In a bid to enhance food safety and quality, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu on Saturday announced that the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) will financially support the establishment of 100 new NABL-accredited food testing laboratories across India in the financial year 2025-26.
Ravneet Bittu, who inaugurated a world-class food testing laboratory at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Technical University, highlighted the critical role of food testing in ensuring food safety.
“Food testing is vital for ensuring that food products meet safety standards and are free from harmful contaminants and pathogens,” he said.
According to an official release, the initiative is part of the government’s broader plan under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY), which has allocated Rs 503.47 crore for 205 laboratory projects. Out of these, 169 projects have already been completed, with Rs 349.21 crore disbursed.
These labs play a crucial role in meeting the requirements of major regulatory bodies such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Export Inspection Council of India (EIC), the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), and international agencies like the USFDA and EU regulations.
Farmers and producers in sectors such as citrus fruits, green peas, cauliflower, carrots (both fresh and frozen), milk and milk products, basmati rice, wheat, millets like bajra and sorghum, mustard and sunflower oilseeds, and farm-produced shrimp will benefit from these state-of-the-art facilities. These laboratories help ensure compliance with global standards, support exports, and improve the overall quality of food products, ultimately contributing to higher income for farmers and job creation, particularly for skilled technical personnel.
The laboratory inaugurated at Bathinda will employ cutting-edge technologies like GC-MS/MS, ICP-OES, HPLC, and UV spectrophotometers for testing pesticide residues, heavy metals, microbiological contaminants, and more. With a total project allocation of Rs 253.12 lakh and Rs 191.259 lakh already released, the facility will serve food processors, farmers, and food businesses to ensure the safety and quality of food products.
Elaborating on the achievements of the food processing sector in Punjab, Ravneet Singh shared that the Ministry has approved 24 cold chain projects totalling Rs 553 crore, three agro-processing cluster projects worth Rs 70 crore, 16 food processing units with an investment of Rs 432 crore, and 10 food testing laboratories totalling Rs 48 crore.
Under the PMKSY scheme, 61 projects amounting to Rs 1557 crore have been approved in Punjab, with a grant of Rs 419 crore.
Additionally, six factories in Punjab have committed investments under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, totalling Rs 126.31 crore. Over 2,500 micro-entrepreneurs in Punjab have received subsidies under the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, and 1,296 members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have received seed capital approval amounting to Rs 3.99 crore. In Bathinda and Mansa, honey and milk-based products are identified as the key products under the “One District, One Product” initiative.
In Bathinda, 483 loans amounting to Rs 142.3 crore were disbursed, while in Mansa, 253 loans amounting to Rs 72.15 crore were granted. Additionally, Self-Help Groups in Bathinda and Mansa received seed capital funding of Rs 75 lakh and Rs 18 lakh, respectively, under the PMFME scheme.
Ravneet Singh also visited an exhibition organized by PMFME beneficiaries, showcasing their products.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On 21st March, a 34-year-old woman, identified as Anila Ravindran from Anchalimmoodu, was arrested by Bengaluru police on charges of drug trafficking. The woman was concealing narcotics inside her private parts, which were recovered during a medical examination.
According to media reports, she was intercepted by a joint operation of the Shaktikulangara Police and Kollam City Police’s special anti-narcotics task force. Officials said in a statement that she was travelling from Bengaluru in a car when she was flagged down near the Neendakara bridge. Despite signals from the police to stop, she tried to escape, prompting a chase.
Her car was intercepted by the police and around 90 grams of MDMA were recovered during the search. Fifty grams were found hidden in the vehicle and another 40 grams were recovered from her private parts during the medical examination.
Reports suggest that the accused had been trafficking MDMA to supply it to school and college students in the Kollam city area. Police said that she is a repeat offender with a history of being involved in drug-related activities. Police have seized the car and an in-depth investigation into the matter is underway to identify her supplier and network.
Is Karnataka becoming a hub of drug trafficking?
In recent years, cases of drug traffickers getting caught in Karnataka have increased exponentially. On 16th March, it was reported that Mangaluru police busted the biggest-ever drug cartel in the state, in which two South African nationals were arrested. Thirty-seven kilograms of MDMA worth ₹75 crore were recovered. The breakthrough came from information gathered by the police from an arrest made six months ago. In September last year, police had arrested a drug trafficker named Haider Ali in Pumpwell and recovered 15 grams of MDMA.
The investigation led to a Nigerian national named Peter, who was caught with MDMA worth ₹6 crore. Further investigation revealed links to an international drug syndicate that was using the air route between Delhi and Bengaluru to smuggle narcotics. The two South African nationals arrested by the police were identified as Bamba Fant and Abigail Adonis.
In May 2023, authorities intercepted a vehicle smuggling 23.25 kilograms of ganja from Visakhapatnam to Mangaluru and Kerala via Bengaluru.
In February 2023, 119 kilograms of ganja worth ₹35 lakh were seized from a fish transport vehicle. Four people were arrested. The drugs were sourced from Andhra Pradesh.
In January 2022, the NCB nabbed a Ugandan woman with drugs worth ₹1.5 crore. They were concealed in baby food cartons to avoid detection.
Recently, the Gujarat High Court came down heavily on people who failed to uphold the court’s dignity during virtual hearings. In two separate cases, the Gujarat High Court took strict action against two men who joined the virtual proceedings of the court indecently. One of them joined the online proceeding from a lavatory while the other joined lying on a bed.
