into a nearby shop.
A Hindu woman named Banawasi Mandal lamented, “If we have a BSF camp here, it will make our lives easier. We want compensation for the damage caused. There is nothing at home. No rice, dal and anything to wear. Everything has been turned to ashes.”
Muslims spat and urinated in front of temple, forced brother-in-law to chant ‘Allah’ and ‘Bismillah’: Victim Jharna Mondal
A Hindu woman named Jharna Mondal narrated how Muslims attacked her brother-in-law and vandalised a temple on Saturday (12th April). She added that the mob also spat and urinated in front of the temple.
“They spat and urinated in front of the temple…At least 2000 to 5000 people came and vandalised this temple…They broke this temple on Saturday,” she was heard saying.
Mondal informed the Insight team that her brother-in-law (Devar) was assaulted and forced to chant ‘Allah’ and Bismillah.
“6 people held my brother-in-law (Devar) and assaulted him brutally at that place. They forced him to say ‘Allah’ and ‘Bismillah’. All of them told my brother-in-law to leave the village,” she emphasised.
Mondal said that neither the police nor the village Pradhan came to their rescue.
“There was no police. There were 5 personnel who ran away out of fear…They (Muslims) told the police to flee or else they would kill them. No one helped us—neither the Pradhan nor the police. I fell on their feet, begged them to come and protect us, but they did not come. Our entire village pleaded with them and held their feet,” she stated.
Mondal further emphasised that the Border Security Force (BSF) saved them, and the villagers would have been dead without them.
“The BSF has rescued us. If BSF had not come, then we would not have been alive. We would have been dead. We want BSF camp. We want protection. We do not want Mamata’s police,” she concluded.
Victim Samar Das narrates how mosques incited Muslim mob, Hindus being persecuted despite being TMC members
A Hindu man from Jafrabad, Samar Das, also told the Insight team how Muslim mobs laid siege to his house.
“A mob entered my house, pelted stones and bricks. I fell after being hit on the head. They then entered my house, broke my almirah and took away 2 bhori gold and ₹20000 cash. I had withdrawn the money from Bandhan Bank for my eye surgery. They put a knife to my wife’s throat and asked her to hand over valuables and earrings,” he emphasised.
Das added, “They have issued threats to set my house on fire. They had hurled bombs at my house. My two brothers have been injured. My daughter also got hurt in the bomb attack. We are safer for the time being due to the presence of the BSF.”
He informed that the police did not show up for 4 hours despite repeated calls. The local Trinamool Congress MLA was also nowhere to be found.
“You can see these burnt houses. It wouldn’t have burnt this way if there had been timely action by TMC netas. I am also from the Trinamool Congress, and yet my house was attacked,” the Hindu man stated that party affiliation
“Only because we are Hindus. Nothing happened to the nearby Muslim houses. They are safe. They only carried out these attacks. They did it in a pre-planned manner,” he was heard saying.
Samar Das made an interesting revelation about how a mosque was used to direct Muslims to attack the Hindu community in Jafrabad.
“It was announced from the microphone of the Saritala masjid on Saturday night. That (Muslims) must go out on the field with weapons after Fajr Namaz,” he emphasised. The Hindu man pointed out how life had been difficult in the Muslim-majority area.
“We are under attack in our homeland of West Bengal, just like Hindus are under attack in Bangladesh. We are stopped from doing Puja. Our temples are being set on fire. Idols of deities are vandalised and set on fire. What is our crime? This is an attack on Sanatan Dharma,” he stated.
Samar Das slammed Mamata Banerjee, her party leaders Firhad Hakim and Kunal Ghosh for being indifferent to the plight of the Hindu community of Jafrabad.
“Muslims want to rule here. They want to uproot Hindus from Jafrabad. This is their firm resolve. And despite this, nothing is going through the ears of our State’s Chief Minister. This is even though Hindus are under attack here. If a dog belonging to a Muslim dies in Gujarat, our Mamata govt makes it an issue in Bengal,” he was heard saying.
Das added, “It has been 10-11 days (since the attack). Children did not have proper meals. They are unable to sleep. They are in a state of terror that something might happen to them. The education of the school-going children has been stopped.”
He made heartfelt appeals to the West Bengal government to ensure the rehabilitation and resettlement of the Hindus, who were subjected to violence by frenzied Muslim mobs. Samar Das also requested help from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The controversy involving the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Gandhinagar has expanded from thesis projects to cover programs, sessions, and faculty activities conducted at the institution. The recent information that emerged online, prompting significant questions to which the institute is expected to provide answers, but it continues to assert that the controversy is unwarranted.
