Rekha Gupta

New Delhi A 30-year-old man was apprehended on Saturday for allegedly issuing a death threat under the influence of alcohol to Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, after police refused to help him contact his estranged wife, an official said.

Accused Shlok Tripathi alias Shlok Tiwari was apprehended in a joint operation conducted by the Delhi Police and the Uttar Pradesh Police from Ghaziabad, he added.

The accused is being jointly interrogated at the office of the Delhi Police’s Special Staff in northwest Delhi by the Uttar Pradesh Police, Delhi Police, Special Cell and Intelligence Bureau, a senior police officer said.

Shlok, who is pursuing an LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree and works as a deed writer at the Ghaziabad court, was married in 2020.

However, his wife has been living separately in Delhi since last year, while he resides in Ghaziabad with his mother and sister.

While he mentioned during interrogation that his wife left her matrimonial house due to a dispute between her and his mother, police said she possibly took the decision as the accused has a drinking problem.

“He wanted to talk and meet his wife, who has been living separately from him due to his alcohol addiction. He was also in a nasha mukti kendra for three months last year,” the officer said.

In a desperate attempt to talk to his wife, the accused dialled the emergency helpline number 112 in Ghaziabad on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the officer added.

“At first, he did not mention the Delhi chief minister’s name. He asked police to make his wife come back and complained that she was not talking to him. However, when police did not pay heed, he threatened to kill the chief minister,” he said.

The accused was reportedly under depression due to the separation with his wife, the officer said, adding that he has a history of making anonymous calls to police.

Following the threatening call, the Ghaziabad Police alerted its Delhi counterparts and dispatched a team to Panchwati Colony, from where the call was reportedly made, but the caller managed to evade getting caught, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ghaziabad, Ritesh Tripathi said.

Meanwhile, police have increased Gupta’s security details and strengthened it outside her northwest Delhi residence. The chief minister receives a “Z” category security cover of the Delhi Police.

 Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday stressed the critical role played by the farm sector in the nation’s growth trajectory and called on corporates to share their profits with them.

Interacting with industry leaders and entrepreneurs here, he said, “Time has come for corporates to share their profits with the farm sector. Your investment in research or farmland is not charity – it is a gainful investment.”

He also urged the political parties in the country to bring down the political temperature and said, “The dialogue between political parties cannot be a confrontation – the dialogue has to be soothing. Democracy is defined, friends, by dialogue and discourse.”

According to him, India is a thriving federal society where there has to be sync between the Centre and the States. Dialogue between leaders and political parties is vital–absence of dialogue will not be good for our national mindset.

“Issues of national security, issues connected with our nationalism, and issues connected to our development must be viewed from a national prism, not a partisan one. I do not doubt the political sagacity of people across the spectrum–they are available in all political parties,” he was quoted as saying in a statement issued by Vice President Secretariat.

Invoking the Vedantic principle of freedom of expression, the Vice-President stated, “Democratic values–cannot be described without freedom of expression and debate. If someone attacks, frustrates or regulates your right to expression, then there is a deficiency in democracy.”

He noted that people in industry, unlike politics, are satisfied by balance sheets. “But greenfield projects are not emerging at the pace they should. Please think, converge in clusters to ensure equitable employment and growth,” Dhankhar said.

Speaking on farm-sector integration with industry, the Vice-President, said, “I come from a farming community. The farm sector plays a critical role in the nation’s growth trajectory. But at the moment, it is only producing agro-products – it is not part of the marketing chain.”

Calling for industry-farm convergence, he added, “Industry must brainstorm to bring greater synergy with the farm sector. Farmers need to be hand-held; agripreneurs must emerge, but they cannot do so without support.”

On the future of India’s growth, Dhankhar underscored the role of research and innovation and said, “We must engage in research of the highest order. Our research capacity will define Bharat’s global standing. Our technological innovation will define how secure we are.”

Touching upon strategic peace, he observed that, “peace is fundamental to business and people’s harmony. But peace is never bargained–it comes from strength. The greatest peace is secured when we are ever prepared for war.”

Highlighting the evolution of industry’s role in national security, he noted, “There was a time when industry only manufactured armoury. Now, it must lead in technology. Research is the spine of long-term growth.”

Declaring that Bharat is on an unstoppable rise, the Vice-President stated, “Bharat is no longer a country of potential – it is a country on the rise. ‘Viksit Bharat’ is no longer our dream – it is our objective. But we must take a quantum leap by increasing per capita income manyfold.”

