Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Prophet remark row: BJP's bigotry damaged India's global standing, says Rahul Gandhi

Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and the UAE, as well as Iran have condemned the remarks.

Prophet remark row: BJP's bigotry damaged India's global standing, says Rahul Gandhi

"Divided internally, India becomes weak externally. BJP's shameful bigotry has not only isolated us, but also damaged India's standing globally," Gandhi wrote on Twitter.

His remarks came in the wake of international outrage over controversial remarks made by two BJP functionaries against Prophet Mohammad, after which they were suspended and expelled by the party.


Meanwhile, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan brushed aside as "not important" a public apology demanded by Qatar over the controversial remarks, saying that people should pay attention to the Prime Minister and the RSS chief's calls for strengthening India's tradition of inclusiveness.

Khan, speaking to reporters in the national capital, said there were countries who spoke against India for several years on Kashmir and even on other matters.

"People are entitled to their opinions. How does it matter? That (demand for apology) is not important. India cannot bother about such small reactions," the Governor said in response to a query seeking his views on Qatar seeking a public apology from India.

Khan said what India had to be careful about was protecting its own traditions.

"Our tradition is not tolerance, but respect and acceptance for all traditions. We respect and we accept all traditions as true. India's culture does not consider anybody as others," the Governor told reporters.

"...We should pay more attention to what the Prime Minister is repeatedly saying and what the RSS chief is repeatedly saying -- that we want our tradition of inclusiveness to be strengthened. Nobody is to be excluded. That is our cultural heritage. We need to strengthen that," he said.

He also said that what the expelled BJP leaders -- Nupur Sharma and Naveen Kumar Jindal -- said was probably "in the heat of the moment in front of TV".

"These things are not really important," he added.

Courtesy: PTI

More For You

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

FILE PHOTO: A mother and daughter sit atop the Covid memorial wall on September 9, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Covid inquiry begins probe into care home deaths

THE Covid inquiry has started examining how the pandemic affected care services for older and disabled people, with families describing the crisis as one of the worst failures of the pandemic.

Nearly 46,000 care home residents died with Covid in England and Wales between March 2020 and January 2022, with many deaths happening in the first weeks of the outbreak.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

Keir Starmer speaks to members of the media during a visit to RAF Valley, on Anglesey in north-west Wales, on June 27, 2025. PAUL CURRIE/Pool via REUTERS

Starmer and Glastonbury condemn anti-Israel chants by Bob Vylan

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer and Glastonbury organisers said on Sunday (29) they were appalled by on-stage chanting against the Israeli military during a performance at the festival by Punk-rap duo Bob Vylan.

During their show on Saturday (28), the duo chanted "Death, death, to the IDF" in reference to the Israel Defense Forces, the formal name of the Israeli military.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan floods

A flooded street near Station Road after heavy rainfall in Hyderabad, Pakistan, on June 27, 2025.

Getty

Pakistan reports 45 deaths from flash floods and rain in monsoon onset

AT LEAST 45 people have died in Pakistan over the past few days due to flash flooding and heavy rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season, according to disaster management officials on Sunday.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan. There, 21 people were killed, including 10 children.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK Weather Alert: June Heatwave to Hit 34°C, Breaking Records

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record

iStock

UK set for one of the hottest June days with highs of 34°C

Key points

  • Temperatures may hit 34°C in Greater London and Bedfordshire
  • Amber alert in place across five regions due to health risks
  • Wimbledon’s opening day to be hottest on record
  • Risk of wildfires in London labelled “severe”
  • Scotland and Northern Ireland remain cooler

Hottest June day in years expected as second UK heatwave peaks

The UK is bracing for potentially one of the hottest June days on record, with temperatures expected to reach 34°C on Monday (30 June). The ongoing heatwave, now in its fourth day, is most intense across the South and East of England, particularly in Greater London and Bedfordshire.

Although there is a small chance of temperatures hitting 35°C, they are unlikely to surpass the all-time June record of 35.6°C set in 1976.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Probing all angles in Air India crash, including sabotage: Minister

INDIA’s junior civil aviation minister said on Sunday that all possible angles, including sabotage, were being looked into as part of the investigation into the Air India crash.

All but one of the 242 people on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner were killed when it crashed in Ahmedabad on June 12. Authorities have identified 19 others who died on the ground. However, a police source told AFP after the crash that the death toll on the ground was 38.

Keep ReadingShow less