At the same time, professors from the Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS) department at IIT Gandhinagar have come under scrutiny on the social media. An email sent by Professor Nishant Choksi has circulated widely, wherein he threatened students with disciplinary action, and mentions the intention to impose penalties for revealing thesis projects and student information.
THE HINDU STUDENTS OF IIT GANDHINAGAR (@iitgn) NEED YOUR HELP!
It is being done by ISLAMISTS Muhammed Luqman, Salmanul Faris, and Mohammed Jabir and supported by the COMMIES!
– This is the season of theses and dissertations across all IITs. – The communist professors of IITGN… pic.twitter.com/0KuivfFE4Y
— Indian Right Wing Community (@indianrightwing) May 1, 2025
OpIndia reached out to Professor Choksi in an attempt to verify this email, but there was no response. Additionally, it has been discovered that he is affiliated with several Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs). A link has been found between NGO Adilok that claims to aid displaced tribal groups in the Narmada area and the Professor. On 12th January, the HSS department of IIT Gandhinagar announced that Nishant Choksi, accompanied by research associate Kalpesh Rathwa, launched books authored in Gujarati at Adilok. The focus of the publication is on the cultural and linguistic transformations experienced by the displaced communities of the Narmada Valley.
Image via OpIndia Gujarati
The board of trustees of the NGO merits attention. The chairman is Father Fernand Durai with Father Vinayak Jadav serving as vice-chairman, Nilesh McEwan as secretary and Antony Pichai as trustees, among others.
Image via OpIndia Gujarati
Concerns are emerging on social media regarding the collaboration of IIT professors with an NGO known for its religious propaganda.
My questions to Ministry of Education and Director of IIT Gandhinagar:
1. Is the Ministry aware of Prof Choksi’s ties with Adilok?
2. Is it allowed for IIT professors to associate with evangelical NGOs? Is this legal?
Moreover, another professor named Ashish Xaxa, within the same department has made headlines. He was active on X, but after the controversy broke out, his account is nowhere to be found. His posts also raised concerns among many users. As a result, the account was first locked and then deactivated. Currently, it is not accessible. Ashish Xaxa shared a post featuring two books, “Colonising Kashmir” and “Colonising Palestine” and encouraged people to read them. This sparked a discussion about drawing comparisons between the two regions. “If not Rahul Gandhi then who,” he remarked in another post.
Image via OpIndia Gujarati
He reposted a comment which ridiculed Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. A netizen has accused the professor of employing offensive language towards her before subsequently blocking her.
So this person @XaxaSpeaks whom I have never known in real life nor interacted with online, comes to my account – abuses me and blocks me.
This guy works for @HSSiitgn as a professor in “indigenous and development studies”.
An inquiry into his background revealed that several of his research papers have been disseminated across different platforms. The most recent publication pertains to the year 2025. The article, entitled “Covid-19 and the Question of Indigenous Migrants in Urban India,” was featured in “Governing the Crisis: Narratives of Covid-19 in India,” which was published in London.
This article focuses on the Corona epidemic and its impact on India. During that period, the circumstances were exceptionally challenging not only for India but globally, during a once in a century crisis. Given India’s vast population, this challenge was significant, yet the nation confronted it amidst considerable difficulties. However, readers of this publication might perceive that the country has utterly failed and that the populace has despaired.
Labeling Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “leader of the Hindu right-wing party” in the piece signifies the ideological perspective that had been embraced. Ashish Xaxa addressed the issues faced by workers in other states resulting from the sudden onset of the epidemic and the subsequent lockdown. Initially, it was claimed that the high mortality rate was due to a deficiency in medical facilities, poverty, water shortages and an insufficient number of doctors. However, the states under the I.N.D.I. Alliance, including Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, received great praise in the article.
Image via OpIndia Gujarati
A narrative was build on the actions taken by Chief Minister Hemant Soren for these workers, claiming his complete commitment to tackle the problem without diverting his attention. However, a realistic assessment shows that all states were actively working during that time, focusing on the pandemic and putting aside other concerns. Limiting the focus to only one or two states produces a storyline that seems trivial upon initial examination, but one can see the propaganda behind it. It had been alleged that Hemant Soren personally looked into these cases. (What were other chief ministers doing)?
“His activism, decision-making ability and clarity created a kind of confidence among the people of Jharkhand. His ability to listen to the person in front is his specialty as a leader,” Ashish Xaxa wrote about Hemant Soren. The initiatives of the Bhupesh Baghel administration in Chhattisgarh were also mentioned. He served as the Chief Minister of the state during the pandemic.
This is merely one instance, yet these professors who subscribe to leftist beliefs have produced a variety of publications. After engaging with their work extensively, one can readily identify their ideological stance.
