Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Bagde and Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma on Thursday expressed grief over the Ahmedabad plane crash, which crashed minutes after takeoff.

Rajasthan Governor Bagde said, "The incident is extremely heartbreaking. I pray for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families in this hour of grief. I also wish a speedy recovery to the injured."

Chief Minister Sharma also expressed his concern and sorrow via social media, saying: "The news of the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad is deeply saddening and worrying. I pray for the safety of all passengers and crew members."

Deputy Chief Minister Diya Kumari said the news of the crash of an Air India passenger plane in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is very sad and heartbreaking.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani said on Thursday that the government and the people of the union territory want tourism to flourish in Leh-Kargil and J&K together.

Speaking to the media during the visit of Kashmir Travel Agents Association members to Kargil, Nasir Aslam Wani expressed commitment to strengthening relations with Ladakh for tourism development in the whole region.

“We want the growth of Leh, Ladakh and J&K as tourism links us together. Kargil has been a great destination and the tourism capital of Ladakh. Adventure tourism and those interested in trekking have visited Kargil and Leh as well. This common factor binds us together, and we want to grow together,” Wani said.

He said that from the National capital city of Delhi, Kashmir is just a one-hour flight and now only a few hours by a rail journey.

Stepping up its attack on the Chief Minister Rekha Gupta-led Delhi Government over what it termed its 'anti-poor policies', the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday announced a mass protest against the demolition of slum clusters in the national Capital.

AAP Delhi unit President Saurabh Bharadwaj said that the party will lead a major demonstration at Jantar Mantar on June 29 at 10 AM, demanding justice for lakhs of slum dwellers. Bharadwaj accused the BJP-led Delhi government of betraying the urban poor.

"The BJP promised 'Jaha Jhuggi, Wahan Makaan' but is instead bulldozing people's homes without providing alternative housing", he said.

A Supreme Court judge on Thursday recused himself from hearing a plea filed by Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti seeking transfer of a criminal case outside the state.

After Justice Manmohan withdrew himself from hearing, the bench headed by Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra referred the transfer petition to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), who is the master of roster, for listing the matter before a different bench.

In the meantime, the bench ordered extension of the interim order passed in the petition seeking transfer of the alleged cheating case outside Madhya Pradesh.

In February this year, the apex court stayed the proceedings pending before the Additional Sessions Judge in Gwalior, observing that there was enough material placed on record before the trial court containing an allegation that the defence witnesses were sought to be intimidated.

In a ceremonious start to the irrigation season, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday released water from the Stanley Reservoir in Mettur for delta irrigation.

The release took place on the customary date of June 12 in the presence of seven Cabinet Ministers, marking a significant event for the state’s farming community. The Chief Minister arrived at the dam after travelling from Mettur, receiving a warm welcome from residents and schoolchildren. He interacted with the students before proceeding to the reservoir, where representatives from various farmers’ associations greeted him.

In the presence of key ministers -- Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan, Agriculture Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam, PWD Minister E.V. Velu, Transport Minister S.S. Sivasankar, Tourism Minister R. Rajendran, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and Adi Dravidar Welfare Minister M. Mathiventhan -- CM Stalin formally opened the sluices and showered flower petals as water was released from the dam.

The West Bengal government has approached the Supreme Court seeking revision of the earlier order related to the clearing of pending dearness allowance.

State secretariat sources said in the petition at the Apex Court, the state government had also sought certain clarifications on certain points of the order that was delivered last month.

However, the sources added, while moving the petition, the state government is carrying out the preparatory process for paying 25 per cent of the pending dearness allowance dues within the stipulated date.

Before returning to Srinagar on the Vande Bharat train on Wednesday, former Chief Minister and ruling National Conference (NC) President, Dr Farooq Abdullah paid obeisance at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Reasi district.

Talking to reporters on Wednesday, Dr Farooq said, “I had a great 'darshan' and I am hopeful that all our prayers for peace, progress and brotherhood at the shrine will be answered so that we can move forward and our country also marches ahead and we become part of its development trajectory.”

On Tuesday, the 87-year-old NC President took his maiden ride from Srinagar to Katra town on the Vande Bharat train, which connects Kashmir to the rest of the country.

