News Menu, May 31: PM Modi in Bhopal today; security drill in Pak-bordering states
Modi also lays the foundation for 860 crore Kshipra River ghat projects, inaugurates Datia and Satna airports, launches Indore Metro's Yellow Line, and transfers funds for 1,271 Atal Gram Sushasan Bhawans. India Today tracks the event with visuals and walkthroughs.Security Sambar: Operation Shield's Mock DrillsOperation Shield returns with massive mock drills across J&K, Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, and Chandigarh to counter cross-border threats. Key events include Amritsar (drill at 6:00–7:00 PM, blackout 8:00–8:30 PM), Baramulla (drill at 1:30 PM at Showkat Ali Stadium, GDC Ground). India Today tracks this robust security push. From 5:00 PM.Bengal Biryani: Amit Shah's 2026 Election KickoffadvertisementUnion Home Minister Amit Shah lands in Kolkata for a two-day visit, launching the BJP's 2026 West Bengal Assembly election campaign. His agenda peaks with a Karyakarta Sammelan at Netaji Indoor Stadium on June 1, focusing on Murshidabad's border security, infiltration, and Operation Sindoor's success. India Today tracks Shah's arrival and political developments, assessing the BJP's strategy against the TMC's governance narrative.Delhi Delight: BJP's 100-Day MilestoneDelhi's Rekha government marks 100 days with a mega event at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, launching the first urban Ayushman Arogya Mandir at Tis Hazari Court complex. India Today unpacks this showcase of the BJP's governance in the capital.Health Bite: Covid's NB.1.8.1 SurgeThe NB.1.8.1 Omicron subvariant, 1.5 times more contagious, spreads in India and China. Maharashtra reports 84 new cases (467 active), Gujarat 68 (265 active, 11 hospitalised), Karnataka records a third death, and Mizoram sees its first case in seven months. India Today tracks the mild but concerning surge, urging surveillance.Monsoon Mix: Floods and Red AlertsHeavy to extremely heavy rainfall batters Northeast India, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim. Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu soaked. Assam's Guwahati faces severe flooding due to Meghalaya runoff, prompting a red alert. Karnataka records its highest May rainfall in 125 years. India Today navigates this monsoon chaos.Political Platter: Congress's Jai Hind SabhaadvertisementAs PM Modi addresses Bhopal, the Congress counters with a 'Jai Hind Sabha' rally in Jabalpur, spotlighting the BJP's alleged failures on governance, inflation, and women's safety. This political face-off tests both parties' strength in Madhya Pradesh. India Today tracks the brewing showdown.Ideological Idli: Shah, Nadda on Integral HumanismAmit Shah and JP Nadda headline a National Commemorative Seminar on May 31–June 1 at Delhi's NDMC Convention Centre, marking 60 years of Deendayal Upadhyaya's Integral Humanism lectures. The event explores the BJP's ideological roots in today's context. India Today follows this intellectual feast. BJP's ideological roots in today's context. India Today follows this intellectual feast.Southern Sizzler: Kamal Haasan Row EscalatesKamal Haasan's refusal to apologise for claiming 'Kannada was born out of Tamil' fuels outrage. The Karnataka Film Chamber and Kannada Rakshana Vedike demand an apology, threatening to burn theatres if Thug Life releases. Tamil actor Vinothini Vaidyanathan and the South Indian Artistes' Association back Haasan, calling the rage misplaced. India Today covers this linguistic firestorm.Global Golgappa: China's Power PlayChina has launched the International Organisation for Mediation (IOMed), the world's first intergovernmental mediation body. Critics see it as a tool to expand China's influence, especially with Pakistan as a founding member. India Today unpacks this geopolitical maneuver.advertisementDefence Dal: Tejas Mk1A BoostThe first indigenous centre fuselage for Tejas Mk1A is handed over to HAL, accelerating production and boosting private sector roles. Shivani Sharma tracks this milestone in India's defence of self-reliance. India Today celebrates the achievement.UP's Top Cop Transition: DGP Race Heats UpMay 31 marks DGP Prashant Kumar's last day, potentially the longest-serving UP DGP in 20 years. India Today tracks whether Kumar gets an extension or a new chief takes over.Amaravati Achar: Naidu's Global VisionAndhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu envisions Amaravati as a global leadership hub, aiming to rival Davos. India Today explores his bold plan to elevate Andhra's capital.Parting Bite: The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after hitting an iceberg, claiming over 1,500 lives. Ironically, Millvina Dean, the last known survivor, died on the very same date the ship was launched– May 31, 2009, at 97–-closing a tragic chapter in maritime history. Sometimes life comes full circle in strange ways.