Man joined virtual court proceeding from a lavatory, fined ₹2 lakh
A bench of Justice MK Thakkar condemned a man’s behaviour who joined the court’s virtual hearing held last month on 17th January from a toilet. The High Court imposed a penalty of ₹2 lakh on 42-year-old Dhavalbhai Kanubhai Ambalal Patel for lowering the court’s dignity. The court also imposed community service on Patel directing him to water and clean the gardens in the High Court premises for two weeks, serving 8 hours daily.
Patel reportedly joined the virtual hearing in a case in which his father was a respondent. At first he behaved indecently during the online hearing, causing the court to disconnect him. He then rejoined the hearing after some time, this time from a toilet. The incident remained unnoticed until its video went viral on social media leading to an inquiry. The court directed Sola Police Station to identify the person and submit a report.
An investigation by the police revealed that someone had joined the virtual hearing on 17th February under the name ‘Kanubhai’ but he was removed from the session due to indecent behaviour. He attempted to join again but he appeared in a lavatory and was immediately removed from the session. Later, he joined using another case number.
Subsequently, an order was passed by the High Court on 27th February directing Patel and his father to appear before the court on 5th March. On the day of the hearing, Advocate Amresh Patel appearing for the father said that the client’s son joined the High Court’s website through Zoom by mistake. The Advocate added that the mistake was unintentional and that his client had already apologised for the mistake. However, the court was not convinced by the explanation. The court noted that it is hard to accept that a 42-year-old man holding a B.Sc. degree and working with the Reliance Group was not familiar with the Zoom application.
“In such a scenario, the indecent act is not only unacceptable but it is shameful and is required to be strictly condemned. If Courts do not deal with such a person with strong hands then, that may result (in) lowering the dignity of the institution in the eyes of the public,”the court noted in its order passed on 5th March.
“This Court deems it fit to impose exemplary costs of ₹2,00,000 to Dhaval Kanubhai Patel, who is present before this Court and same shall be deposited with the Registry within a period of two weeks from today. On depositing the costs, the Registry is directed to remit ₹50,000 in the account of the Shishugruh Paldi, Ahmedabad and remaining amount in the account of the Gujarat High Court Legal Aid Services Authorities,” the court said.
The court also directed Patel to clean and water the gardens on the high court campus at Sola for two weeks. His daily eight hours of community service ended on Thursday.
Man joined a virtual court hearing while lying in bed, gets fined and
On 13th February, another man named Vamdev Gandhi joined a virtual court proceeding in the court of Justice MK Thakhar while lying in his bed. When the court noticed the indecency shown by the litigant, it imposed a fine of ₹25,000 on him. “Online hearing facilities were provided for access to justice and larger public interest, but at the same time, the person joining the online link has to maintain utmost discipline and decorum for upholding the dignity and majesty of the court,” the court said.
“The petitioner was lying on his bed and watching the court proceedings as if he was enjoying a movie. Such conduct compromises the dignity and the decorum of the court, and therefore it cannot be tolerated. If such an act is not dealt with strong hands, that may result in lowering the dignity of the court in the eyes of the public,” the court noted in its order imposing a penalty on the litigant.
On 21st March, reports emerged that Delhi Fire Services found a pile of cash at Delhi High Court Judge Yashwant Varma’s official residence during a firefighting operation. Reports further suggested that Justice Varma was not at his residence at the time, and an internal inquiry was initiated by the Supreme Court of India. Justice Varma also faced transfer to Allahabad High Court.
However, within 24 hours, the Supreme Court issued a clarification that the collegium’s decision to transfer Justice Varma was not linked to the alleged incident. However, an internal inquiry was confirmed.
Notably, Delhi Fire Services (DFS) ‘denied’ finding any cash during the firefighting operation. Later, DFS chief Atul Garg stated that he had never told any media outlet that firefighters did not find cash at the scene.
When asked why his name was being quoted in the reports, Garg replied, “I don’t know why,” adding that he had already sent a clarification to the media outlets carrying the statement.
The current issue has reignited the discussion over declaring assets by judges, which is currently only optional as per the Supreme Court’s resolution from 1997.
Judges in the Indian judiciary system are required to declare their assets. But there is a catch. It is done internally to the Chief Justice of India, and these asset details are available to the public only on a voluntary basis. That means, if a judge does not want the people of India to know about his or her assets, it is at their discretion.
The practice of internal declaration was established by a 1997 Supreme Court resolution. Public disclosure is not mandatory, which has been reflected by the court’s emphasis on privacy under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005. The stance has also been upheld in several key rulings, including in 2019, that allow disclosure only if a larger public interest is demonstrated.
Historical context, current status and controversy
In 1997, the Supreme Court of India adopted a resolution requiring asset declarations by judges to be confidential. Over the years, the stance has been legally challenged under the RTI Act, with the Supreme Court consistently ruling against mandatory public disclosure. The court has cited personal information exemptions unless public interest is clear in the disclosure request.
As of March 2025, the practice has continued. In 2023, a parliamentary committee recommended mandatory declarations by judges, but it did not lead to a fruitful result. In November 2024, government informed Rajya Sabha that there is no plan to make asset declaration mandatory for judges of the Supereme Court and High Courts.