Dr Farooq stayed at the sanctum sanctorum of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine overnight and took part in special prayers there.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief, Lalu Prasad Yadav turned 78 on Wednesday, and the celebration was nothing short of grand.

In a symbolic gesture of strength and festivity, Lalu Yadav cut a 78-pound cake with a sword, surrounded by his entire family, including elder daughter Misa Bharti and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

A massive crowd of RJD supporters gathered at his residence in Patna, with tremendous enthusiasm and fanfare marking the day.

The event wasn't just a birthday party — it became a political and social message.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) was conducting raids at locations linked to four Congress leaders and others in connection with the Maharshi Valmiki Tribal Welfare Board Scam in Ballary district and Bengaluru on Wednesday.

A team of 60 officers attached to the ED has been conducting simultaneous raids in eight locations, five in Ballary and three in Bengaluru city, since early this morning, sources stated.

According to ED sources, raids are currently underway at the residences and offices of Congress Ballary MP E. Tukaram and Congress MLAs Na. Ra. Bharath Reddy, J.N. Ganesh aka Kampli Ganesh and N. T. Srinivas.

Sources further stated that raids are also being conducted at the Bengaluru office of former Minister and Congress MLA Nagendra.

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, raising serious concerns over the barriers hindering educational opportunities for students from marginalised communities.

Gandhi called upon the government to urgently intervene and address two critical issues affecting students from Dalit, Scheduled Tribes (ST), Extremely Backward Classes (EBC), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and minority groups.

In his letter, the Congress MP stated that the conditions in residential hostels for students from these communities are in a "deplorable" state.

"I request you to resolve two critical issues which hinder education opportunities for the 90 per cent of students who are from marginalised communities. Firstly, the conditions in residential hostels for students from Dalit, ST, EBC, OBC and minority communities are deplorable," he wrote.

BJP Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey, citing declassified documents, has alleged that the Congress government, under pressure from the United States, aborted plans to conduct a nuclear test in 1995.

He claimed that fear of American backlash influenced the decision, despite initial readiness by then Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao.

“Go back and read the history of how Rahul Gandhi, whom I call 'Rahul Baba,' gets scared of America,” Dubey said in a post on X on Wednesday.

“In 1995, Prime Minister Narasimha Rao had decided to carry out a nuclear test, but confidential information was leaked -- allegedly by a senior minister or government official -- to the United States.”

In a major reshuffle of the middle-rung civil administration, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday ordered transfers and postings of 134 Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officers.

An order issued by the general administration department transferred Bashir Ahmad Dar, JKAS and Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC), and posted him as Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission Secretary, against an available vacancy.

Rajinder Singh Tara, JKAS, who was serving as Director General of Youth Services and Sports has now been posted as Jammu and Kashmir Legal Metrology Controller.

Smita Sethi, JKAS and Secretary in the Industries and Commerce Department, has been appointed as Jammu and Kashmir Food and Drug Administration Commissioner.

Anuradha Gupta, JKAS and Legal Metrology Controller, has been posted as Director General of Youth Services and Sports.

With the second round of campaigning for the Nilambur assembly by-election gaining momentum, both the traditional rival fronts in Kerala on Tuesday expressed confidence in their victory.

With the campaigning starting to peak after the Bakrid break, two star campaigners - Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi for the Congress-led United Democratic Front - are arriving in Nilambur later this week.

Nilambur goes to the polls on June 19, and the principal fight is between Aryadan Shoukath of the Congress and M.Swaraj of the CPI-M, with two-time Left-backed Independent legislator P.V. Anvar, who quit in January following a major spat with Chief Minister Vijayan, and Mohan George of the BJP also in the fray.

On Tuesday morning, the state's ruling CPI-M held its state secretariat meeting near Nilambur and concluded that fielding Swaraj has changed things and they are on course to win the June 19 polls.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to initiate the election process for the Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, noting that the post has remained vacant for two consecutive terms -- a first in Independent India's parliamentary history.

Sharing his letter on X, Kharge highlighted that Article 93 of the Constitution mandates the election of both a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker in the Lok Sabha.

He said the failure to fill the post during the 17th Lok Sabha and its continued vacancy in the 18th term "does not augur well for India's democratic polity" and also violates constitutional principles and undermines democratic tradition.

