New Delhi: Former Chief Minister of Punjab and senior BJP leader captain Amarendra Singh Met the Union Home Minister on Saturday Amit Shah And National President of BJP and Union Health Minister JP Nadda In New Delhi, days after public criticism of the party’s decision to appoint Kewal Singh Dhillon as Punjab BJP chief.The meetings are being held amid growing political speculation over Amarinder Singh’s future in the BJP following reports of his dissatisfaction with the party leadership and rumors of a possible return to the party. Congress Before the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.After meeting Shah, Amarinder Singh said on Twitter, “Had a meeting with Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji in New Delhi today and discussed various issues related to Punjab.”In a separate post, he said he also met Nadda and discussed matters related to Punjab.Later, Nadda confirmed the meeting and wrote on Twitter, “Met senior BJP leader and former Punjab Chief Minister @capt_amarinder ji today in New Delhi. We discussed many political issues including Punjab.”

question over Punjab BJP leadership

These meetings assume significance as Amarinder Singh has recently expressed strong objection to the appointment of Kewal Singh Dhillon as Punjab BJP president.The 84-year-old leader had said he was not consulted before the appointment and questioned whether Dhillon was able to meet the expectations of the BJP ahead of the 2027 state elections.According to news agency PTI, Captain Amarinder Singh had earlier said, “I don’t think he is in a position only to do what the BJP wants him to do.”Captain Amarinder Singh also said that despite spending six decades in Punjab politics, he felt neglected and criticized the party for not taking his opinion on a major organizational decision.He argued that leadership positions should be based on ability rather than caste considerations and questioned the logic behind presenting Dhillon as a Jat Sikh face.

Discussion on the possibility of being out of BJP

Speculation about Amarinder Singh’s future intensified after he skipped the recent event where Dhillon formally took charge as Punjab BJP chief.BJP leaders from Punjab and a section of Rajya Sabha members were also absent from the function.Adding further to this conversation, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently commented that Amarinder Singh has been in touch with Congress leaders.However, Punjab BJP leaders have rejected suggestions that the veteran politician may leave the party. BJP spokesperson Preetpal Singh Baliawal had recently said, “These are just rumours.” He is not going anywhere, he is with BJP.Amarinder Singh, who left the Congress in 2021 and later merged his Punjab Lok Congress with the BJP in 2022, has continued to publicly express concerns over the party’s functioning in Punjab.Despite his criticism, there has been no indication from either side that he is planning an immediate exit from the BJP.Assembly elections are to be held in Punjab in 2027, BJP says it will contest the elections on its own.

New Delhi: BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Saturday took a veiled dig at the CJP protest, saying “some people sitting abroad think they can decide the direction of India’s youth,” further alleging that it was pushing them into “negative politics”.“ “Today’s youth want to work to build the country, want to work to secure their future,” Nabeen said while addressing an intellectuals’ conference in Ranchi, according to a post from the BJP’s official X account.He said, “But some people have termed the youth of this country as anti-incumbency. Those who want to drag the youth of this country into negative politics, I warn them that the youth of India will join positive politics.”He said, “Some people sitting abroad think that they will give direction to the youth of India.”The BJP chief further said that the party would oppose such steps through democratic means, adding that “we will protest on the basis of democracy, but we will not allow the standards of democracy to be destroyed.”He said, “The youth of India will not move ahead by becoming puppets in the hands of a few people.”Nabin also highlighted the importance of farmers in India’s development and said, “I accept that the biggest contribution to this country and to the progress of this country is our farmers. They say that if the farmer is happy, there is prosperity in the house, and there is harmony too.”He said, “Our government has a very clear plan towards farmers. We do not want to keep farmers only as beneficiaries.” He said the government aims to improve agricultural outcomes and double the income of farmers.His comments came during a two-day organizational visit to Jharkhand, his first visit to the state after becoming the BJP national president. During the visit, he participated in party meetings and outreach programs aimed at strengthening the organization ahead of the upcoming elections.Earlier in the day, Nabeen chaired a meeting of BJP MPs and MLAs at the state party office in Ranchi after arriving at the airport, where he was given a grand welcome.Paying tribute to tribal icon Birsa Munda at Birsa Chowk, he said, “Visiting Jharkhand is like coming home for me.”On the second day of his visit, he is scheduled to visit Bokaro Steel City and later meet party workers and leaders at several places, including the residence of state BJP president Aditya Sahu. His visit is taking place ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand, in which nominations are to be held till June 8 and voting on June 18.