The ongoing water war between AAP-ruled Punjab and the BJP-ruled Haryana further escalated after the Punjab government claimed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court that Haryana had overdrawn its quota and was now seeking water for irrigation under the pretext of drinking needs.
The Aam Aadmi Party made this claim before the court on Monday (5th May) during the hearing on a plea filed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). This plea sought the court’s intervention against the Punjab government’s obstruction of the release of water to Haryana.
In its plea, the Bhakra Beas Management Board argued that on 1st May, Punjab deployed police personnel to take control of the Nangal Dam and Lohand Control Room Water Regulation Offices. This resulted in the obstruction of the release of 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana as decided in the board meetings. BBMB’s lawyer Rajesh Garg called Punjab’s action “unconstitutional and illegal”. The senior counsel further alleged that the AAP government’s actions infringed on BBMB’s statutory authority under the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
The BBMB’s legal representative added that upon confrontation over the takeover of the Nangal Dam and Lohand Control Room Water Regulation Offices, the Punjab government sent a letter to BBMB on 5th May saying that police personnel have been deployed in view of escalating tensions with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack.
As per the BBMB, in view of the shortage of drinking water in Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi, a Technical Committee meeting was held on 23rd April to decide on increasing water allocation. This involved reallocation of 500 cusecs for Rajasthan and 496 cusecs for Delhi. However, Punjab refused to comply beyond its voluntary offer of 4,000 cusecs. The AAP government in Punjab cited Haryana’s alleged overuse and mismanagement of its water share.
The issue emerged after the Bhakra Beas Management Board decided to release 8,500 cusecs of water to Haryana from the Bhakra Dam. This triggered protests by AAP and a war of words between the two state governments.
AAP argues that Haryana has already received its share of water from the dam, and Punjab should get all the water. Notably, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi are partnering states that meet their water requirements from Bhakra and Pong dams managed by the BBMB. The board decides the annual quota of water supply to the three states for a cycle from May 21 to May 21 every year. Water purification systemsPakistan travel packages.
As reported earlier, after the meeting, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini called Bhagwant Singh Mann, saying Haryana needs additional water. But Mann refused, saying Punjab is already facing a water crisis, and it did not have a drop to spare. Soon after, the Punjab government decided to escalate the matter and refused to release water to Haryana from the dam. The government also ordered increased security at the Nangal dam.
In a significant comment, CM Saini said that if the Punjab government keeps capping water released from the dam at 4,000 cusec, excess water will overflow during monsoon and reach Pakistan. He said that the Bhakra dam reservoir has to be emptied before monsoon so that excess water accumulated during monsoon can be stored in the reservoir.
He said, “It is necessary to empty the Bhakra Dam water reservoir before June so that rainwater can be stored during the monsoon. If there is no space left in the water reservoir, excess water will go to Pakistan via Hari-ke-Pattan, which is neither in the interest of Punjab nor the nation.”
Notably, if Saini’s warning becomes true, it will nullify the impact of the Government of India stopping the flow of water to Pakistan. Because the flow can be stopped only by dams. But if the water overflows the dams because of filled-up reservoirs, then the water can’t be stopped from flowing downstream and reaching Pakistan.
ਭਾਖੜਾ ਬਿਆਸ ਮੈਨੇਜਮੈਂਟ ਬੋਰਡ ਇੱਕ ਚਿੱਟਾ ਹਾਥੀ ਬੰਨ੍ਹਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਹੈ। ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਖਰਚਾ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਸਰਕਾਰ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ। ਅਸੀਂ ਇਸ ਦਾ ਸਖ਼ਤ ਵਿਰੋਧ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਇਸ ਦਾ ਪੁਨਰਗਠਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਣਾ ਚਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ। —- भाखड़ा ब्यास मैनेजमेंट बोर्ड एक सफेद हाथी बन चुका है, जिसका पूरा खर्चा पंजाब सरकार उठाती है। हम इसका कड़ा विरोध… pic.twitter.com/bFIr7S3xOA
Meanwhile, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann has sharpened his attacks on BBMB. Calling the Board a ‘white elephant’ while addressing the state assembly, CM Mann said, “The Bhakra Beas Management Board has become a white elephant, the entire expense of which is borne by the Punjab Government. We strongly oppose this. It should be restructured. On the basis of humanity, we are already providing Haryana with an additional 4000 cusecs of water. But instead of thanking us for this, they called an overnight BBMB meeting, changed the chairman, and demanded an additional 8500 cusecs of water.”