The issue has remained controversial, as in 1991, the Supreme Court itself admitted that judges are public servants, however, later rulings, including 2008 contention of Chief Justice of India K G Balakrishnan and the 3rd January 2025 ruling by Lokpal suggested otherwise. For all other public servants like MPs, MLAs, etc., declaring assets is essential. So much so, a candidate cannot contest an election in India without declaring assets, and if the declaration is found to be dubious, the candidature can be challenged in a court of law.
Detailed history of Supreme Court rulings on judges’ asset declarations
On 7th May 1997, the Full Court of the Supreme Court of India passed a resolution that required all judges to declare their assets to the Chief Justice of India (CJI). This resolution stipulated that judges must declare their assets, including those held by their spouses and dependent family members. The declaration has to be made upon assuming office and whenever a substantial acquisition is made thereafter.
Notably, the CJI maintained in 1997 and in a 2009 judgment that the records are for internal purposes. The resolution was passed as a response to growing concerns about judicial integrity and the need for accountability. However, the resolution did not extend to public disclosure and set a precedent for internal transparency without granting public access.
The resolution was later adopted by the Delhi High Court on 26th July 1997, and it was reiterated on 8th July 2009, enforcing its application across the judiciary. The internal mechanism was said to be aimed at ensuring accountability of the judges. However, the opaque nature left the door open for future debates on public transparency that are still ongoing.
The RTI Act and judicial challenges
When the Right to Information Act was enacted in 2005, it intensified scrutiny on judicial transparency. The Act granted citizens the right to access information held by public authorities, including the judiciary. However, the Act has several exemptions for personal information that does not relate to public activity or interest, unless disclosure serves a larger public interest, as explained by Section 8(1)(j) of the Act. The provision of exemptions became the focal point of legal battles over asset declarations by judges.
In 2009, activist Subhash Chandra Agarwal filed an RTI application in which he sought information on whether Supreme Court judges had declared their assets as per the 1997 resolution. When the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) of the Supreme Court denied the request citing exemptions, Agarwal decided to appeal to the Central Information Commission (CIC).
The CIC directed the Supreme Court to provide the information. CIC’s decision escalated the matter to the courts and highlighted the battle between transparency and privacy that was going on behind the curtains.
Key judicial rulings – Upholding non-disclosure
Interestingly, since then, the fight to make judges declare their assets publicly has been ongoing via different pleas, and every time the apex court has ruled against mandatory public disclosure of the assets. One of the pivotal cases was Subhash Chandra Agarwal’s in the Delhi High Court against the apex court. The court, on 2nd September 2009, said in its judgment that while information on whether declarations were made could be disclosed, the contents of the declarations were protected, reinforcing the confidentiality established in 1997.
Agarwal challenged the decision of the Delhi High Court in the apex court. The Supreme Court of India, in 2010, in Secretary General, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal, upheld the decision of the Delhi High Court and reiterated that asset declarations by judges are confidential and do not fall under the purview of public disclosure unless there is a clear public interest.
The fight continued for several years and, on 13th November 2019, in Central Public Information Officer, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal, a five-judge Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, delivered a landmark decision. The majority opinion, authored by Justice Sanjiv Khanna, upheld the CIC’s order and the Delhi High Court’s judgment, requiring the Supreme Court CPIO to furnish information on whether judges had declared their assets.
However, the court clarified that the details of the assets themselves were not to be disclosed, as they constituted personal information protected under Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act, unless disclosure served a larger public interest. The loophole hunting continued while declaring assets by the judges.
The court emphasised that the CJI does not generally hold asset declarations in a fiduciary capacity. However, each case has to be evaluated individually to determine if disclosure is necessary. The judgment offered no general finding on universal disclosure of asset details and left the decision to be made on a case-by-case basis, which experts believe provides a balance between public interest and privacy.
However, the question remains stagnant – if other public servants are required to declare their assets, why not judges?
Implementation and voluntary disclosure
Following the ruling, the practice of declaring assets remains internal and confidential. Public disclosure is voluntary, and it is up to the judges to decide if they want to let the people know what they or their family members own. The Supreme Court’s official website lists judges who have submitted their declarations, noting that placing them on the website is on a voluntary basis. Interestingly, the page contains only names and no details of the assets.
Similarly, the Delhi High Court has published declarations in the public domain, but only 8 out of 39 judges have publicly declared their assets. Out of these, Justice Yashwant Varma’s file leads to a dummy PDF and not the actual declaration, considering it might be a clarical mistake.
Ongoing debates and recommendations
In 2023, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice, in its report on judicial accountability, recommended that judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts should mandatorily declare their assets, similar to politicians and bureaucrats. The committee argued that such declarations would enhance trust and credibility in the judiciary, stating, “Declaration of assets by the judges of the higher judiciary will only bring more trust and credibility into the system.” However, as of March 2025, no legislative changes have been made to mandate public disclosure.
Conclusion
It is high time that the Supreme Court stepped up and held itself to the same standards it expects from others. Judicial independence does not mean public accountability can be ignored. The argument of privacy cannot be selectively invoked. It must be noted that transparency is the bedrock of democracy. If politicians and bureaucrats must declare assets, judges too must lead by example instead of shielding themselves behind outdated resolutions.