IIt is the weekend, yet Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary’s residential office at 1, Anne Marg in Patna is unusually busy. An additional chief secretary, some MLAs and the administrative head of a management institute wait patiently for their turn to meet the man who is about to complete two months in office.

The first sight of the new dawn unfolds with almost breathtaking views. The morning dew sits fresh on the leaves. The temperatures provide a brief respite from the oncoming oven-like heat waves and the sky is a thousand different shades of yellow and orange.But something is not quite right.The song of the birds is no longer the sound of dawn. Horn-blowing cars have replaced them in most urban metropolises. Now that it is gone its absence is a stark reminder. The chirps you didn’t know you were hearing, those ambient sounds that were always there, suddenly became quiet.The house sparrow has not gone extinct. It has simply been pushed out. From our balconies, from our memories, from our cities. And the places it’s gone tell a story we don’t want to hear.Sparrowhawk decline is a global issue, with BirdLife International reporting that sparrowhawk numbers in Europe have declined by approximately 64% since the 1970s. The British Trust for Ornithology estimates that the sparrow population in London alone declined by 71 percent between 1994 and 2002. This decline has also been seen in North America and parts of Asia, with the largest declines occurring in urban and suburban areas.India is also not untouched by this extinction and the reason behind it is really no mystery. In Andhra Pradesh alone the sparrow population declined by 80 percent. In Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan it declined by 20 percent. In coastal areas the decline was sharper, ranging from 70 to 80 percent. In parts of Thiruvananthapuram, where volunteers had observed small flocks of six to eight sparrows by 1998, they had disappeared without a trace by 2003. The reason behind this defeat is really no mystery.

architecture of absence

Walking through the narrow streets of old cities, you can find corners and places where the sparrow still feels comfortable calling its home. Hidden in those parts of the old city that still respect the sacredness of its appearance.As cities change and skyscrapers pollute the skylines of metropolises, trees and parks are uprooted to make way for overcrowded infrastructure, the sparrow also moves out. It leaves behind a home that it no longer recognizes.Bird researcher Sujan Chatterjee puts it bluntly: “Modern architecture plays a decisive role here. Old houses, with their ventilators, tiled roofs and small gaps, offer natural nesting sites. Today’s glass and concrete structures are sealed, smooth and inaccessible.”The old, spacious buildings have been replaced by matchless flats. Hedges are being replaced by iron fences. The gardens have been paved over, leaving no soil for the sparrows to bathe in. The flow of electromagnetic waves from criss-crossing cable wires and cellphone towers injures the sparrows, causing irritation and reducing their reproductive capacity.The bird that once nested in every balcony, that woke generations of Indians with its incessant chirping, that was so common as to be almost invisible – that bird is now a marker of class. Its presence or absence tells you more about the neighborhood than any real estate brochure.Sparrows need three things: a place to build a nest, food to eat, and water to drink. It is a relatively sedentary bird, traveling no more than a kilometer or two in search of food. It prefers thatched houses and bungalows rather than concrete structures like flats to build its nests.In older neighborhoods, buildings naturally provide nesting sites. Buildings in the new neighborhoods have been sealed. Glass facade and smooth concrete, no ceiling, no gaps and no cracks. Air conditioning units are installed in ways that block rather than create smaller spaces. Modern architecture is architecture that keeps birds away.

Why do sparrows leave modern cities?