The United Nations Security Council members raised tough questions for Pakistan at its informal closed door session on Monday, sources in New York told ANI. The 15-nation Security Council held deliberations on Monday afternoon amid growing tensions between India and Pakistan.
There was no statement published by the UN body following the “closed consultations” that was requested by Pakistan, a non-permanent member of the Council whose presidency for the month of May is currently held by Greece.
Sources told ANI that UN Security Council members raised tough questions for Pakistan at its informal closed door session. The members refused to accept the “false flag” narrative planted by the Pakistani side and asked whether the Lashkar-e-Taiba, a proscribed terror organisation with deep ties to Pakistan, was likely to be involved in the terror attack.
Sources said, there was broad condemnation of the terrorist attack and recognition of the need for accountability. Some members specifically brought up targeting of tourists on the basis of their religious faith.
Many members expressed concern that Pakistan’s missile tests and nuclear rhetoric were escalatory factors. Pakistan on Monday conducted a training launch of a Fatah Series surface-to-surface missile with a range of 120 kilometres as part of the ongoing “Exercises Indus”,
Pakistan’s efforts to internationalize the situation also failed. They were advised to sort out the issues bilaterally with India.
Meanwhile, Dawn News has reported that water flows in the Chenab, recorded at the Marala head works, decreased from up to 35,000 cusecs on Sunday to about 3,100 cusecs on Monday morning. Chenab is very important for Pakistan’s irrigation system, as its canals, including the UCC and BRB canals, irrigate a vast tract of agricultural land in Punjab.
India had held the Indus Water treaty in abeyance following the Pahalgam attack and the shortage of water is seen as a likely fallout of that.
In another setback for Pakistan, Lufthansa Airlines on Monday suspended operations via the Pakistani airspace, according to an official release of the German aviation group.
Earlier, India closed its airspace to all aircraft registered in Pakistan and those operated by Pakistani airlines, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA). India issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) confirming the closure of its airspace to all Pakistani-registered, operated, or leased aircraft, including military flights, from April 30 to May 23 (estimated duration).
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A Hindu woman living in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh has registered a case of love jihad. The victim Hindu woman says that Iqrar Pasha married the victim by posing as Raj Thakur. After marriage, it was revealed that his real name is Iqrar and he is a Muslim.
According to media reports, the victim woman said that the accused Iqrar and his family members are pressurising her to change her religion. The victim told that when she refused, they forcibly fed her meat and beat her up.
The victim woman also said that Iqrar’s brothers raped her and threatened her children with a gun. The victim mentioned that she met Iqrar Pasha in 2022. She told that Iqrar Pasha used to apply tilak on his forehead and pretended to be Raj Thakur and also tied Kalawa on his wrist.
मुरादाबाद-जिले में सामने आया लव जेहाद का मामला, आरोपी इकरार पाशा ने राज ठाकुर बन प्रेमजाल में फंसाया
पीड़िता को मंदिर ले जाकर उसके साथ की शादी, शादी के ढाई साल बाद सामने आई सच्चाई
पहले से शादीशुदा और तीन बच्चों का बाप है आरोपी, पीड़िता ने एसएसपी से की पूरे मामले की शिकायत, SSP… pic.twitter.com/NCBb4IcQBj
— भारत समाचार | Bharat Samachar (@bstvlive) May 5, 2025
The victim said that he befriended the victim by posing as a Hindu and trapped her in his love trap. The accused Iqrar Pasha married the victim Hindu woman in a temple. It has also come to light that he used to perform puja-paath at home so that no one comes to know that he is a Muslim.
The victim further said that Iqrar Pasha did not introduce her to his family for two and a half years after marriage. Getting suspicious, the victim investigated about Iqrar and found out that her husband is not a Hindu but a Muslim. She also found out that Iqrar Pasha is already married and has 3 children.
When the victim protested against this and went to Iqrar Pasha to seek answers, he threatened to kill her and asked her to convert. The woman complained about this in Majhola police station. Hindu organizations have met SSP Moradabad and demanded action in this matter.
SSP Satpal Antil has said that the woman’s complaint will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken.
Israel has launched a massive air strike on Yemen’s Hodeidah Port in response to the Houthi attack on Tel Aviv’s main airport that occurred on Sunday, 04 May. As per reports, as many as 50 bombs have been dropped on the Hodeidah Port in Yemen as Israeli war planes launched a coordinated strike on May 5.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had promised to avenge the Tel Aviv airport attack.
Houthis of Yemen, backed by Iran, have been targeting Israel and Red Sea shipping for months. Most of their missiles targeted at Israel have been deflected by air defence systems so far, except one incident of hitting Tel Aviv city in 2024. The May 4 incident of a Houthi missile falling near Ben Gurion airport was an exception. Soon after Houthis had announced a comprehensive blockade of Israeli air space and declared that they would continue attacking the airports.
