BJP, RSS demand arrest of Gandhi's great-grandson after he calls them ‘enemies’

With the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) poised to return to power in Bihar with an overwhelming majority, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday echoed the “vote chori” (vote theft) allegation raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, claiming that similar irregularities occurred in Karnataka as well.

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, had earlier accused the BJP-led NDA of engaging in “vote chori” in Haryana and Karnataka. Siddaramaiah backed the allegation but offered no specific details.

Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, the Chief Minister admitted that he was still unaware of the factors behind the Congress–RJD alliance’s setback in Bihar and the NDA's strong performance.

“We have to accept the mandate of the people. I don’t know what caused the setback. I had not gone to Bihar. I don’t know who didn’t vote for us or why the NDA won with such a big majority. I will try to find out,” Siddaramaiah said.

Responding to a question on why OBC voters in Bihar did not favour the Congress despite being a decisive bloc, Siddaramaiah countered: “I don’t know. Who is Nitish Kumar? Isn’t he OBC?”

When asked again about the Congress’s allegation of “vote chori,” he remarked, “They have done chori here too,” but refrained from elaborating.

According to the latest trends, the NDA is on course to cross the 200-seat mark in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has again made provocative remarks suggesting that Muslims in the state becoming more prosperous could signal the “surrender of the Assamese people” — a statement widely criticised as divisive and communal.

Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting, Sarma claimed that alongside demographic changes, Assam was witnessing an “economic shift,” with Muslims allegedly becoming wealthier. He further implied that this shift represented the beginning of “the Assamese people’s surrender.”

Citing data from 2001 to 2011, Sarma said the Hindu population growth rate was falling while the Muslim population continued to rise. “In every block of Assam, the growth of the Hindu population is coming down and the Muslim population is increasing,” he said.

The chief minister went on to link the issue to property ownership, asserting that land sales from Hindus to Muslims were disproportionately high. “We are seeing that the sale of land from Hindus to Muslims is very high, while the vice versa is less,” Sarma said, adding that such transactions are now scrutinised under a directive issued last year requiring government permission.

While claiming that his government has “no problem” with Assamese or indigenous Muslims, Sarma continued to frame economic mobility among Muslims as a threat to Assamese identity. “So far, we were thinking that only the numbers have risen, but now we see that even the wealth pattern has changed,” he said.

Critics say Sarma’s repeated references to religion in matters of demography and economy reflect a deliberate attempt to polarise communities and deepen mistrust. His comments equating Muslim prosperity with “surrender” of the Assamese people, they argue, expose the communal undercurrent in the state’s political discourse.

The chief minister said he would hold another press conference soon to “elaborate” on the matter.

Srinagar: In one of the most alarming recoveries in recent years, Jammu and Kashmir Police unearthed a massive cache of explosives — 360 kilograms of explosives (possibly ammonium nitrate), an assault rifle, one pistol and ammunition — from Faridabad in Haryana, on the outskirts of the national capital.

It was initially reported that the explosives recovered were RDX. However, Faridabad Police later clarified that it was not RDX, but 360 kg of inflammable material which is possibly ammonium nitrate.

The recovery, officials said, followed disclosures made by an arrested Kashmiri doctor, identified as Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather, during interrogation. Acting on his information, J&K police conducted a raid at Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad, leading to the unprecedented haul of explosives.

Earlier, security agencies had seized an AK-47 rifle and ammunition from a locker belonging to Dr. Rather in a Kashmir hospital, where he was working till last year before shifting to Faridabad, indicating a wider operational footprint. Another doctor, Dr. Muzamil Shakeel, a resident of Koil in Pulwama district, has also been detained for allegedly helping stock and conceal the explosives in Faridabad.

Both suspects are currently under custody of Jammu and Kashmir police as investigators try to piece together what officials describe as a potential trans-regional terror conspiracy with grave implications for national security.

A group of doctors from Jammu and Kashmir has also come under the scanner, as security agencies suspect their links to terror outfits Jaish-e-Mohammed and so called Ghazwat-ul-Hind.

Senior security officials said the recovery points to the possibility of a major terror plot being foiled, one that could have targeted the National Capital Region (NCR) or other strategic sites in North India.

“This is not a routine recovery — it suggests deep infiltration of terror logistics networks extending beyond J&K. The use of medical professionals as facilitators adds an alarming dimension,” a senior police officer said.

Sources said security agencies are now tracing the origin of the explosives and the financial and logistical chain that enabled its movement from Kashmir to Haryana. Investigators suspect cross-border terror handlers may have coordinated the operation through encrypted communication channels, exploiting professional networks for cover.

As the investigation widens, more arrests are likely, and agencies are treating the case as a national security priority — a reminder that despite years of counter-terror successes in Kashmir, the battle has far from ended.