The question of food is equally clear. Sparrows eat seeds, grains and insects. On average, each sparrow eats about 1,000 caterpillars per year. As Chatterjee says, “Increased use of pesticides has reduced the population of insects, which are important for feeding the sparrowhawks. Clean, uncluttered urban landscapes, while visually appealing, have depleted the resources that once sustained the sparrow.” The decline in insect numbers is a boon for your home but a curse for the sparrow.Even the water equation has changed. There is water everywhere in old neighborhoods. Open drains, dripping pipes, open buckets, bird bath in the courtyard. Sparrows never have to fly far to drink water. In new neighborhoods, drains have been covered and pipes no longer leak much. Water is controlled, controlled, cleaned. It’s good for hygiene but terrible for sparrows.

hidden killer

The introduction of unleaded petrol may also play a role. Dennis Summers-Smith’s theory suggests that unleaded fuel, considered environmentally friendly, contains harmful byproducts. The fuel uses methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as an anti-knocking agent. Along with the by-products of combustion, it also kills small insects. Although adult sparrows can survive without insects in their diet, they need them to feed their young.Air pollution is another factor. Rising pollution levels in metropolitan cities indicate that the air is becoming dangerously toxic – for birds and humans alike. Since sparrows primarily eat grains, their decline could also mean that the grains we eat contain greater amounts of pesticides than before.Pigeons have become aggressive competitors. They take over nesting sites and often damage sparrow nests. The increasing population of crows poses an additional threat. Unlike crows, which have adapted to thrive on human waste, sparrows cannot survive on garbage. They depend on specific ecological conditions: access to seeds, insects for their young, and secure nesting sites. The world operates with the philosophy of survival of the fittest at every level.Invasive species such as starlings also compete with sparrows for food. These birds often have a more flexible diet, occupy urban areas more easily, and compete with sparrows for habitat and resources.Increased predation by cats and competition for food by other species including pigeons, crows and mynas have made survival even more difficult.This pattern is evident across India. In older, traditionally built, mixed-use neighborhoods, where people live, work, and trade in the same streets, sparrows still survive. These are often poorer, more crowded, less “planned” areas of the city. Real estate developers are desperate to redevelop them.In new, affluent, gated, clean neighborhoods, where houses are set back from the road, where every building is sealed, where every open space is sanitized, sparrows have disappeared.

Why do sparrows matter?

Sparrows aren’t just good neighbors. They play an important role in the ecosystem. They consume insects, which controls pests and reduces the need for pesticides. A new study indicates that the loss of birds may contribute to the spread of diseases to humans. High bird diversity appears to protect humans from exposure to West Nile virus, which is spread by mosquitoes. Where there are more birds to bite, mosquitoes will bite proportionally fewer people, partially reducing the chance of transmission or spread of infection.The spread of diseases is a worrying threat due to the decline in sparrow populations.In Hyderabad, a grassroots effort has begun to show what targeted intervention can achieve. The ‘Bring Back Sparrows’ campaign, launched in 2016 by the Animal Warriors Conservation Society, was started with a simple idea: if natural nesting places are disappearing, why not create them?Over the past decade, the organization has installed more than 1,600 nest boxes in areas like Aminpur, Gachibowli, Dilsukh Nagar and Alwal. In addition, more than 1,000 nest boxes are distributed to homes, institutions, and community groups each year. About 20,000 sparrows have returned to these areas.

In Mumbai, Mohammed Dilarao started the box initiative, placing small wooden boxes on trees that sparrows could use as nests. They also placed small feeders with grains, insects, and water to help the sparrows settle.In Chennai, the Koodugal Trust has involved school children in making nests for sparrows. Between 2020 and 2024, the Trust built more than 10,000 nests. School children build small wooden houses which act as shelter and provide food for the sparrows. Due to this effort, the number of sparrows in the area has increased significantly.In Mysore, Karnataka, the ‘Early Bird’ initiative introduces children to birds through a library, activity kits and trips to villages for bird watching. These learning efforts are making children aware and knowledgeable about the role of sparrows and other birds in the ecosystem.Rajya Sabha member Brijlal has installed 50 nests in his house. Sparrows come here every year to lay eggs. He takes care of them and provides them with food. The Prime Minister appreciated his work Narendra ModiWho highlighted the role of such individual efforts in conservation.