Disclaimer: The report was updated to include the statement of Delhi Fire Chief Atul Garg clarifying that he never made remarks about finding ‘no cash’ at the residence of Justice Verma.
There is no end to twists and turns in the case of cash found by firefighters at the residence of Delhi High Court Justice Yashwant Varma. After Delhi Fire Chief Atul Garg reportedly said that no cash was found at the judge’s house, now he has denied making that statement. He also said he does not know why fake news was being circulated in his name.
In response to an inquiry from IANS, Garg stated that he never told any media outlet that firefighters had reported no cash found at the scene. When asked why his name was being quoted in the reports, Garg replied, “I don’t know why,” adding that he had already sent a clarification to the media outlets carrying the statement.
The clarification comes after several media outlets including a media agency quoted Garg as saying that not a single penny was found after dousing the fire at the house of Justice Varma. A PTI report quoted Garg as saying, “Soon after dousing the flames, we informed the police about the fire incident. Thereafter, a team of fire department personnel left the spot. Our firefighters did not find any cash during their firefighting operation.”
But now Garg has said that he has not made this statement. He said, “The statement being run by PTI is not my statement.”
Notably, the Supreme Court yesterday issued a press release denying reports that Collegium recommended the judge’s transfer to the Allahabad High Court due to the alleged incident. The top court said that the collegium has proposed to transfer him as a routine manner, it has not been finalised yet, and the transfer has no links with the alleged discovery of cash at his house. However, the court confirmed an in-house probe over the allegations.
It stated that the inquiry was commenced before the Collegium meeting on 20th March 2025, and the Delhi HC’s Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya will be submitting his report to the CJI Sanjiv Khanna.
BJP leader Professor Gourav Vallabh who was earlier in the Congress party has made some startling revelations against senior politician and National President of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, during an interview with journalist Aadesh Rawal.
Speaking on how flattering senior politicians helped certain people get tickets in the Congress party, Vallabh alleged that Kharge helped a Congress leader reach Rajya Sabha twice only because the person used to bring him good-quality meat. Vallabh said that Kharge is fond of eating meat. And this person, which he did not name, knew a place in Delhi that sells very good meat. The person allegedly used to bring meat for Kharge regularly.
“I know a person who is very close to Kharge Sahab…This person has only one talent – he knows which place in Delhi sells good-quality meat. This person, who has been bringing meat (for Kharge) regularly, has managed to reach Rajya Sabha for the second time. This person is neither intelligent nor has any knowledge or education. His only quality is that he knows where to find good-quality meat in Delhi,” Vallabh alleged. “My only complaint is that knowing a place which sells good-quality meat cannot be the criterion to send a person to Rajya Sabha,” he added.
Ex Congress spokesperson Gaurabh indirectly says
Congress president kharge loves meat ?… gifted Rajya Sabha MP seat to Nassir Hussain for bringing good quality meat ?
When Rawal asked Vallabh whether he was referring to Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Naseer Hussain, who is also in charge of the Congress party in Jammu and Kashmir, the latter refused to confirm. However, Vallabh said that every worker of the Congress party knows about this Congress leader who managed to reach the Rajya Sabha on a Congress ticket.
Vallabh clarified that he respected Mallikarjun Kharge for his struggle and that he even supported him during the election of the National President of the Congress Party which strained his relations with senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor. “Tharoor Saab stopped talking to me after that (elections). He still does not talk to me,” Vallabh said.
During the interview, Vallabh lashed out at the Congress party for promoting ‘PA Culture’, sycophancy and nepotism. He said that he was strictly against all of these. Vallabh resigned from the Congress party last year and joined the BJP in April 2024.
India has reached a remarkable economic milestone, doubling its GDP from USD 2.1 trillion in 2015 to an impressive USD 4.3 trillion in 2025, marking an extraordinary 105 per cent growth that stands unmatched by any other major global economy, said BJP leader Amit Malviya.
In a post on micro blogging site X (Formerly Twitter), the BJP leader hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, adding that the achievement reflects the decisive leadership of PM Modi and the relentless efforts of his government.
In the post he added, “India has achieved a remarkable economic milestone, doubling its GDP from USD 2.1 trillion in 2015 to USD 4.3 trillion in 2025–a staggering 105 per cent growth unmatched by any other major global economy. This extraordinary achievement is a testament to the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the relentless efforts of his government.”
India has achieved a remarkable economic milestone, doubling its GDP from $2.1 trillion in 2015 to $4.3 trillion in 2025—a staggering 105% growth unmatched by any other major global economy. This extraordinary achievement is a testament to the decisive leadership of Prime… pic.twitter.com/aZYeuRgK1F
“Through proactive economic policies, bold structural reforms, and a sustained focus on ease of doing business, the Modi government has propelled India to the position of the world’s fastest-growing major economy–an accolade no previous government had secured since independence,” the BJP leader added.
Going further Malviya added, “Today, these transformative initiatives are not only driving India’s economic expansion but also positioning it ahead of traditional global powerhouses, signaling a significant shift in the global economic landscape.”
As per the IMF data shared by Malviya in his post, Indian economy witnessed a staggering 105 per cent growth from 2015 to 2025 at USD 4.3 trillion, showing its unmatched stregth.
Meanwhile, the GDP of US gew much less than the India in these 10 years, witnessing an addition of 66 per cent in the economy. The
China which is seen as the major economic superpower in the Asia added 76 per cent at USD 11.1 trillion in one decade.