The Houthis had also sent emails to major International Airport organisation bodies, asking them to avoid the Israeli airspace as the airports would be constantly on their target.
Reports suggest that around 30 fighter planes were engaged from the Israeli side to bomb the Hodeidah Port and a cement factory nearby. Fuel depots and storage facilities were targeted, causing a massive oil spill and fire on seawater and land.
It is notable here that Yemen lies over 2000 km away from Israel, and the two nations are separated by the entire span of Saudi Arabia’s western coast along the Red Sea. The land distance even includes the breadth of Jordan after the Saudi mainland, still the Houthis have been trying to hit Israel with ballistic missiles for over a year.
Reuters reported that 70% of damage has been sighted at the port’s 5 docks, warehouses and customs area. The air strikes came when two container ships were unloading their cargo.
Yemen’s Hodeidah Port is the second largest port of the country after Aden. It handles 80% of the food supplies coming to Yemen. Houthi official Abdul Qader al-Mortada has stated that Israel should now wait for the ‘unimaginable’ counter attack by the Houthis.
The Houthi-run Saba news agency has reported that one person has been killed and 35 injured in the attack.
On 3rd May, Government of India imposed a blanket ban on all imports from Pakistan. The decision has been taken following the deadly Pahalgam Terrorist Attack that claimed lives of 26 innocent tourists, as Hindus were targeted. Pakistan-sponsored terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba’s offshoot, The Resistance Force, claimed responsibility for the attack, before taking a U-turn. India has taken several steps against Pakistan since then including revoking visas issued to Pakistani nationals including medical visas, suspending Indus Water Treaty, banning social media accounts of Pakistan celebrities, shutting down port for Pakistani ships and more.
The recent decision to ban imports will intensify the economic retaliation against the hostile neighbouring country. The decisive move covers both direct shipments and goods routed through third countries. With this decision, India has signalled a complete breakdown in trade ties with Pakistan. Notably, while direct imports from Pakistan are minimal, the indirect imports from Pakistan tune to around $500 million via countries like Sri Lanka, UAE, Indonesia and others.
What did India import from Pakistan?
Several products from Pakistan are popular in Indian markets. Top most products from Pakistan include Sendha Namak or Himalayan Rock Salt. It is mined from the Khewra salt range in Pakistan and is commonly used during fasts and in Ayurvedic practices. Despite the religious and health-linked relevance in India, the pink salt originating from Pakistan will not be allowed to enter India.
Similarly, Peshawari chappals and Lahori Kurtas, along with salwar suits and other garments will soon not be available in Indian markets. These products are often marketed by Indian boutiques as exclusive fashion imports.
The hidden trade between India and Pakistan
According to media reports, around $500 million worth of Pakistani goods enter India via intermediary countries like Sri Lanka and the UAE. These products used to come directly via Pakistan; however, the hostile relations between the two countries have resulted in them being channeled through alternate countries. The UAE often repackages and relabels Pakistani dry dates, leather, fruits and textiles before sending them to India. Chemicals from Pakistan come to India via Singapore.
Furthermore, Pakistani cement, soda ash, and raw materials for the textile industry also come from Pakistan via Indonesia. Sri Lanka serves as an alternative country for products like dried fruits, salt, and leather goods.
An estimated $500 million worth of exports reach India through these routes. As India has put a blanket ban on products originating from Pakistan and coming to India via direct and indirect routes, monitoring and identifying these products has become a necessity for the officials. Speaking to PTI, an unnamed official said, “This comprehensive ban imposed by India, including a ban on indirect exports, would enable the customs authorities to prevent Pakistani exports from entering India through circumvention.”
Direct imports from Pakistan are around $0.5 million per year, which is now expected to drop to zero. Notably, the only product that may attract the attention of consumers in India is Himalayan Pink Salt, also known as Sendha Namak, as the majority of it is produced in Pakistan. However, there are other sources from which India can obtain it.
Not to forget, India had imposed a 200% tariff on Pakistani goods in 2019 following the Pulwama attack. Direct trade between India and Pakistan between April 2024 and January 2025 was merely $0.42 million, which mostly included figs, basil, rosemary, and Sendha Namak.
As trade has stopped between India and Pakistan, products that were exported to Pakistan are also halted. These include cotton, organic chemicals, food products, animal fodder, edible vegetables, plastic articles, man-made filament, coffee, tea, spices, dyes, oil seeds, dairy products, and pharmaceutical items, which will create a void in the Pakistani consumer market.