what needs to change

Chatterjee believes the answer lies less in major interventions and more in moderation.He explains, “We often say that sparrows have disappeared. But instead of asking why, we should ask what kind of place we are creating.”He suggests that the solution is to allow nature to return. “Keep certain parts of your garden neat and tidy. Let it grow. Leave some areas undisturbed. It’s not difficult to reintroduce animals, but you have to leave room for them.”“Beauty and habitat don’t always go together,” says Chatterjee. “If everything is cut down, cleared and controlled, there will be nothing left for wildlife.”At a policy level, he suggests bird-friendly infrastructure. “This could start with something as simple as rethinking our roadways, planting native bird-friendly shrubs and reducing plastic use. Birds and butterflies need dense bushes and shrubs as hiding and nesting places. If we keep pruning, cleaning and manicured everything in the name of beautification, we risk eradicating the habitats they depend on.“You do not need any government scheme to save sparrows. Leave a bowl of water on your balcony, let a corner of your garden go wild, plant some native plants instead of another exotic ornamental plant, place a nest box where there can be an air conditioner. Throw out some weed seeds from time to time.The sparrow has not gone very far. This place is waiting.The dawn is still beautiful, the dew is still freezing, and the sky is still ablaze with orange and yellow. We can’t silence the horns, but we can make room for chirping again.

NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress was built around one leader, one family name and one political belief – that Mamata Banerjee alone could hold the party together and lead it to victory every time. Barely a month after a crushing assembly defeat, that belief is facing its biggest test as a rebellion threatens to split the party she founded 28 years ago.

Prologue: The unthinkable

For nearly three decades, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) was Mamata Banerjee and Mamata Banerjee was the Trinamool Congress.She founded the party on January 1, 1998, after breaking away from the Congress, spent years battling the seemingly invincible CPM and, in 2011, achieved what many believed impossible: ending 34 years of Left rule in West Bengal.Through relentless street politics, welfare schemes and a carefully cultivated image as “Didi”, she transformed herself into Bengal’s undisputed political centre of gravity.Today, that edifice is facing its gravest crisis.Barely a month after suffering a crushing defeat in the 2026 assembly election, the TMC is confronting a rebellion unprecedented in its 28-year history. Fifty-eight of its 80 MLAs have rallied behind expelled leader Ritabrata Banerjee. The assembly speaker has recognised him as leader of the opposition. Senior leaders are questioning the party’s direction. Committees have been dissolved. And for the first time since the Trinamool’s birth, a rival faction is arguing that it, not Mamata Banerjee’s camp, represents the “real” TMC.The rebellion’s confidence was perhaps best captured by Ritabrata Banerjee’s remark after securing recognition as leader of the opposition in assembly.“We would request Mamata Banerjee to be our chief adviser to this opposition front.”For a leader who founded the party, built it and dominated Bengal politics through it for nearly three decades, the statement was both respectful and revolutionary.It suggested the battle was no longer about reforming the Trinamool Congress from within.It was about inheriting it.

Act I: The wheel turns

In May 2011, Kolkata celebrated the fall of a political giant.The Left front’s 34-year rule – the world’s longest-serving democratically elected communist government – had finally come to an end. Standing before jubilant supporters, Mamata Banerjee sought to reassure a deeply polarised state.“Bodloi noy, bodol chai” – change, not revenge.The slogan became the defining phrase of Bengal’s political transition.Yet Bengal’s political history has rarely followed the script written by its slogans.For more than three decades, the CPM had governed Bengal through a vast ecosystem of local committees, panchayat networks, trade unions, cooperative societies and neighbourhood party offices. In many districts, party offices often wielded more influence than formal institutions.When the regime fell, much of that machinery began moving.Local leaders switched sides. Panchayat chiefs recalibrated loyalties. Contractors adjusted. Organisational networks built under the Left increasingly aligned themselves with the new ruling establishment.Mamata Banerjee did not simply defeat the CPM.She inherited much of the ecosystem that had sustained it.The lesson was simple: in Bengal politics, institutions and leaders often survive by changing colours.Fifteen years later, the cycle appears to be repeating itself.The 2026 assembly election produced one of the most dramatic verdicts in the state’s political history. The BJP won 207 seats and formed its first government in West Bengal. The TMC was reduced to 80 seats. Mamata Banerjee herself lost Bhabanipur to her former lieutenant-turned-rival Suvendu Adhikari.The symbolism was impossible to miss.The politician who had dismantled the Left’s empire now found herself watching another political force dismantle her own.

