- State police across 13 districts and investigation agencies, including NIA and ED, carried out raids at premises connected with The Popular Front of India (PFI) PFI and the Socialist Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Home Minister Amit Shah is holding a review meeting with top officials, including NSA Ajit Doval. Meanwhile, PFI in Kerala has called for a hartal tomorrow.
- CBI has told the Supreme Court that it found no criminality in the ‘Niira Radia Tapes,’ which threw suspicion on leading politicians, industrialists, journalists, and others, a decade back.
- Rahul Gandhi said he expects “one-man one-post decison” to be respected, as a piece of advice for those contesting in the Congress Presidential poll. The message could be a blow for Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, who is mulling contesting for the Congress President post without ditching his chief ministership.
- Indian Army is reviewing colonial and pre-colonial era names, customs, and traditions that are still part of the country’s defense establishment to Indianize them.
- Paddy output during 2022-23 is expected to fall by 6 percent (approximately 7 million tonnes) due to the monsoon deficit and drought-like conditions in Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, and a few other states. The decline in overall crop output could be around 4 percent.
- The Supreme Court, which was hearing petitions against the Karnataka government’s Hijab ban, has reserved its verdict. A bench comprising of Justices Hemant Gupta and Sudhanshu Dhulia heard arguments from both sides for the last ten days.
- RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visited the Kasturba Gandhi Marg Mosque in Delhi in an outreach to the minority Muslim community. He met Umer Ahmed Ilyasi, the chief cleric of the All India Imam Organization, and held a closed-door meeting with him.
- The defense ministry has inked an Rs.1700 crore deal with M/s BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd. for additional “dual role” surface-to-surface BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles for the Indian Navy’s frontline warships.
- Officials in Iran have imposed restrictions on Internet access and also blocked access to social media apps like Instagram and WhatsApp, with protests over the custodial death of Mahsa Amini turning intensive.
- A gang of 200 men, mostly Muslims, marched towards The Durga Bhawan Hindu Centre in Smethwick shouting: “Allahu Akbar Takbir.” Some even tried to climb over the temple wall. Earlier, a Muslim mob vandalized a Hindu temple in Leicester.
Image: PTI