The GDP of Germany witnessed an addition of 44 per cent at USD 4.9 trillion. The Japanese economy saw no change in its economy between 2015 to 2025, as per the data shared by Malviya.
Among the other major gainers are Russia which saw a change of 57 per cent at USD 2.2 trillion in 2025, while the Australian Economy added 58 per cent at USD 1.9 trillion.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Saturday (22nd March), pro-Kannada organisations protesting an assault on a Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) conductor in Belagavi called for a 12-hour bandh across Karnataka.
The conductor, identified as Mahadev, was reportedly assaulted by pro-Marathi youth near Sulebhavi-Balekundri for insisting a passenger speak in Kannada.
The incident has once again sparked decades-old linguistic tensions between Kannada and Marathi communities in the border region.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Several pro-Kannada groups have called a bandh in the state today from 6 am to 6 pm, in protest against the alleged assault on a bus conductor in Belagavi for not speaking Marathi.
The incident took place on 21st February this year. In recent weeks, the tensions brewed and escalated slowly as pro-Kannada groups accused the state government of turning a blind eye to the humiliation faced by a Kannada-speaking government employee.
Notably, Belagavi has long been a focal point for the border dispute and language politics in the northern belt of Karnataka.
The call for bandh and key demands
The bandh has been called by Kannada Okkuta, a coalition of over 3,000 pro-Kannada organisations led by activist Vatal Nagaraj. The protesting organisations have called for strict action against the person who allegedly assaulted the KSRTC conductor.
Furthermore, the protesters have demanded a ban on the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES), which is allegedly harassing Kannadigas and spreading anti-Kannada propaganda.
The organisations have also opposed the so-called imposition of Hindi in Karnataka, called for the implementation of the Kalasa Banduri and Mahadayi river projects, and demanded fairer GST distribution and budgetary support from the Centre for Karnataka.
#WATCH | Karnataka: People in Hubbali-Dharwad carry out their regular daily chores, shops remain open, and vehicle plying continues amid the 12-hour Karnataka bandh by pro-Kannada organisations. The bandh has been called in protest against the alleged assault on a bus conductor… pic.twitter.com/fWtXVwmZ4J
Bandh disrupts life, but essential services continue
The bandh will remain in effect from 6 am to 6 pm. KSRTC and BMTC unions have backed the protests. Ola, Uber, and several auto unions have decided to stay off the roads.
Cinemas will also remain closed during the bandh. Banks will be closed, but not because of the bandh, as it is a Saturday. Essential services like metro trains, hospitals, milk supply, and petrol stations will function normally.
Schools will remain open for exams, but regular classes will not take place in some schools.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Passengers arrive at a bus terminal in Bengaluru amid pro-Kannada groups' 12-hour statewide bandh in protest against the alleged assault on a bus conductor in Belagavi for not speaking Marathi. pic.twitter.com/rT5yseoLna
The Congress-led government has distanced itself from the bandh. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has called the bandh “ill-timed” as exams are happening in the state. He also noted that the bandh clashes with World Water Day and the launch of a state-wide water conservation campaign.
Language politics and the Belagavi faultline
Belagavi’s identity tug-of-war has been ongoing since 1956, following the linguistic reorganisation of states. At that time, Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi and over 850 surrounding villages, as a sizeable population spoke Marathi. Karnataka, however, rejected the claim and asserted that it should be given administrative control and cultural rights over the region.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Several pro-Kannada groups have called a bandh in the state today from 6 am to 6 pm, in protest against the alleged assault on a bus conductor in Belagavi for not speaking Marathi.
MES, which is based in Belagavi, has been demanding that the region be merged with Maharashtra. However, Kannada activists call it a direct threat to the sovereignty and cultural pride of Karnataka.
How Karnataka’s own language politics deepened the crisis
While the Belagavi dispute is often seen as a Maharashtra-vs-Karnataka issue, this time it should not be seen in isolation. The roots of the tension lie within Karnataka’s handling of linguistic diversity. For decades, the state government has done little to nothing to create a bridge between Marathi and Kannada-speaking communities in the region.
While the state has largely promoted Kannada as the dominant identity, efforts have often lacked in reaching out to linguistic minorities in the state. The government has mandated Kannada signboards, and government organisations have run anti-Hindi rhetoric, while strict regulations have prioritised Kannada in administration. All these aspects have alienated non-Kannada speakers, especially in border districts.
Interestingly, political parties have remained selective in using language identity to score brownie points. Pro-Kannada groups get pats on the back during elections but are often ignored thereafter. There is no attempt to have sustained dialogue among different linguistic communities in the state, which has created a vacuum now being filled with demands for bans and confrontations.
With 22 official languages, there is no common language in which all Indians can communicate. Promoting local languages at the state level is understandable, but creating a fissure for the sake of it among communities is only dividing the people of the country.
In Maharashtra’s Nagpur, Islamist mob unleashed violence against Hindus and the police on 17th March 2025 over suspiciously convenient rumours of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal activists burning effigy of 17th century Mughal despot Aurangzeb with Quranic verses on it while protesting to demand removal of Aurangzeb’s grave.
The police, however, refuted these claims and the authorities found that the riot was pre-planned. While the Islamo-leftist cabal in India went all out to shield the Muslim rioters and blame it on Hindus, the BJP, and the film Chhava, their foreign media allies also jumped on the bandwagon to blame Hindus.