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Hans India
26 minutes ago
- Hans India
MyVoice: Views of our readers 18th August 2025
'Vote chori' charge likely to be game changer The Election Commission's conduct and its conduct of electoral roll revision and elections and the BJP's defence of the Election Commission have become a burning issue. The phrase, 'vote chori', described as 'improper' by the Election Commission, now has wide currency. It resonates with the people as 'Bofors' and '2G' once did. Now the BJP and the Election Commission find themselves on the receiving end of the Opposition's campaign for transparency in the poll process. If the momentum that the campaign gains is anything to go by, it could turn out to be a game-change and BJP's nemesis. Few people believe that the Election Commission does not differentiate between political parties. Both the Election Commission and the BJP speak the same language. The claim of 'vote chori' is not an insult to the Constitution, but the fact of vote chori, if proven with evidence, is. More and more people come to believe that all is not right with the way the electoral rolls are prepared and elections are held. The fear of disenfranchise looms large. Voter manipulation is no ordinary crime in a democracy. The Election Commission cannot afford to be seen as complicit in the crime. Even in its press conference held to counter the Opposition vote fraud charge, other than saying that the Opposition is trying to fearmonger and mislead the people and using the images of voters for political gain is unethical and invoking the paramountcy of the privacy of voters to justify its opacity, the Election Commission has given no convincing answers to valid questions and shown no willingness to take corrective action. The Rahul Gandhi-led Vote Adhikar Yatra is likely to bring enormous pressure on the poll body to rise above political considerations and perform its role as it should to restore its credibility and regain people's trust in it as a constitutional institution with independence, impartiality and integrity. G. David Milton,Maruthancode (TN) PM's adulation for RSS is demeaning The Kerala Chief Minister was spot-on in decrying the Prime Minister's public display of his adulation for the RSS during the latter's speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort on Independence Day. The Prime Minister should have expressed his happiness at Indian independence, rising above compulsions. The RSS had practically no noteworthy role to play in the Independence struggle. Every kindergarten student is thorough with RSS' hand-in-glove involvement with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi for which the organisation was subsequently outlawed. Dr. George Jacob,Kochi Kyiv-Moscow direct peace a distinct possibility Though the contents of a high-stakes summit between US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on ceasefire in Ukraine remains vague, the nearly three-hour summit in Alaska, ended with Trump calling for a direct peace pact between Kyiv and Moscow bypassing the ceasefire route long advocated by Ukraine and its Western allies seems a distinct possibility. India welcomed the summit terming the pursuit of peace is commendable. Trump's earlier announced 25% secondary tariff on Indian purchases of Russian oil may be deferred. The tariff deadline could quietly lapse to India's advantage. Trump's announcement that India had already stopped buying Russian oil raised eyebrows – since India is ready to deal with any eventuality arising out of the irrational US reaction on India's exports to that country. S Lakshmi,Hyderabad Fabulous fifty for Rajinikanth in Indian cinema The one and only 'Style Mannan (style king) ' and the only ' Thalaivar (leader) ' of Tamil film industry and Indian cinema Shivaji Rao Gaikwad alias Superstar Rajini Kanth celebrates fifty years of cinema this week. Making his debut in 1975 in eminent director K Balachandars 'apoorva ragangal' (the film was released on 18th August 1975 ) the living legend is truly a lesson to be read, inspired and emulated. His ups and downs of life, his super stardom, his spiritualism, his simple life, humbleness and his rising as a phoenix every time there was a low is some sort of a motivational book from which lessons can be learned. His sterling performance and unique style of acting, his mesmerising screen presence, his voice and dialogue, his bond with his fans, his stint as an entertainer on screen - make him the 'Super Style star of Indian cinema'. Many of us belong to a generation that grew watching the super duper hits of this 'young man who never turns old', though he's nearing his 75 this December!'. None can forget his power-packed film flicks like Mullum malarum, Billa, Annamalai, Enthiran, Thalapathy, Hum, Baasha, Jailer and an endless list of around 170 movies in a career spanning over five decades, and this includes films in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, and Malayalam making him a pan Indian star. M Pradyu, Kannur
Hans India
26 minutes ago
- Hans India
Rahul's allegations against EC detrimental to the foundations of Indian democracy
'When the voter list revision happened, we were in power. It is our fault for not verifying it properly,' said Congress minister K.N. Rajanna in response to Rahul Gandhi's allegations of voter fraud in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency. The Congress high command, angered that Rajanna had 'exposed their foolishness,' immediately removed him from his post. Yet, Rajanna's question is on everyone's mind. If the Congress party is in power in Karnataka now, how could voter fraud have happened in a way that would benefit the opposition? Before the Congress victory in the Assembly elections, the BJP was in power. If the BJP could have won by manipulating the voter list, why did they lose? And how did Congress win? Rahul Gandhi seems to have missed this logic, but the people have not. Normally, opposition leaders attack the ruling party to win public support and come to power. In our country's politics, this opposition leader is different; he targets the Election Commission. Rahul claimed that, based on his own investigation, the voter list in Mahadevapura contained irregularities. Yet, he is unwilling to affirm his findings as definite truth. The Election Commission asked him to formally file a