A bill to amend the existing West Bengal Clinical Establishments Act will be moved by the Mamata Banerjee government during the state Assembly's ongoing session.

A senior member of the cabinet said that amending the State Clinical Establishment Act has become necessary following frequent complaints received by the health department against private medical establishments, accusing the latter of not maintaining any transparency in their billing systems.

“The main complaint is that often these private establishments are alluring patients by announcing specific packages for particular treatments. However, often patients availing of the treatment under those packages are charged much more than what was announced in the packages. In that case, the extra amounts are shown as miscellaneous charges. The amended State Clinical Establishment Act will address these irregularities,” the cabinet member said.

In a major step towards revitalising public spaces by providing clean air and improving urban infrastructure, Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta jointly inaugurated Sadbhavna Park on Tuesday.

Located in the historic precinct near the Red Fort, the newly developed green space is part of a larger initiative to improve environmental quality in the national capital.

Also present at the inauguration was BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, who lauded the coordinated efforts of different arms of the government in transforming neglected areas into clean, safe, and accessible public parks.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, while addressing the gathering, emphasised the spirit of cooperative governance and unified action.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, inaugurated a CCTV Surveillance System with Integrated Command & Control Centre for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine on Monday. The inauguration of the system is significant as it comes in the wake of the recent terror attack in J&K's Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.

“Cutting-edge technology will enable real-time monitoring and crowd management for safety, security of devotees and it will ensure hassle-free pilgrimage,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor observed that actionable insights gleaned from the system will enable prompt response in emergencies.

Lt-Governor, Manoj Sinha is also the Chairman of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine board.

The command and control infrastructure including AI-powered surveillance ecosystem will provide comprehensive situational awareness, optimise operations and quick and efficient coordination with emergency responders.

Gujarat High Court's Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal on Monday administered the oath of office to Justice Nernahalli Srinivasan Sanjay Gowda, who has been appointed as a judge of the court.

The swearing-in ceremony at the High Court was attended by other judges, Advocate General Kamal Trivedi, senior advocates, and court officials.

Justice Sanjay Gowda was earlier serving as a judge of the Karnataka High Court before he was transferred to Gujarat.

Born on February 15, 1967, he began his legal career after enrolling as an advocate with the Karnataka State Bar Council on August 31, 1989. A graduate of BMS College of Law in Bengaluru, he built a legal career before being appointed as a judge of the Karnataka High Court. He was sworn in as an additional Judge on November 11, 2019, and later elevated to the position of permanent Judge on September 8, 2021.

In the wake of the backlash over the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB's celebrations in which 11 persons were killed, the Karnataka government on Friday sacked K. Govindaraju from the post of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Political Secretary.

The government has not given any reason for the ouster of Govindaraju, a close confidante of Siddaramaiah and a Congress MLC. However, sources say that the move has come following severe criticism from various cabinet ministers for organising the felicitation programme for the RCB players at the Vidhana Soudha.

According to the sources, there was an outburst from ministers in the cabinet meeting held on Thursday evening. CM Siddaramaiah had reportedly given permission for the felicitation programme due to the pressure from Govindaraju, who is also the President of the Karnataka Olympic Association.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's security was beefed up on Friday after a caller issued a death threat by dialling up the police control room in the neighbouring city of Ghaziabad, an official said.

The caller, who made the death threat to Delhi Chief Minister, turned off his mobile phone immediately after communicating the message to the PCR at 11 p.m. on Thursday, said Ghaziabad's Deputy Commissioner of Police (City).

The inter-state coordination cell of Ghaziabad Police informed the Delhi Police about the death threat call made in connection with the Delhi CM, said an official.

The police said the SIM owner of the phone from which the death threat was issued to Delhi CM Gupta had been identified with the help of the telecom company, but the phone has remained switched off since 11 p.m. on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed an application filed by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) seeking permission to schedule the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-PG 2025 on August 3.

A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih took note of the submission that August 3 was the earliest possible available date given by its technology partner for conducting the NEET-PG 2025 examination in terms of the recent apex court order.

Allowing the application filed by the NBE to conduct the NEET-PG 2025 examination on August 3, the Justice Mishra-led Bench clarified that no further time extension will be allowed by the top court.

