West Bank: Israel bombs Jenin refugee camp, destroys homes in Tulkarm

Kanpur (UP): The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad on Wednesday arrested an employee of the Kanpur Ordnance Factory for allegedly sharing classified and sensitive information with a Pakistani intelligence operative through social media, according to a statement.

The accused, identified as Kumar Vikas, was employed as a Junior Works Manager at the Kanpur Ordnance Factory, the ATS said in the statement.

He was in contact with a suspected Pakistani agent who used the alias "Neha Sharma", it said. Investigations revealed that Vikas had been sending confidential documents and sensitive data related to ordnance manufacturing, employee attendance sheets, machine layouts, and production charts via WhatsApp.

On March 13, ATS arrested another Ordnance Factory employee, Ravindra Kumar, from Hazratpur, Firozabad, for similar offenses. His interrogation led ATS officials to Vikas, who had also been in contact with the suspected Pakistani agent since January 2025.

Authorities said the Pakistani agent introduced herself as an employee of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and initially contacted Vikas on Facebook. They later exchanged mobile numbers and continued their communication on WhatsApp.

To avoid detection, they used the Ludo gaming app for covert conversations, the statement read. Vikas was allegedly lured by financial incentives to pass on classified information, it said.

Kumar Vikas has been taken into custody and further legal proceedings are under way.

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government on Tuesday tabled a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to introduce a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in public contracts.

The Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was tabled by Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil.

On Friday, the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements (KTPP) Act, reserving 4 per cent of contracts for Muslims in civil works valued up to Rs 2 crore and goods/services contracts up to Rs 1 crore. This proposal was announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the 2025-26 Budget, presented on March 7.

Currently, Karnataka provides reservations in civil works contracts for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) at 24 per cent, Other Backward Classes (OBC)–Category 1 at 4 per cent, and OBC–Category 2A at 15 per cent.

There had been demands to include Muslims under Category 2B of the OBCs with a 4 per cent reservation.

The BJP has called the Karnataka government’s move to provide a 4 per cent reservation for Muslims in government contracts an "unconstitutional misadventure" and vowed to oppose it at all levels, including challenging it in court, until it is revoked.

The Bill presented on Tuesday further amends the KTPP Act, 1999, to implement the proposal outlined in the 2025-26 budget speech, according to its statement of objects and reasons.

The Bill aims to address unemployment among backward classes and promote their participation in government construction projects, reserving up to 4 per cent for individuals in Category 2B (Muslims) for works valued up to Rs 2 crore.

The Bill also provides for reservations among Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes in the procurement of goods and services, excluding construction works, in notified departments, for contracts valued up to Rs 1 crore.

It encourages their participation in such procurement to the extent of 17.5 per cent for persons belonging to SC, 6.95 per cent for those belonging to ST, 4 per cent for Category 1 of OBC, 15 per cent for Category 2A, and 4 per cent for Category 2B (Muslims).

The Bill stated that the proposed legislative measure involves no additional expenditure.

Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi: Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, on Friday said that he will neither retract his recent statements against the RSS and BJP nor will he apologise for them, while the two saffron outfits demanded that he be arrested for his remarks.

Gandhi, during the recent unveiling of a statue of the late Gandhian P Gopinathan Nair at Neyyattinkara in Thiruvananthapuram, had referred to the BJP and RSS as "dangerous and insidious enemies" who have entered Kerala.

He had also termed the RSS as "poison", following which BJP-RSS workers shouted slogans and blocked his car.

On Friday, speaking at an event in Aluva near Kochi, Gandhi said that once he said "those things", he does not believe in retracting them or apologising for them.

"What this incident has done is strengthen my resolve to continue to expose the traitors. This is a fight which is even more essential than the freedom fight. We have a common enemy now, the Sangh. They must be exposed," he said.

He also said that he was worried that "the descendants of my great grandfather's murderers" will go to Mahatma Gandhi's statue and fire bullets at it "as they are habituated to do".

The BJP hit back at him by saying that he is just someone who was "by default" born as a descendant of Mahatma Gandhi and has been trying to "monetise" his great grandfather's name.

Former Union Minister of State and BJP leader V Muraleedharan alleged that Tushar Gandhi has been for several years trying to "monetise" Mahatma Gandhi's name.

Muraleedharan, speaking at a BJP protest against Tushar Gandhi at Neyyattinkara, further said that those who invited him for the statue unveiling probably were not aware of his background.

He further said that just because Tushar has the Gandhi name, it does not entitle him to the same respect or honour reserved for the Father of the Nation.

He demanded that Tushar Gandhi be arrested for his statements based on the BJP's complaint.

The BJP leader also criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan government for arresting five RSS-BJP workers a day ago for raising slogans against Mahatma Gandhi's grandson.

A case was registered against the five people under Sections 189(2), 191(2), 190, and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) on charges of unlawful assembly, rioting, and wrongful restraint.

According to the police, a small group of people, allegedly linked to the Sangh Parivar, raised slogans against Tushar Gandhi at the end of a function he attended at Neyyattinkara on Wednesday evening.

Vijayan had strongly condemned the alleged "Sangh Parivar attack" on Tushar Gandhi, stating that actions that suppress freedom of expression cannot be allowed in a democratic society.