As BJP leaders celebrated, they reached for language strikingly similar to that used by Mamata Banerjee fifteen years earlier.“Badla nahi, badlav.”Not revenge, but change.Yet just as in 2011, political reality proved more complicated than political messaging.Reports of post-poll clashes surfaced from several districts. Local Trinamool workers complained of intimidation. Party offices that had functioned as nerve centres of political power suddenly found themselves vulnerable.Most importantly, the psychology of power changed.For fifteen years, access to government, contracts, influence and protection flowed through the Trinamool Congress.Suddenly, those channels pointed elsewhere.In politics, survival often depends on proximity to power.And power had changed hands.The first sign that the crisis ran deeper than an electoral defeat came in Falta.Traditionally regarded as a Trinamool stronghold, the constituency should have offered the party an opportunity to demonstrate resilience after the election debacle.Instead, it delivered a political shock.TMC candidate Jahangir Khan publicly announced his withdrawal from the repoll campaign, though his name remained on the ballot because the deadline for withdrawing nominations had passed.The result was devastating.The BJP won comfortably. The CPM and Congress also finished ahead of the Trinamool Congress.The former ruling party was pushed to fourth place.Within Trinamool circles, the result triggered alarm.Election defeats can be rationalised. A fourth-place finish in a traditional stronghold is harder to explain away.The atmosphere inside the organisation began shifting from disappointment to panic.

Act II: Operation crown prince

If the election defeat exposed the Trinamool’s vulnerabilities, what followed revealed its internal fault lines.The seeds of the rebellion were sown almost immediately after the results.According to rebel leaders, the trigger came at a meeting of newly elected MLAs on May 6.At the gathering, Mamata Banerjee reportedly asked legislators to rise and applaud her nephew and party national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee for his role in the election campaign.What was intended as recognition was interpreted very differently by a section of legislators.Expelled MLA Sandipan Saha would later describe the episode as a turning point.“As for the trigger point, it occurred following the party’s electoral defeat. When we attended the party meeting, a directive was issued to all MLAs. No one was permitted to utter a single word of criticism regarding Abhishek. Instead, we were instructed that he had performed exceptionally well and that everyone must rise to accord him a standing ovation,” Saha alleged.His criticism became even sharper.“This included MLAs who have been serving in the assembly since a time when Abhishek Banerjee was likely still attending school. They too were compelled to stand up and join in the standing ovation,” the rebel leader said.The comments offer perhaps the clearest window yet into what the rebellion is really about.The rebels insist they are fighting to save the Trinamool Congress, but perhaps their battle is against what they see as the growing concentration of power around Abhishek Banerjee.For years, Mamata’s nephew had been viewed as the party’s political heir. He was entrusted with organisational responsibilities, election management and strategic decision-making. As national general secretary, he increasingly became the face of the next generation.But succession politics inevitably creates winners and losers.Many senior leaders who had spent decades building the party felt sidelined as younger leaders rose through the ranks. Others worried that decision-making was becoming concentrated within an increasingly small circle.The first public signs of dissent emerged on May 19.At a party meeting, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha questioned why Falta MLA Jahangir Khan had not been expelled despite publicly distancing himself from the repoll campaign.Since Jahangir was widely seen as being close to Abhishek Banerjee, the criticism was interpreted as a direct challenge to the power structure evolving around him.The turning point came three days later.On May 22, Ritabrata Banerjee, who was in Delhi to complete formalities following the end of his Rajya Sabha tenure, visited Banga Bhavan for lunch.There, he had what PTI described as an “accidental” meeting with chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.Soon afterwards, another controversy engulfed the party.On May 25, allegations surfaced that signatures of several legislators had been forged on documents submitted to the Speaker regarding the leadership structure of the legislature party.The issue quickly escalated.On May 27, Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha formally complained to the speaker. The assembly secretariat approached police. A CID investigation was launched.As legislators were questioned, what began as a procedural dispute evolved into a political rebellion.The signature controversy became a rallying point for disgruntled MLAs.Meetings multiplied. Lobbying intensified. And factions emerged.The crisis deepened further after Abhishek Banerjee came under a mob attack during a visit to Sonarpur on May 30.While political parties condemned the incident, several TMC leaders privately noted the muted response from sections of the organisation, interpreting it as evidence of a widening disconnect between the leadership and elected representatives.By the end of May, the erosion of authority had become visible.A meeting convened by Mamata Banerjee at her Kalighat residence reportedly witnessed poor attendance, depriving the leadership of the show of unity it had hoped to project.The rebel campaign had gained momentum and its target was unmistakable.