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began his extended tour of Bihar, several leaders from the ruling NDA, including Union Ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi, Giriraj Singh, and Bihar Minister Nitin Naveen, launched a barrage of criticism aimed at him and the grand old party.

Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, in a post on social media platform X, welcomed Rahul Gandhi to what he called the "new Bihar", contrasting it with the alleged lawlessness during the RJD-Congress rule two decades ago.

“Welcome Rahul Gandhi, to the good governance in Bihar. Bihar is no longer the same that Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Gandhi family left us 20 years ago… If Rahul Gandhi had come to Bihar during Lalu Prasad’s rule, he could have been kidnapped,” Manjhi wrote, suggesting that Sonia Gandhi would have had to negotiate with criminals through Lalu Prasad for her son's release.

Congress on Friday greeted the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Railways, saying that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is a "powerful" example of continuity in governance, and also added that the 135 km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund had become operational by June 26, 2013.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be flagging off the Vande Bharat train service from Katra to Srinagar, and laying the foundation/inaugurating projects worth Rs 46,000, including the Chenab bridge, which is a part of USBRL.

Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, took a jibe at the Centre, stating that USBRL's success involved a great continuity which has not been realised by the current dispensation.

In a politically-charged move, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has written a letter to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, demanding a special session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly to pass a new reservation Bill ensuring 85 per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutions.

LoP Tejashwi Yadav urged Chief Minister Kumar to form an all-party committee to study the issue of adequate representation among backward and marginalised communities.

Based on that report, he suggested that the Assembly should pass a Bill raising the total reservation to 85 per cent and send a proposal to the Central Government for inclusion in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution — thus protecting it from judicial review.

The demand comes in the wake of the Patna High Court’s decision to strike down the 75 per cent reservation law passed during the Mahagathbandhan regime.

Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Shobha Karandlaje, on Thursday paid a visit to the Bowring Hospital and enquired about the health of the people injured in the stampede at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, in which 11 people were killed during the victory celebrations of the RCB team.

Shobha has written a letter to the acting Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court with an urgent request for suo moto intervention and judicial enquiry into the stampede incident.

She stated, “This tragedy is not just a result of an accident – it is a consequence of systematic failure and the complete collapse of state responsibility. Only the timely intervention of this court can uphold justice and restore public faith in governance and the rule of law.”

"What is even more alarming is the public statement by the CM, wherein he stated that the state government is not responsible for the stampede or the resultant deaths, claiming that the government had only organised the event at Vidhana Soudha and not at the stadium," Shobha noted.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Thursday inaugurated the newly constructed 2.34 km four-lane flyover and elevated corridor connecting Mecon Chowk (Doranda) to Sirmatoli in the state capital, Ranchi.

The ambitious project, built at a cost of Rs 355.76 crore, was completed under the supervision of the state Road Construction Department.

This is the second flyover to be opened to the public in Ranchi within a year.

The inauguration comes a day after several tribal organisations called for a Jharkhand bandh in protest over disputes related to the ramp of the flyover.

In a surprise move, the Chief Minister inaugurated the project the very next day.

Seeking the re-introduction of paper ballots, Bahujan Samaj Party National President Mayawati on Thursday blamed the alleged manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) for her party’s recent diminishing electoral success.

“Most of the Opposition parties, including our party, want that all the small and big elections in the country should be conducted through ballot papers like before. But this is not possible under the current government,” said Mayawati, in her address to media persons.

Looking to revitalise her party cadre in the backdrop of recent electoral reverses, the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said, “A change of regime is on the cards in the country and this will surely bring back ballot papers. Therefore, BSP workers need not feel disheartened and should remain focussed on strengthening the organisation.”

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National President, Mayawati, on Thursday hit out at the Karnataka government for its alleged mismanagement that led to the tragic stampede deaths in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

“Deaths occurring in stampedes every day due to the governments not being serious and sensitive towards the programmes is also a matter of great concern. The governments should pay attention to this too,” said Mayawati while addressing the media.

Her veiled criticism of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah came a day after a stampede near Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB's victory event after lifting the IPL trophy after 18 years, resulted in the death of 11 people and resulted in injuries to over 50.