Islamist sympathizing western media whitewashes Nagpur violence, blames it on Hindus, BJP and film Chhaava but not the Islamist rioters
British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC,) in its report, headlined, “Curfew in India city after violence over Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s tomb”, claimed that the riots erupted in Nagpur’s Mahal area after VHP and Bajrang Dal members burnt effigy of Aurangzeb and demanded the removal of his tomb.
Much like a section of Indian media, BBC also misquoted Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s statement to blame the film Chhaava for Islamist violence in Nagpur.
“The trigger for this week’s violence has been a recent Bollywood film about Sambhaji – a Maratha ruler who clashed with Aurangzeb but lost – and its graphic depiction of him being tortured,” the BBC report reads.
The BBC fired its gun from CM Fadnavis’s shoulder to assert that it was Hindu activists who should be blamed for the Muslim mob violence, as they were instigated by film Chhaava’s depiction of brutalities inflicted by Aurangzeb on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and staged protest to demand removal of Aurangzeb’s grave. The Islamist-sympathizing propaganda outlet, however, cherrypicked specific sentences from Fadnavis’s statement to suggest that even the Chief Minister opines that it’s the film that has triggered communal unrest.
Contrary to the BBC’s assertion, CM Fadnavis did not blame the Vicky Kaushal-starrer movie for the fate that befell Nagpur on Monday (17th March) evening. Speaking in the Vidhan Sabha, Fadnavis revealed that it was a pre-planned conspiracy to disturb the communal harmony in the city, citing trolleys of stones found at the site of violence.
Fadnavis further stated that it was the “Chhaava” movie that brought to the fore the true history of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and stirred people’s emotions against Aurangzeb, exposing love and admiration for the Mughal tyrant among some sections of the society.
“I am not blaming any cinema or movie, but ‘Chhaava’ has brought to us the true history of Chhatrapati Samhaji Maharaj. The movie has undoubtedly galvanised public opinion against Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, and even those who harbour love and admiration for him,” Fadnavis said in Marathi in the assembly.
Associated Press blatantly blames Hindus for Islamist mob violence
The US-based news agency Associated Press (AP) also resorted to blaming Hindus for the anti-Hindu violence in Nagpur. “Authorities imposed an indefinite curfew in parts of a western Indian city on Tuesday, a day after sectarian clashes were sparked by Hindu nationalist groups who want to demolish the tomb of a 17th-century Muslim Mughal ruler,” the AP report reads.
Authored by Sheikh Saaliq, the news-cum-propaganda article suggested that the ‘clashes’ between Hindus and Muslims erupted over the former’s demand to remove Aurangzeb’s grave. Despite the fact that the violence was unleashed by the Muslim mobs specifically against local Hindus and the police, the AP article insinuated that somehow the Muslims are the victims.
Moreover, despite there being ample historical evidence including the texts from Aurangzeb’s time confirming that the Mughal tyrant harboured a deep hatred for Hindus, killed millions of them, destroyed their temples including the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, and imposed Jizya on Kafirs, the Associated Press article asserted that “some historians say such stories are exaggerated.”
The article further attempts to invoke sympathy for the Muslim ‘minority’ by asserting that in the last decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “scorn for Aurangzeb has grown… Modi has made references to Aurangzeb in the past, accusing him of persecuting Hindus,” the AP article claims.
It claims that due to such remarks, the Muslim minority in India has grown anxious and has been “at the receiving end of violence from Hindu nationalists.”
Unsurprisingly, Sheikh Saliq chose not to mention crimes committed by Muslims against Hindus unprovoked, be it in Haryana’s Nuh in 2023, Mhow violence in 2025, attacks on Hindus on Ram Navami, HanumanJayanti, Holi, Diwali, and carrying grooming jihad both individually and in gangs specifically targeting Hindu women for sexual exploitation and conversion to Islam over the years. Not to forget, the Udaipur beheading of Kanhaiya Lal and the brutal murder of Umesh Kolhe by Islamists, the anti-Hindu Delhi Riots of 2020,
Whenever a Muslim mob indulges in violence, an influential section of India’s so-called “liberal” ecosystem instantly rallies behind them. Their objective? To shift the blame onto Hindus, the BJP, the RSS, or any other convenient scapegoat—while shielding Islamists from accountability. Akin to the narrative pushed by the Islamo-leftists who find excuses to shield Islamist rioters and gaslight Hindus, the Associated Press also blamed the film Chhaava and actor Vicky Kaushal who played Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, for instigating communal tensions.
“Tensions over the Mughal ruler have intensified in India after the release of Bollywood movie “Chhaava,” an action film based on a Hindu warrior who fought against Aurangzeb. The film has been lambasted by some movie critics for feeding into a divisive narrative that risks exacerbating religious rifts in the country,” the AP report reads.
Notably, the film Chhaava only scratched the surface of the brutalities inflicted on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj by Aurangzeb for around 40 days before being murdered for not converting to Islam. The film did not feed into any ‘divisive narrative’ rather it presented historical facts about Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s courage, sacrifice and devotion towards Hindu Dharma as well as Aurangzeb’s Islamic jihadist fanaticism, within the bounds of cinematic storytelling.
