PM Modi reaches Vatican along with Ajit Doval, meets Pope Francis

Bengaluru: As the dust settles on the recent legislative session, the corridors of Vidhana Soudha are buzzing with more than just policy talk. A high-stakes game of political musical chairs has begun, exposing a deepening rift within the Congress party’s Muslim leadership as a major Cabinet reshuffle looms.

With the party hierarchy signaling a "50% refresh" to gear up for the 2028 Assembly elections, the race to fill three projected Muslim ministerial berths has transformed from a strategic discussion into an all-out turf war.

The "Star Son" Spark

The internal friction turned public this week following provocative remarks by Zaid Khan, actor and son of Wakf Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan. Zaid’s claim—that his father "helped" secure a ticket for Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad in 2023—has acted as a lightning rod for resentment.

Rizwan’s camp was quick to fire back, dismissing the comment as a desperate attempt by Zameer to manufacture seniority. "Rizwan’s political pedigree was forged in the NSUI and Youth Congress long before Zameer even stepped into the party," a supporter noted, highlighting Rizwan’s tenure as an AICC secretary and his two-term presidency of the State Youth Congress.

A Tale of Two Loyalists

While both Zameer Ahmed Khan and Rizwan Arshad are staunch allies of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and represent Bengaluru strongholds, their political DNA could not be more different:

•    Zameer Ahmed Khan: A four-time MLA who crossed over from JD(S) in 2018. Known for his "overzealous" and often polarizing outreach during communal flashpoints—from the DJ Halli riots to the recent Wakf land notice controversy—his style has frequently left the Congress high command in a state of "discomfort."

•    Rizwan Arshad: A homegrown organizational man. Seen as a "quiet performer," Arshad represents the sophisticated, moderate face of the party, preferred by those who find Zameer’s brand of politics too volatile.

The Outsiders Looking In

The bickering isn't limited to a duo. The "Beary" community, represented by leaders like N A Haris and Saleem Ahmed, is demanding its pound of flesh. Saleem Ahmed, the Chief Whip in the Legislative Council, has dropped the veil of diplomacy, openly declaring his ministerial aspirations.

"I was the only working president not included in the Cabinet last time," Saleem noted pointedly, signaling that the "loyalty quota" is no longer enough to keep the peace.

As Chief Minister Siddaramaiah prepares to finalize the list, he faces a delicate balancing act: rewarding the aggressive grassroots mobilization of Zameer’s camp without alienating the organizational stalwarts and minority sub-sects who feel increasingly sidelined by the "Chamarajpet-Shivajinagar" binary.

Chennai: The Madras High Court has strongly criticised the Tamil Nadu government for citing what it termed an “imaginary” law and order concern to delay the implementation of a court order permitting the lighting of the Deepam on the Deepathoon atop the Thiruparankundram hills in Madurai.

Upholding an earlier order passed by Justice G R Swaminathan, a division bench of Justices G Jayachandran and K K Ramakrishnan of the Madurai Bench dismissed the appeal filed by the state government and reaffirmed that the Deepam could be lit at the site during Karthigai Deepam.

The bench expressed displeasure over the government’s failure to implement the single judge’s directive, even after permission was granted for CISF personnel to accompany the petitioner, Rama Ravikumar, to the hilltop on December 3 to light the lamp. While allowing the ritual, the court clarified that the number of people permitted to climb the hill would be determined by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The state government had objected to the single judge’s order, arguing that allowing people to climb the hill and light the Deepam could trigger law and order issues, as the Sikkander Badusha Dargah is located about 50 metres from the Deepathoon. Meanwhile, officials of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (HR&CE) Department went ahead with lighting the lamp at the Uchipillaiyar temple at 6 pm, following established tradition.

Rejecting the government’s stand, the division bench said the apprehension of law and order problems was an “imaginary ghost” created by the authorities for their own convenience and criticised the district administration for not complying with the court’s order. The judges observed that instead of raising unfounded fears, the administration should have used the judgment as an opportunity to foster dialogue and harmony between communities.

The court also noted that neither the state government nor representatives of the dargah had produced any evidence to show that agama shastra prohibited the lighting of the Deepam at the site.

The Thiruparankundram hill has historically been a symbol of communal harmony, housing the Subramaniya Swamy temple, the Kasi Viswanathan temple and the Sikkander Badusha Dargah for centuries. However, the site became a flashpoint in February 2025 after protests by Hindu organisations over allegations that Lok Sabha MP Nawaz Kani consumed meat on the hill. Despite the controversy, local residents continue to live in peace and mutual coexistence. 

The Venezuelan parliament has inaugurated Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, two days after US forces kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro.

Rodriguez took the oath of office during a ceremony in the National Assembly on Monday, telling lawmakers she was doing so "in the name of all Venezuelans."

She said she was "in pain over the kidnapping of our heroes, the hostages in the United States," referring to Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

Parliament slammed the kidnapping of leftist leader Maduro while vowing support for his stand-in Rodriguez after the US military attack that shocked Caracas and the world.

Outside the legislature, thousands of Venezuelans gathered to demand the release of their leader, chanting: "Maduro, hold on: Venezuela is rising!"

Members of the National Assembly offered their full backing to Rodriguez, who had been Maduro's vice president, and reelected her brother Jorge Rodriguez as parliament speaker.

As Monday's session opened, lawmakers chanted: "Let's go Nico!", a slogan of Maduro's presidential campaign ahead of 2024 elections.

On President Donald Trump's orders, US military forces early Saturday launched an attack on the Venezuelan capital and abducted Maduro and his wife.

"The president of the United States, Mr Trump, claims to be the prosecutor, the judge, and the policeman of the world," senior lawmaker Fernando Soto Rojas said in an address to colleagues.

"We say: you will not succeed. And we will ultimately deploy all our solidarity so that our legitimate president, Nicolas Maduro, returns victorious to Miraflores," the presidential palace, he added.

'In good hands'

Venezuela's Supreme Court on Saturday ordered Delcy Rodriguez to assume the presidency "in an acting capacity," and on Sunday the military also threw its support behind her.

With Jorge Rodriguez's reelection, the influential siblings are in control of Venezuela's executive and legislative branches.

Jorge Rodriguez vowed in front of his lawmaker colleagues Monday to pursue "all procedures, all platforms, and all avenues to bring back Nicolas Maduro Moros, my brother, my president."

Maduro's lawmaker son Nicolas Maduro Guerra also offered his support for the acting president.

"Count on me, count on my family," Maduro Guerra, known as "Nicolasito," told Rodriguez during an address to parliament, adding the country was "in good hands" until his parents' "return."

New members of Venezuela's single-chamber parliament were chosen last May in elections.

Maduro Guerra said Monday Venezuela "asks for neither privileges nor concessions; it demands respect... We want international relations with everyone, based on equality, mutual respect, and cooperation, without threats and without interference."

He stepped outside to address the protesters, telling them he was in "indirect" contact with his father.

"We have a strong team over there that’s supporting us," he said.

Delcy Rodriguez, who on Saturday insisted Maduro remains the country's "only" president, later extended an offer of cooperation to Washington, who has said it would work with Venezuela's leaders if they do what it wants.

Trump meanwhile warned Rodriguez could face a fate worse than Maduro if she failed to heed US demands on policy reforms and oil access.