Dry fruits and industrial goods also hit
Dry fruits coming from Balochistan and Peshawar such as almonds, walnuts, figs and raisins were in demand during winters and festival season in India. These too will go off shelves. Furthermore, cotton, confectionery items, optical goods, chemicals, steel and cement were part of the broader trade list between the two countries.
Impact and the road ahead
Pakistan’s economy is struggling and import ban will further push the country to bankruptcy. Domestically Indian markets may experience a temporary disruption in supply of some specialty products such as pink salt or sendha namak, however, alternates for the products are always available in the market. Government of India is likely to push for domestic production of certain products that were imported from Pakistan.
India has sent a strong signal that trade and talks cannot happen if Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorism in India. Cross-border terrorism will be met with unflinching economic consequences for the neighbouring country.
The ‘Sharia Court’, ‘Court of Qazi’, ‘Darul-Qaza’ or ‘Kajiyat’, have no legal recognition and their observations are not legally binding. The Supreme Court of India ruled this on the 28th of April 2025, while hearing the case of a Muslim woman who challenged the Allahabad High Court’s 2018 decision upholding a family court’s decision not to award her any maintenance on the ground that she was the cause of the dispute.
The court gave the woman ₹4,000 in monthly support from the date she first filed the petition, overturning the Allahabad High Court’s decision. Additionally, the husband was ordered to keep providing for the children’s financial needs until they reached adulthood.
Despite being focused on a specific case, the Supreme Court’s ruling upholds a more general constitutional principle: India’s legal system cannot be superseded or overruled by Islamic statements or arbitration through Sharia courts. Although parties may voluntarily choose to abide by such decisions, they cannot be enforced by the law. Most importantly, the Supreme Court minced no words in making it abundantly clear that only Indian courts have the power to make decisions when rights under statutory provisions, like maintenance, are at issue.
“‘Court of Kazi’, ‘Court of (Darul Kaja) Kajiyat’, ‘Sharia Court’, etcetera, by whatever name styled, have no recognition in law,” the Supreme Court bench comprising justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said.
Compromise in Darul Qaza, divorce in Darul Qaza: The paradox of Sharia courts in a secular country with a full-fledged judiciary
In the present case, the Muslim man named Gaffar Khan had earlier obtained a talaqnama through a Darul Qaza (Qaziyat) in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and used it to argue against his obligation to pay. The Supreme Court, however, clarified that such forums are not recognised in Indian law and their declarations are not legally binding.
Notably, the couple were both in their second marriage when they tied the knot in 2002. The husband is employed with the Border Security Force (BSF). The couple had two children together. However, their marriage turned bitter later on. In 2005, the husband filed for divorce in the ‘Court of Kazi’, Bhopal, securing a compromise on 22nd November 2005. Under this, the duo agreed to live together.
However, their marriage further declined as the appellant woman named Shahjahan claimed her husband used to beat her, demanded dowry, including a motorcycle and ₹50,000. She also alleged that Gaffar Khan forced her and the children out of their home in May 2008. Subsequently, the husband then sought a divorce again, this time in the ‘Court of (Darul Kaja) Kajiyat’, Bhopal, in September 2008.
However, soon after, the Muslim woman filed a plea with the Family Court seeking maintenance of ₹5,000 a month for herself and ₹1,000 each for their two children. The court, however, decided to grant maintenance only for children since the woman voluntarily decided to leave her matrimonial home. The court had also said that since it was the petitioner woman’s second marriage, there was no question of dowry demands. The matter reached the Allahabad High Court, which alarmingly upheld the Family Court’s ruling, saying that the woman’s separation lacked justification and the Family Court’s observations were not perverse.
Fast forward to 2025, the Supreme Court overturned the Allahabad High Court’s decision and ordered the husband to provide maintenance to the petitioner. In this case, the apex court bench made several observations that negate the legal status of Sharia courts and similar Islamic bodies functioning as a parallel judiciary. This came after Shahjahan moved the Supreme Court challenging the rulings of the lower courts, contending that she was illiterate, had no income and that she was wrongly blamed for leaving the matrimonial home. She disputed the lower court’s reliance on the ‘compromise deed’ and Sharia court divorce.
Supreme Court’s observations regarding the legal status of Sharia Courts
In its analysis of the present case, the Supreme Court observed that the proceedings made several references to bodies such as the “Court of Kazi,” the “Court of (Darul Kaja) Kajiyat,” and the “Sharia Court.” In response, the Court addressed this matter in a “Post-Script” section of its ruling.