Act III: Et Tu, TMC?

The decisive rupture came on June 1.Hours after it became public that the CID probe had been initiated on complaints filed by Ritabrata Banerjee and Sandipan Saha, the TMC expelled both leaders.Instead of containing the crisis, the move accelerated it.The expelled leaders sharpened their attack on Abhishek Banerjee, accusing him of centralising authority within the organisation.Support rapidly shifted towards the dissidents.Then came the moment that transformed a political rebellion into an institutional reality.On June 4, a group of 58 MLAs submitted a letter to the speaker electing Ritabrata Banerjee as leader of the legislature party and nominating a new leadership team.

The speaker accepted their claim.For the first time in the party’s history, a majority of Trinamool legislators had openly defied Mamata Banerjee.The rebels justified their actions as necessary for the effective functioning of the opposition.“After deliberating among ourselves, we concluded that if we were to effectively discharge our duties within the assembly and serve our respective constituencies, we needed to form a distinct group,” Sandipan Saha said.“Furthermore, we determined that this group should constitute the principal opposition and that the Leader of the Opposition should be selected from within this group.”The battle soon centred on competing claims over the leader of the opposition post.Mamata Banerjee had proposed Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay.The rebels challenged the process.“Some MLAs were not even present for selecting the LoP, yet their names were inscribed in block letters,” Saha alleged.“When we voiced our objections, we submitted a formal letter to the speaker, who then ordered an inquiry. Once the inquiry commenced, evidence began to surface confirming the veracity of these allegations. Other MLAs began reaching out to us.”The face of this rebellion is among the most unlikely in Bengal politics.Ritabrata Banerjee began his political career in the CPM and rose rapidly through the Students Federation of India. He became one of the Left’s most visible young leaders and was rewarded with a Rajya Sabha seat.Then the CPM expelled him.After a period in political wilderness, he joined the TMC, where he rebuilt his career, headed the party’s trade union wing, secured another Rajya Sabha term and eventually entered the assembly.Not long ago, he was publicly invoking Vladimir Lenin while explaining Mamata Banerjee’s political appeal.Today, he is leading the biggest revolt against her.And parallels with Maharashtra’s Shiv Sena and NCP splits are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.Like Eknath Shinde an Ajit Pawar, Ritabrata’s strategy has centred on demonstrating legislative strength rather than organisational control.The difference is that this battle is unfolding entirely within opposition politics.Yet the danger for Mamata Banerjee remains enormous.If the rebels can demonstrate influence beyond the assembly – in Parliament, local bodies and organisational structures – they may eventually seek recognition as the authentic TMC.That battle could determine ownership of the party’s name, symbol and political inheritance.The fallout has already begun.The TMC dissolved its committees and frontal organisations, citing the need for introspection.Then came another symbolic blow.Firhad Hakim, one of Mamata Banerjee’s closest political associates, stepped down as Kolkata mayor.The crisis was no longer confined to the assembly, it was spreading through the organisation itself.