However, over the years, it has been seen that whenever Hindus attempt to narrate their stories of persecution by Islamic jihadis through films like the recent blockbuster Chhaava based on the life and valour of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj who was tormented for days before being murdered for not converting to Islam or The Kashmir Files which retold the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus in the early 1990s, a wave of ‘protests’ and violence from Islamists and pro-Islamist narrative pushed by their apologists dominates social media.
Basically, the Islamists and their cheerleaders in media and on social media want Hindus to stop retelling their stories of historical persecution at the hands of Islamists, stop demanding historical course correction, accept the glorification of their oppressors because if they won’t, the self-declared descendants of Aurangzeb, who in reality are converted descendants of the Mughal tyrant’s Hindu victims would get rightly offended and will be absolutely justified in committing violence against Hindus.
The AP article further declared Hindus approaching courts to legally lay claim over their temples destroyed by Muslims in the past to erect mosques as “Hindu extremists”. The Western media is telling the Hindus of India that if they use cinema to retell the stories of their persecution, seek remedy for reclaiming their destroyed temples or even speak up against attacks on their religious identity, they are ‘Hindu extremists’.
Notably, since AP is a newswire, its propaganda report has been published in several other major US-based media outlets including PBS, CNN and the Washington Post.
The Associated Press blaming ‘Hindu nationalists’ for the violence unleashed by Islamists against Hindus is not shocking since it is the same propaganda outlet whose photojournalist had accompanied Hamas terrorists during the October 7 massacre of Israelis in 2023. Their penchant for humanizing Islamic terrorists and Muslim gangsters is now lesser known. Back in 2023, deliberately omitted slain gangster Atiq Ahmed’s criminal background including murder cases and highlighted his political career instead.
Sky News blames Chhaava for Nagpur violence, paints the aggressor as victims
Much like Associated Press, Sky News, another US-based media outlet claimed that somehow the film Chhaava is to be blamed for inciting communal tensions in Maharashtra. It further pushed the mendacious ‘minority khatre mein hai’ narrative and claimed: “Muslims, who make up 14% of the population, feel they have been targeted by the right-wing mobs tacitly supported by the government.”
Sky News, however, did not care to highlight incidents of Muslim mob violence against Hindus. Like any other leftist propaganda outlet, Sky News also dismissed grooming jihad, colloquially called love jihad as a ‘conspiracy theory’ even though not a day goes by without such cases being reported in some or the other part of the country. It also claimed that the BJP government is ‘bulldozing houses of Muslims’ as if bulldozer action is being mindlessly taken against random Muslims. In reality, the BJP governments, especially in Uttar Pradesh allow bulldozer action only against the illegal properties of rioters.
New York Times blames Hindu group’s calls to remove Aurangzeb’s grave for Islamist mob violence
The New York Times (NYT) which has a history of romanticizing Khalistani terrorists, sympathizing with those accused of masterminding anti-Hindu riots as well as passing off Islamist pogrom against Hindus in Bangladesh as ‘political attacks’, blamed Hindu groups for Muslim mob violence in Nagpur.
“A hard-line Hindu group’s call for the removal of the tomb of a 17th-century Mughal ruler has ignited tensions with Muslims in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, leading to communal violence and the imposition of a curfew,” NYT reported clearly whitewashing the Muslim aggressor and villainising the Hindu victims.
Much like other Western left-leaning outlets, NYT also misquoted the Maharashtra Chief Minister’s statement and blamed the film Chhaava for fanning communal tensions.
In addition, the NYT article asserted that the trouble began with Hindu activists demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s grave. “The trouble started on Monday, which, according to the Hindu calendar, is the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji, a valorized Hindu king who fought Aurangzeb,” the NYT report reads.
However, in reality, the trouble did not arise when Hindus staged peaceful demonstrations. The trouble did not begin when the film Chhaava was released. The trouble emanates from the mindset of Islamists, who glorify the Islamic fanatics who hated and persecuted Hindus. The trouble emanates from the thinking of Islamists that they are somehow the inheritors of long-dead Islamic invaders. The trouble begins from the Islamist hatred for Hindus, their religion, culture, historical glory and mere existence.
The NYT article further quoted one history ‘expert’ Sohail Hashmi who shamelessly claimed that the dispute between Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Aurangzeb was devoid of any religious conflict rather it was a fighting “between two feudal lords”.
The New York Times decided to induct a rather skewed opinion of a supposed expert who evidently is more keen on humanising Aurangzeb and his Islamic fanaticism than presenting historical facts. Despite there being records of Aurangzeb’s farmans demolishing Hindu temples, killings of Hindus, forced conversions, discrimination and brutalities of unimaginable form, NYT wants its readers to stay under the impression that somehow the ‘Hindu nationalists’ are wrong in believing that Aurangzeb was indeed a Hindu-hating Islamic fanatic and let modern-day Islamists celebrate him.
NYT does not want its readers to know that Indian Islamists essentially glorify those historical figures who mirror their own religious fanaticism, elevating Hindu-hating despots like Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan to heroic status. Perhaps NYT should answer if they would support the construction of an Osama Bin Laden memorial in New York City adjacent to the World Trade Center. Given the pro-Islamist credentials of the publication, it will not be surprising if they happen to actually support and even pledge funds for the construction of such a memorial dedicated to the slain Islamic terrorist.