Urging a practical outlook, he added, “We must juxtapose our economic status with our demographic size -1.4 billion people. On empirical estimates, there must be an eightfold increase in per capita income.”

New Delhi: Five persons received a new lease of life after a brain dead patient’s organs were sent across different parts of the country, with one kidney and a cornea being airlifted by an Indian Air Force aircraft from Bengaluru to Delhi.

The Indian Air Force (IAF), in a post on X, shared details of the coordinated operation and photographs of the airlift on Saturday.

“The IAF enabled life-saving multi-organ retrieval and critical transplants at different locations, undertaken through Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore (CHAFB) today,” the post said.

The donor, declared brain dead on Friday, became the “source of new life for five individuals”, it added.

According to the IAF, one kidney and a cornea were flown to the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in Delhi. The other kidney and cornea, as well as the first skin harvest, were transplanted at CHAFB in collaboration with a medical team from Victoria Hospital, Bengaluru.

The liver was successfully transplanted at Gleneagles BGS Hospital, it said.

“This seamless operation was executed with Jeevansarthakathe Karnataka, reflecting the exceptional commitment and medical expertise of the Armed Forces medical community,” the IAF said in the post.

Mangaluru: A case has been lodged at the city’s Bunder police station for allegedly circulating derogatory messages targeting Speaker UT Khader, CM Siddaramaiah, the Congress party and the Karnataka Police in a Whatsapp group called ‘Pirsa Eppolu Ikkatt.”

An individual identified as Ashraf Kinara Kudroli allegedly posted a message in the Whatsapp group, which read, “Breaking… Now there is another police raid in Sajipa and Pavoor… The police are seizing the cows that were to be offered to Allah for offering sacrifice. If you ask me, it is as per the government’s orders… Muslims should collectively heat up the Congress government that is breathing in the votes of Muslims.”

In another 57-second video message, it is alleged that a song critical of the Congress party and the government has been created and circulated in the Beary language. The video reportedly features edited photos of Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with the text: “Singer: Dastageer, Lyrics: Saraf Vitla.” In the video, the person is heard saying, “I am Khaderkar, a fan of Savarkar, Alakka Poyitalle…”

The case was registered at the Bunder police station based on a complaint filed by Cyber Police Station staff member Sunil Kumar.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday voiced concerns about the INDIA bloc, saying he was not sure if the opposition alliance was still intact.

Speaking at the launch of Salman Khurshid and Mritunjay Singh Yadav’s book “Contesting Democratic Deficit”, Chidambaram also said he felt that it showed at the seams that the alliance was frayed.

“The future (of INDIA bloc) is not so bright, as Mritunjay Singh Yadav said. He seems to feel that the alliance is still intact, but I am not sure. It is only Salman (Khurshid) who can answer because he was part of the negotiating team for the INDIA bloc. If the alliance is totally intact, I will be very happy. But it shows at the seams that it is frayed,” Chidambaram, a Rajya Sabha MP, said.

He also hoped that the alliance can “still be put together, there’s still time”.

The former Union finance minister warned that the INDIA bloc was fighting against a “formidable machinery”, which must be fought on all fronts.

“In my experience and my reading of history, there has been no political party so formidably organised as the BJP. It’s not just another political party. It’s a machine behind a machine and the two machines control all the machineries in India.

“From the Election Commission to the lowest police station in the country, they (BJP) are able to control and sometimes capture these institutions. It is a formidable machinery, as much as can be allowed in a democracy,” Chidambaram said.

In the book, Khurshid and Yadav reflect on the Congress’ revival efforts ahead of last year’s Lok Sabha elections — from the emotionally-charged “Bharat Jodo Yatra” to the “historic” formation of the INDIA bloc comprising diverse political forces.

Khurshid and Yadav recount how the opposition parties rallied “to defend the idea of an inclusive, pluralistic India”.

Chidambaram said that poll results have shown that no one can undermine elections in India, which “still remains an electoral democracy”.

“You can interfere with elections in India. You can tinker with them. But you can’t get away with elections. You can’t have elections where the ruling party gets away with 98 per cent of the votes… That is not possible in India,” Chidambaram said.

The Congress leader added that if the 2029 general elections take a decisive turn to strengthen the BJP, “we are beyond repair”.

“The 2029 elections are critical and must return us to a full-fledged democracy,” he said.

Concurring with Chidambaram, Khurshid said there were issues concerning the INDIA bloc that needed to be addressed.

“We need to address the concerns. The takeaway from Chidambaram’s views is that we have to be prepared for a very major battle in 2029. We have to deal with the whole idea of how to get the alliance partners together,” the former foreign minister said.