Under this, the apex court cited the 2014 Vishwa Lochan Madan vs Union of India case. In that case, the court had undertaken the examination of whether Dar-ul-Qaza is a parallel court and “fatwa” has any legal status. The court had observed that while the adjudication by a legal authority sanctioned by law is enforceable and binding and meant to be obeyed unless upset by an authority provided by law itself, however, the decisions of Dar-ul-Qaza or the fatwa “do not satisfy” any of these requirements. Dar-ul-Qaza is “neither created nor sanctioned by any law made by the competent legislature.”
“Therefore, the opinion or the fatwa issued by Dar-ul-Qaza or for that matter anybody is not adjudication of dispute by an authority under a judicial system sanctioned by law. A Qazi or Mufti has no authority or powers to impose his opinion and enforce his fatwa on anyone by any coercive method. In fact, whatever may be the status of fatwa during Mogul or British Rule, it has no place in independent India under our constitutional scheme. It has no legal sanction and cannot be enforced by any legal process either by the Dar-ul-Qaza issuing that or the person concerned or for that matter anybody. The person or the body concerned may ignore it and it will not be necessary for anybody to challenge it before any court of law. It can simply be ignored,” the Supreme Court said in its 2014 ruling in the Vishwa Lochan Madan vs Union of India case.
In the same ruling, the Supreme Court back in 2014 had also said that the Fatwa or Islamic proclamation has no legal status in our constitutional scheme. Notwithstanding that, it is an admitted position that fatwas have been issued and are being issued. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board feels the “necessity of establishment of a network of judicial system throughout the country and Muslims should be made aware that they should get their disputes decided by the Qazis”.
Excerpt of SC ruling in the Vishwa Lochan Madan case (2014) cited by the bench in its order in the present case
However, the court had observed that a Fatwa is bereft of any legal pedigree and has no sanction in the laws of the land. They are not part of the corpus juris of the State. A fatwa is an opinion; only an expert is expected to give. It is not a decree, nor binding on the court or the State or the individual. Although not legally binding, the Supreme Court had observed that the existence of Darul-Qaza or the practice of issuing Fatwas is not essentially illegal. In addition, the court said that the issuance of a Fatwa should not be objected to as long as it does not infringe upon the rights of individuals granted under the law.
Citing the Supreme Court’s observations made in the 2014 Vishwa Lochan Madan case, the Supreme Court bench recently said that ‘Court of Kazi’, ‘Court of (Darul Kaja) Kajiyat’, ‘Sharia Court’, etc., by whatever name styled, have no recognition in law.
The top court came down heavily upon the approach of the Family Court and the Allahabad High Court of relying on the ‘settlement deed’ presented before the ‘Qazi court’ in Bhopal. The bench stressed that courts cannot rely on the declarations of non-judicial bodies like Sharia courts to decide legal entitlements.
“As noted in Vishwa Lochan Madan (supra), any declaration/decision by such bodies, by whatever name labelled, is not binding on anyone and is unenforceable by resort to any coercive measure. The only way such declaration/decision can withstand scrutiny in the eye of law could be when the affected parties accept such declaration/decision by acting thereon or accepting it and when such action does not conflict with any other law. Even then, such declaration/decision, at best, would only be valid inter-se the parties that choose to act upon/accept the same, and not a third-party,” the recently passed Supreme Court order reads.
The court also slammed the Family Court for its speculative and “baseless” observation that just because it was the petitioner and respondent no-2’s (husband, Gaffar Khan) second marriage, there was no likelihood of a dowry demand. It said that such an observation was “unknown to the canons of law.”
“The family court’s observation that there was no likelihood of dowry demand because it was a second marriage is baseless and contrary to legal reasoning,” the Supreme Court stated.
The court also noted that the Family Court’s assumption that Shahjahan caused the marital discord was based on mere conjecture and was devoid of any evidence.
In the present case, the apex court directed the husband to pay Rs 4,000/- per month as maintenance to the appellant, from the date of filing of the maintenance petition before the Family Court. The maintenance awarded to the children will also be payable from the date of filing of the maintenance petition before the Family Court.
Are Sharia courts ‘supreme’ for Indian Muslims?
Over the years, several Muslim clerics and politicians have issued statements prioritising Sharia over the constitution, with many asserting that Indian Muslims will follow only Sharia. A latest example of this came on 14th April 2025, when Hafizul Hasan, a minister in the Jharkhand government, said that for him, Sharia comes before the constitution. In an accidental moment of truth, Hasan divulged the Al-Taqqiya Islamists often use to fool ‘secularists’, as he said that “We carry the Quran in our hearts and the Constitution in our hands. Muslims walk with the Quran in their hearts and the Constitution in their hands.”