Nagpur violence: Pre-planned attack by Islamists specifically against Hindus
On the evening of 17th March, Nagpur underwent violent unrest that left more than 30 people wounded over rumours of the burning of a copy of the Quran during a protest by Hindu organisations demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Demonstrators covered an effigy of the Mughal despot with a sheet and then put it on fire during the agitation.
During the violence, a Muslim mob molested a woman police officer in the Bhhaladarpura area of Nagpur, Maharashtra, and attempted to disrobe her during the violence by the mob over Hindus demanding the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb. An FIR has been filed against the rioters at Ganeshpeth police station. The Nagpur police have arrested 84 people so far, including mastermind Faheem Shamim Khan, city president of the Minority Democratic Party (MDP). Mastermind Faheem is accused of gathering more than 500 rioters and instigating violence.
Maharashtra Police has found social media accounts from Bangladesh that issued a threat to incite violence. 97 social media accounts which posted offensive and false rumours have been identified. Most of these posts were published from computers with Bangladeshi IP addresses.
Meanwhile, the local Hindus have revealed that the Muslim rioters threw Tulsi pot/ plant containers installed in Hindu houses. A Hindu eyewitness told the media that were hurling abuses and raising inflammatory slogans while causing a ruckus.
It has also been reported that the Muslim rioters with their faces covered, identified Hindu-owned vehicles by checking for pictures or idols of Hindu deities as well as Hindu symbols like Swastik. It was only after it was confirmed that the cars and bikes belonged to Hindus that the Muslim rioters set them ablaze or vandalized them. The rioters did not attack Muslim houses or vehicles owned by Muslims.
Several witnesses stated that the enraged Muslims, armed with petrol bombs also stone-pelted children, indiscriminately attacking all nearby people and property. They further unveiled that the rioters wielded swords, weapons and bottles but concealed their faces.
Conclusion
The Western media’s coverage of Islamist-orchestrated anti-Hindu violence in Nagpur weaves a warp and weft of lies wherein the demands of Hindu activists for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb and the film Chhaava are presented as the triggers of the violence unleashed by Islamists. The Islamist-sympathizing media outlets framed Nagpur violence with a dishonest lens, positioning Hindu groups as aggressors and their demand to uproot the grave of Aurangzeb whose life and legacy symbolize nothing but hatred against India’s Hindu majority and serve as an inspiration for Islamists. Such dishonest and biased reporting diverts attention from Islamist reverence for a symbol of historical oppression, while casting Islamist mob violence as spontaneous retaliation rather than a deliberate attempt at revictimizing the victims to push them into silence and a calculated assertion of dominance.
The entire Islamo-leftist ecosystem is shamelessly telling the Hindus that the Islamic mob violence against them is their comeuppance for having dared to speak up through cinema and through peaceful protests against their historical persecution. They want to convince the Hindu community that had they remained meek and silent over their persecution in the past and in present, Islamists wouldn’t have beeen forced to unleash violence against them
On Wednesday (19th March), a scuffle between two men over a minor parking snowballed into a major fight between two groups. The incident reportedly started when one Ganesh Subhash Rakhpasare was trying to park his car and one Ashraf Ashfak Shaikh objected to it.
Following a heated verbal spat between them, Shaikh attacked Rakhpasare with a sharp weapon. In no time, people from both sides got involved and police had to intervene.
According to the police, 32-year-old Ganesh Subhash Rakhpasare, a resident of Ashraf Nagar, Kondhwa Budruk was looking for a space to park his car on Wednesday (19th March).
Shaikh attacked Rakhpasare with a sharp weapon
He parked his car on a public road in front of Sana Hospital near the Gausiya Hotel in Kausar Baug, Kondhwa. The hospital staff objected to him parking his car in front of the hotel.
As Rakhpasare and the hospital authorities were arguing, 30-year-old Shaikh, a resident of Bhagyalakshmi Tower, Mithanagar in Kondhwa got involved and started arguing with Rakhpasare. He accused Rakhpasare of staring at him.
“Ganesh Rakhpasare had parked his car on the public road in front of Sana Hospital near Gausiya Hotel in Kausar Baug, Kondhwa. The hotel staff did not allow him to park his car in front of the hotel. While an argument was happening between the hotel staff and Rakhpasare, Shaikh approached and asked Rakhpasare, ‘Why are you staring at me?”, Senior Police Inspector, Kondhwa Police Station, Vinay Patnakar told the Free Press Journal.
Soon, a fight broke out between Rakhpasare and Shaikh around 11 pm on Wednesday and the latter attacked the former with a sharp weapon. Rakhspasare called his brothers for help who attacked Shaikh.
People from Shaikh’s side also got involved further worsening the situation. Both Rakhpasare and Shaikh reportedly sustained serious injuries in the fight and were admitted to Sassoon General Hospital for treatment.
The viral video shows a mob surrounding the car and attacking people inside it
A video of the incident has been going viral on social media showing a mob surrounding the car and attacking the people inside the vehicle.
A simple parking issue in Pune resulted in major brawl, both party injured, video claim a Hindu man injured/lynched by a radical mob after argument! pic.twitter.com/v5tQfPIqKI
Police have arrested three people in the matter including Rakhpasare and Shaikh. Both of them are said to have a criminal history. Shaikh also has a case under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) against him. An investigation is going on in the case. The police said if more people were found involved in the matter, they would be arrested.