Epilogue: The empire strikes itself

The tragedy of politics is not that leaders lose power. It is that they often become victims of the same systems they once mastered.The Left front built a vast political machine and watched it migrate to the TMC.The TMC built an even larger machine and is now watching parts of it drift away in search of a new centre of gravity.Not long ago, Ritabrata Banerjee was invoking Lenin to explain Mamata Banerjee’s appeal among ordinary Bengalis.Today, he leads the biggest challenge to her authority since she founded the party in 1998.The irony is difficult to miss.In 2011, Mamata Banerjee inherited a political ecosystem abandoned by the Left.In 2026, she is watching parts of her own machine drift away in search of a new political home.The twin flowers once replaced the hammer and sickle.Now they are fighting to avoid the same fate.

New Delhi: The Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police on Saturday recovered a huge cache of firearms and cartridges allegedly hidden inside a pond. Trinamool Congress The leader in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, officials said.Acting on a tip-off, STF personnel conducted raids in Sandeshkhali and surrounding areas on Saturday morning. During the operation, investigators recovered a large cache of arms and ammunition from a pond belonging to the former regional president of Trinamool Congress Robin Das. His brother Gopal Das is also under investigation.According to officials, both Robin Das and Gopal Das fled the area before the raid. According to IANS, police teams searched his residence and nearby places as part of the operation. STF along with central forces also searched the surrounding areas. Investigators suspect that the weapons were stored to create unrest in the area. The recovery created a stir in the area, as soon as the news of the operation spread, a large number of residents gathered at the spot.Officials said a massive search operation is underway and a search operation has been launched to trace the two brothers, who have previously been accused of intimidation and violence against local residents and political activists.After recovery, BJP has intensified its attack on Trinamool Congress. BJP MLA Sajal Ghosh alleged that the weapons could have been used to target common people and opposition workers.Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari praised the police, calling it a major success against the illegal arms network in the state.In a post on Twitter, the officer said STF personnel, based on specific intelligence inputs, had conducted extensive raids in Kumarakhali, Basanti and Sandeshkhali and recovered a huge cache of illegal firearms and ammunition allegedly hidden to disrupt peace.He wrote, “Congratulations to West Bengal Police for a major breakthrough. Acting on precise intelligence, the Special Task Force conducted extensive raids at several locations near Sarberia Market in Kumarakhali, Basanti and Sandeshkhali areas. The forces have successfully seized a large cache of illegal firearms and ammunition hidden to disrupt peace.”The official further claimed that illegal weapons were stockpiled and used to terrorize civilians during the previous administration and said his government would continue efforts to eliminate illegal weapons and political violence from the state.He said, “For years under the previous regime, such illegal weapons were hoarded and ruthlessly used to terrorize common citizens. This culture of violence claimed precious lives of many opposition party workers, especially dedicated BJP workers, who stood against the tyranny.”“Those dark days are over. Our government is unconditionally committed to restoring law and order. We will continue to trace, locate and recover every single piece of illegal weaponry in every nook and corner of West Bengal. Criminal activities and political terrorism will be completely eliminated from our state.“Peace, security and democracy will prevail.”