Former Uttar Pradesh CM Mayawati’s attack on Siddaramaiah came close on the heels of BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra taking to 'X' and asking, “Just like Allu Arjun was arrested earlier for being responsible for the stampede, will Siddaramaiah and D.K. Shivakumar be arrested today?”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, met the wife and family members of the Pahalgam attack victim Shubham Dwivedi, one of the 26 tourists who was gunned down by terrorists, last month.

Soon after landing at the city's Chakeri airport, PM Modi met Shubham's father and wife and assured them of all possible assistance in this hour of grief.

The 31-year-old Shubham was a Kanpur-based businessman, who got married to Aishnya in February this year.

On their holiday trip to Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, Shubham was singled out and killed in cold blood by terrorists on April 22.

Raising concerns over the law and order "situation" in Karnataka, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje on Friday said "none of us is safe anymore in the state."

Speaking at a press conference held at the Goldfinch Hotel in Bengaluru, the MoS said: "Where is law and order in the state?".

"Rapes are happening somewhere, murders elsewhere, and no one knows about it. None of us is safe anymore in Karnataka," she stressed.

"People step out of their homes, but there's no guarantee they'll return. The government promises all kinds of guarantees, but not for life," the MoS said.

"State Home Minister G. Parameshwara himself is caught in scandals and is under the influence of the mafia. With such people in charge, there's no use talking about law and order in Karnataka," she said.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai on Friday administered the oath of office to three new judges of the Supreme Court.

Justices N.V. Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi and Atul S. Chandurkar took oath as apex court judges after the Centre on Thursday cleared their appointment to the Supreme Court.

The top court Collegium, headed by CJI Gavai, on Monday forwarded its recommendations to the Centre. “The Supreme Court Collegium in its meeting held on 26th May, 2025 has recommended elevation of the following Chief Justices / Judge of the High Courts, as Judges in the Supreme Court: (i) Mr. Justice N.V. Anjaria, Chief Justice, High Court of Karnataka, (PHC: High Court of Gujarat) (ii) Mr. Justice Vijay Bishnoi, Chief Justice, Gauhati High Court, (PHC: Rajasthan High Court) (iii) Mr. Justice A.S. Chandurkar Judge, High Court of Bombay,” said a statement uploaded on the website of the apex court.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for naming the anti-terror operation against Pakistan as “Operation Sindoor”, asserting that the name of the operation is politically motivated.

“The name ‘Operation Sindoor' was their brainchild. It is politically motivated. I did not want to say this, especially when the multi-party delegations are visiting several countries and explaining India’s stand. But today, the Prime Minister came to West Bengal with the motive of political propaganda,” said the Chief Minister.

Earlier, while addressing a rally in Alipurduar district, PM Modi slammed the West Bengal government and ruling Trinamool Congress on multiple issues facing the state.

The Chief Minister also accused the Prime Minister of encouraging divisive politics through his address at Alipurduar.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha has been invited to speak at the prestigious ‘Ideas for India’ Conference 2025, to be held on May 30 at the Royal Lancaster London.

Hosted by a leading UK-based think tank, Bridge India, the conference is a flagship event of India Week -- an influential global forum focused on India’s economic and geopolitical journey.

India Week brings together over 1,100 global changemakers, including policymakers, business leaders, investors, academics, and members of the Indian diaspora.

AAP MP Raghav Chadha is slated to participate in a high-level discussion on India in a Multipolar World, where he will share his perspective on India’s strategic autonomy, growing global influence, and the country’s position as a bridge between the Global North and South.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday comforted a patient's attendant and solved her grievance, during a surprise check at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital.

While CM Gupta was at the hospital conducting a surprise check, a patient's attendant approached her and narrated her grievance.

In the video, the girl can be heard saying that her phone is not working and detailing the alleged apathy of the hospital authorities.

The girl complained that the hospital staff did not even let her patient sit in the medical facility.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has moved an application seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the renewal of his passport, which expired in 2018.

The plea, filed in light of the procedural requirements necessary for renewing a passport while in judicial custody, is currently under consideration by the Rouse Avenue Court.

In response, the court has issued notices to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), directing them to file their replies.

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on June 4.