He added that the opposition parties needed to think on a larger scale if they were to “make a massive reversal” in the electoral trends.

“What we have learnt is that we must think on a larger scale. If we only think how many seats we will contest and what will happen once the results are out, we will miss out on the major thing we set out to do, which is to affect a massive reversal of electoral trends in the country,” the Congress leader said.

New Delhi: In a troubling development, the United Christian Forum (UCF) has reported a steep rise in incidents of violence against Christians across India. According to the organisation, 245 cases were registered between January and April 2025, based on data collected through the forum’s helpline service.

The UCF, which has been collecting data via its helpline number (1-800-208-4545), stated that Christians continue to face an alarming frequency of violence, averaging two incidents per day. The report highlighted a sharp escalation in such incidents since 2014, reflecting a worrying trend in the treatment of religious minorities in the country.

The data revealed by UCF paints a grim picture of the situation. Christian tribals and women have emerged as particularly vulnerable groups, facing violence disproportionately compared to men. The organisation pointed out that the scale of violence has steadily increased over the years, with 601 incidents reported in 2022, 734 in 2023, and a staggering 834 incidents in 2024.

“In 2025, from January to April, 245 incidents of violence against Christians were reported from 19 states of India, with 55 incidents in January, 65 in February, 76 in March, and 49 in April. Uttar Pradesh continues to be at the top with 50 incidents, followed by 46 in Chhattisgarh,” the UCF said in a statement.

Other states witnessing violence against Christians include Andhra Pradesh (14 incidents), Bihar (16), Delhi (1), Gujarat (8), Haryana (12), Himachal Pradesh (3), Jharkhand (17), Karnataka (22), Madhya Pradesh (14), Maharashtra (6), Odisha (2), Punjab (6), Rajasthan (18), Tamil Nadu (1), Telangana (1), Uttarakhand (2), and West Bengal (11).

The types of violence reported by UCF include physical assaults, murders, sexual violence, threats, social boycotts, and attacks on religious properties. In several instances, Christian places of worship have been desecrated or prayer services disrupted, underscoring the growing climate of intolerance.

Madikeri: With the monsoon season approaching, the Kodagu district administration in Karnataka has taken significant steps to mitigate potential damage, anticipating that around 10,922 people may be affected by the above average rainfall.

90 relief centres have been set up across the district to provide shelter and aid, as reported by Deccan Herald on Friday.

The district administration has identified 102 areas at high risk of landslides and floods. To ensure the safety of residents, temporary shelter has been arranged for 2,953 families living in these vulnerable zones.

Notably, 44 residential areas in Madikeri city, 30 in Kushalnagar, 18 in Virajpet, and 10 in Somwarpet have been flagged as particularly susceptible to natural disasters, added report.

Rescue teams conducted a mock drill at the Harangi reservoir on Thursday to prepare for any emergency situations.

Vijay Shah

Lucknow: A poster was put up outside the Samajwadi Party (SP) headquarters here on Friday demanding that the BJP apologise to the country over Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah’s “insulting” remarks allegedly against Col Sofiya Qureshi.

An initiative of SP leader Mo. Ikhlaq, the poster read, “Insulting daughter Sofiya, who roared against the Pakistan army during Operation Sindoor, is an insult to the country. BJP should apologise to the country.”

“We will not be divided in the name of Hindus and Muslims nor will we allow it. Every Indian’s courage is against the politics of hatred,” read the poster, which also features pictures of Col Qureshi, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and key party leaders.

Shah came under fire after a video showed him making objectionable remarks allegedly against Col Qureshi, who gained nationwide prominence along with another woman officer, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, during media briefings on Operation Sindoor last week.

An FIR was registered against Shah in Indore on May 14 following a Madhya Pradesh High Court order. The minister has moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay.

New Delhi: The Indian government is reportedly considering a significant boost to its defence budget, with a proposed additional allocation of Rs 50,000 crore for the purchase of weapons, ammunition, and technology following the recent Operation Sindoor.

This move, according to a report by India Today, may be approved during the Winter session of Parliament through a supplementary budget.

The extra funds would be directed towards addressing the armed forces’ requirements, essential procurements, and enhancing research and development capabilities.

The Union Budget allocated a record Rs 6.81 lakh crore to the defence sector this year, marking a 9.53 percent increase from the previous year. Over the past decade, the NDA government has nearly tripled the defence budget. In 2014-15, the budget stood at Rs 2.29 lakh crore, while this year’s allocation now accounts for 13.45 percent of the total national budget.