There are around 100 Sharia courts in ‘secular’ India. Back in 2023, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) boasted that there are over 100 Sharia courts in India and that AIMPLB intends to set up such Islamic courts in all of India’s Muslim majority districts. In 2018, too, the Muslim body had said it plans to open Darul-Qaza (Sharia courts) in all districts of the country.
In 2020, AIMIM urged Muslims to disregard the Indian Judiciary and approach Sharia courts to resolve their disputes. This, however, was not shocking as Hamid Ansari, the former Vice President of India, had also once made a similar assertion. He had backed the idea of setting up the Shariat courts in every district of the country, saying that each community has the right to practice its own personal law.
While AIMPLB, Muslim-appeasing politicians and Islamists continue to push Muslims towards resolving their disputes through Sharia-courts or Darul-Qaza, essentially bolstering a parallel judiciary functioning on Islamic religious lines, the Family Court in the Shahjahan vs State of Uttar Pradesh vs others case, treating the compromise deed from the ‘Court of Kazi’ and the Talagnama from Darul-Qaza as authoritative, essentially granted judicial legitimacy to non-judicial Islamic entities. As the Supreme Court observed, this effectively violated the principle that only statutory courts, established under the Constitution of India, can adjudicate disputes. The courts placing reliance on non-judicial entities for settling disputes essentially undermines the country’s secular legal framework while endorsing a parallel judicial system in violation of constitutional principles.
The Allahabad High Court, upholding the same, was even more alarming. If courts themselves would extend legitimacy to the Sharia courts or rely on the declarations of such non-judicial bodies to determine legal entitlements, what would even be the point of existence of the judicial system in India? The Supreme Court’s intervention, however, overturned this miscarriage of justice and reaffirmed the primacy of statutory law while also reiterating that Sharia Courts/Darul-Qaza, Kazi Courts or any such Islamic ‘courts’ are non-legal entities and their ‘rulings’ are not legally binding.
On Saturday, May 3, a 43-year-old woman lawyer Sheetal Bhosale was disrobed, harassed, slashed with a blade, and threatened by two passengers aboard a Mumbai-Indore train. The complainant, a Thane lawyer stated that she entered the general compartment of the 12961 Mumbai Central-Indore Avantika Express after an impromptu decision to travel to Indore. Now, the Palghar Government Railway Police has arrested Imtehaj Abidbhai Odia (28) of Bhavnagar and Rubina Yusuf Pathan (43) of Surat on 4th May.
The victim stated that Rubina Pathan got into a confrontation with her shortly after the train left on its journey. According to The Free Press Journal, a disagreement over religious symbols escalated the dispute as the Muslim woman took issue with the religious symbols (a rudraksha bracelet and a bangle engraved with the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) worn by Bhosale. “Wearing rudraksha is nonsense,” she stated to which the latter replied, “Do I say anything about your burqa? Then why are you offended by my beads?” The argument then descended into violence.
The victim went to use the restroom at approximately 9:45 pm as the train passed through Saphale. Upon her return, she discovered Rubina Yusuf Pathan searching through and discarding items from her suitcase. When questioned, Rubina alleged that the lawyer had stolen her purse and reportedly pulled down her pants in an attempt to search for missing Aadhaar and PAN cards in front of everyone, while abusing her.
BREAKING:
Advocate Shital Bhosale allegedly attacked with knives by 4 Muslim men and a Muslim women aboard the Avantika Express—her only “crime”?
Wearing a Rudraksha Mala & a Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj tattoo.
An officer revealed to Hindustan Times, “When Rubina did not find the identity cards, she attacked the lawyer with a sharp object.” She drew a knife and cut the latter’s forearms.
During the assault, the accused even threatened to use a key to pierce her neck. “The two accused pushed the lawyer against the window and kept assaulting her, causing injuries to her neck and lips. They also prevented other passengers from taking photographs or videos during the incident,” the official mentioned.
During the incident, the accused called the GRP to complain about the lawyer. A GRP team then stopped the train at Valsad station and found that she had a serious cut on her arm and was bleeding profusely. After her wound was treated, the authorities arrested the pair of accused and sent them to Palghar along with the lawyer. The attorney filed a case against the two in Palghar, stating that they had beaten her and taken ₹1,500 from her handbag. She added that her golden ring went missing.
The accused have been booked in accordance with pertinent Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita sections including section 74 (assault or use of criminal force to women), 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), and 351 (2) (criminal intimidation punishment).
The complainant charged that a house guard at the Vapi railway station ignored her repeated pleas for assistance. Staff from the Valsad Railway Police only stepped in after she called the railway helpline. Moreover, she stated that Imtehaj Abidbhai Odia was harassing and causing annoyance to other passengers while intoxicated.