New Delhi: The Indian High Commission in London on Friday condemned the “indecent behavior of the audience” during Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant’s lecture at Birkbeck College, videos of which surfaced online, showing a participant attempting to raise questions about dissent and democracy in India during the event.“Such unruly audience behavior is unacceptable and inconsistent with the respectful engagement that governs public discussion. Differences of opinion are a natural part of a democratic society. However, they must be expressed in a civil and respectful manner,” the High Commission post said.The statement comes after a clip circulated on social media in which a participant tried to ask questions to the Chief Justice while he was delivering a lecture on artificial intelligence and international law. Organizers intervened and stopped the conversation from continuing, and asked attendees to keep focused on the topic of the event.Speaking at Birkbeck College, University of London, Justice Kant said artificial intelligence has emerged as one of the defining legal and governance challenges of the modern era, the consequences of which will shape the future of democratic societies and international law.During his address, Justice Kant argued that artificial intelligence has moved beyond the realm of theory and is now having a direct impact on public institutions, legal systems and governance structures across the world.He said AI represents one of the greatest challenges facing modern international law and stressed that the way governments and societies respond to the technology will have long-term implications in the coming years.“Technology is neither inherently benevolent nor inherently harmful. Its impact depends on the legal, political, and ethical framework within which society chooses to deploy it. Therefore, the responsibility of law is neither to oppose technological progress nor to surrender unquestioningly to it. Its responsibility is to ensure that technological power remains accountable to constitutional values, democratic legitimacy and human dignity.”The Chief Justice said that AI is already impacting many sectors including governance, commerce, communications, defense and justice system.“Governments now use algorithmic systems to allocate welfare benefits, assess immigration applications, monitor borders, regulate financial systems, and support policing functions. Militaries are increasingly developing autonomous capabilities. There is more than enough access,” he said.Justice Kant also highlighted the growing role of AI in judicial administration, pointing to its use in legal research, case management, translation services, transcription, document organization and identification of precedents.According to the organisers, questions related to India’s democratic record and allegations related to hostility towards dissent were not considered as the session was intended to remain focused on artificial intelligence and its legal implications.One attendee tried to express concerns about the protection of India’s democratic values ​​in the age of AI and described it as hostility towards dissent. However, the organizers stopped the intervention before any discussion could escalate.Addressing the broader implications of emerging technologies, the Chief Justice stressed that AI raises complex questions that extend beyond national boundaries and require coordinated legal responses.“The central challenge before us is to ensure that, in the age of intelligent machines, humanity retains the authorship of the principles by which it is governed. If international law can rise to that challenge, artificial intelligence can become not only a technological revolution, but an opportunity to reaffirm the values ​​that lie at the foundation of democratic civilization,” he underlined.Justice Kant is currently on a six-day visit to the United Kingdom, where he is interacting with legal and academic institutions on issues related to technology, law and global governance.

New Delhi: Amid the recent surge in Ebola virus cases in several parts of Africa, three suspected cases involving foreign nationals have been reported in Chhattisgarh, who were isolated in Durg and put under 21-day quarantine as a precautionary measure.State Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal on Saturday announced that the state is fully prepared to deal with any possible Ebola virus infection, stressing that hospitals and quarantine facilities have been put on alert and necessary arrangements have been made to ensure public safety.Speaking to reporters, Jaiswal said the three persons kept under observation were citizens of African countries and were being monitored in line with health protocols. He said that no Ebola infection has been confirmed so far and no person is showing symptoms of the disease.He said, “We are fully prepared at every level across the state for a month now. The three persons kept in isolation at Durg are citizens of African countries and have been kept in isolation for 21 days as a precautionary measure. So far, tests have not confirmed the presence of the virus, nor are they showing any symptoms.”The development comes days after a Ugandan woman was isolated in Bengaluru and tested following a global alert over the Ebola outbreak in parts of Africa. The 28-year-old passenger, who arrived at Kempegowda International Airport from Uganda on May 23, was shifted to the Epidemic Diseases Hospital in Indiranagar after health officials observed possible symptoms and collected samples for testing. Jaiswal also highlighted the launch of Chhattisgarh CM Helpline for public grievance redressal.He said, “We are launching this initiative with confidence, and it will definitely provide significant relief to the people of the state and increase their confidence in the government. If a Chief Minister provides a toll-free number to the public, it means that some issues cannot otherwise reach them. This initiative ensures that those issues reach the CM.”The heightened vigilance follows the World Health Organization’s decision on May 17 to classify the Ebola outbreaks in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).India has not reported any confirmed cases of the Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain, which is currently responsible for outbreaks in parts of Africa. However, states have increased surveillance and screening measures as a precautionary measure.The Center has advised citizens to avoid non-essential travel to Congo, Uganda and South Sudan. On Friday, a suspected case of Ebola was also reported in Rajasthan, when a Ugandan national who had arrived in Jaipur from Sharjah showed symptoms associated with the disease and was admitted to an isolation hospital pending test results.