complaint and submit an affidavit, but Rahul refused. Strategically, this was a mistake. If he wanted to expose voter list issues, he should have picked a state where Congress lost, such as Haryana or Maharashtra, especially since he complains that exit polls in those states predicted a Congress win but the party lost instead. Targeting Karnataka, where Congress is in power, is baffling. Mahadevapura is entirely urban, part of Bengaluru, an employment hub where people migrate from across India and register as voters even if they are still registered in their home states. This is why voter turnout in metros rarely crosses 50 percent, the same is true for Hyderabad. Rahul claims that out of Mahadevapura's 6.5 lakh voters, one lakh are fake. Whether this is true will be revealed in investigations. However, minor errors in voter lists cannot change election outcomes. Rahul also alleges rigging after 5 PM, but such a thing would require the cooperation of thousands of people, which is impossible in the election process. Moreover, in Karnataka, Congress has strong cadre representation at every polling booth until the EVM is sealed. How, then, could rigging occur? Media fact-checking of Rahul's claims revealed that while some addresses listed many voters, those people were actually migrant workers who had registered with rental agreements but later moved away. Their names remained on the list, as is common in cities. Duplicate votes, votes of deceased persons, and other such errors are common nationwide. Ironically, Rahul opposes the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, currently underway in Bihar, which aims to fix such irregularities. Instead of demanding a nationwide SIR to clean all voter lists, Rahul attacks the Election Commission. The real solution is linking voter ID with Aadhaar, but when this was attempted earlier, Rahul opposed it, filing court cases and stopping the process. From 2004 to 2014, Congress was in power. Yet, despite having the authority, Rahul did not implement these reforms. In fact, he once tore up an ordinance approved by his own cabinet in front of the media, humiliating his own Prime Minister. Rahul used to blame EVMs for Congress's losses, but suddenly he has shifted to voter lists. If he truly doubts both EVMs and voter lists, he should reject the Telangana election results, where Congress came to power in 2023 despite losing deposits in many previous contests, including the Munugode bypoll just a year earlier. In Bihar, illegal immigrants are being turned into a 'vote bank,' threatening national security. In Bengal, Mamata Banerjee is allegedly sheltering Bangladeshi Muslims to convert them into voters. Rahul and his allies, knowingly or unknowingly, are part of this 'mind game' to stop the EC from removing such names from voter lists. The Election Commission is the guardian of India's democratic foundations, and public trust in it is vital. Rahul Gandhi, by magnifying minor voter list errors, is attempting to damage the EC's credibility, thereby weakening democracy itself. As the heir of the Congress party, who has yet to deliver a single decisive victory, he is trying to shift the blame for his failures onto the EC. But the public is seeing through this. The Supreme Court even remarked, in reference to Rahul's statements, 'If you are a true Indian, you would not make such comments.' The question now resonates nationwide: why does Rahul take India's internal issues to the global stage, giving anti-India forces ammunition? If Rahul were a true Indian, would he conspire against the very foundations of our democracy? Would he attack the EC with baseless allegations? This attempt to weaken India must be defeated by the people themselves. (The writer is Vice President, Andhra Pradesh BJP)
Hans India
26 minutes ago
- Hans India
BJP flays Congress for ‘baseless attacks' on Election Commission
Hyderabad: The Telangana BJP on Sunday came down heavily on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his allies for their 'reckless and irresponsible' accusations against the Election Commission of India (ECI), terming them a deliberate attempt to erode public trust in a constitutionally mandated institution. BJP State Chief Spokesperson and Media In-charge Subash blasted the Opposition, reminding them that it would serve the democratic process better if they cooperated with the Commission instead of casting baseless aspersions. He said: 'As per the Constitution of India, every citizen who attains the age of 18 has the right to be a voter and exercise his or her franchise. The CEC has already made it abundantly clear that the Commission is committed to ensuring this. Ironically, every political party—including those making noise today—is itself born through registration with the Election Commission. How then can the same Commission be accused of discrimination among political parties?' He said the truth was being wilfully twisted. The Election Commission has reiterated that the SIR process is being carried out in Bihar with full participation of district-level party representatives and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) nominated by the same parties now crying foul. If their state or national leaders are 'unaware' of these facts, the BJP said, it only exposes a communication gap within their own ranks—or worse, a calculated attempt to manufacture confusion. The BJP leader also took a swipe at RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, recalling how he was caught in a controversy regarding his own vote. 'When confronted with evidence of alleged double voting, neither he nor his party could provide any proof,' Subash said, adding that this exposes the hollowness of Opposition charges. The BJP leader asserted that neither the Election Commission nor India's voters will be cowed down by such 'manufactured slander.' The party reiterated that the ECI has stood, and will continue to stand, 'like a rock' with every voter—rich or poor, youth or elderly, men or women, cutting across caste, creed, and religion—without fear or favour. 'The Congress and its allies may attempt to play politics by putting the voter's trust at gunpoint, but they will fail. The Indian voter is too wise to fall for Rahul Gandhi's theatrics. The credibility of the Election Commission remains intact, and so does the faith of the people of India in free and fair elections,' he added.
