The Bharatiya Janata Party has issued a legal notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, alleging defamation over remarks linking the party to recent explosions in Jalandhar and Amritsar. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh said the notice accuses the chief minister of making allegations without evidence and seeks action related to criminal defamation, spreading false information, and attempting to incite public unrest. The development follows comments made by Mann a day earlier, in which he alleged that such incidents were being used as political tactics ahead of elections in Punja

Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee has lost the Bhabanipur assembly seat in West Bengal, according to early election results. Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Suvendu Adhikari defeated Banerjee by a margin of about 15,000 votes. The result marks the second time Banerjee has lost to Adhikari in a direct contest. In the 2021 state election, she was defeated by him in the Nandigram constituency, although her party went on to form the government with a statewide majority. According to preliminary trends from the Election Commission, the BJP has secured 184 of the 294 assembly seats, crossin

The Punjab Legislative Assembly passed a confidence motion tabled by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a special session called by the state government, according to proceedings reported from the House. The motion was introduced to demonstrate the government’s majority. A total of 88 legislators from the Aam Aadmi Party voted in favour, while four MLAs were absent at the time of voting. Ahead of the session, Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa questioned the need for a confidence motion, stating that the ruling party already holds a large majority in the Assembly. He said the move

The Punjab cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, has approved convening a one-day special session of the Vidhan Sabha on May 1, according to a state government announcement. The session will coincide with International Workers' Day and is expected to focus on issues affecting the working class. The government plans to discuss concerns linked to changes in employment programs, including the replacement of the Centre’s MGNREGA with what it describes as the “Ji Ram Ji Scheme,” as outlined in the cabinet decision. According to the announcement, representatives of labour unions from a

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann says the Netherlands is considering importing roses from the state following discussions during his recent visit. According to a statement shared by Mann, Dutch officials indicated interest in sourcing roses from Punjab, which he said could offer better-quality flowers at competitive prices. He noted that the Netherlands currently imports roses in large quantities from Ethiopia. Mann said the discussions focused on expanding cooperation in the horticulture sector, highlighting what he described as untapped opportunities for Punjab farmers in international fl

The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at 11 locations across Punjab and Chandigarh on Monday as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving former Punjab Police deputy inspector general Harcharan Singh Bhullar. According to an Enforcement Directorate statement, the कार्रवाई was carried out under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and included premises linked to Bhullar, his associates, and individuals suspected of holding properties on his behalf. Officials said documents and digital evidence were seized during the searches. Investigators suspect th

Rajya Sabha MPs Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal and Sandeep Pathak, who announced their resignations from AAP, joined the BJP in the presence of party chief Nitin Nabin in Delhi on Friday. The remaining four MPs – former cricketer Harbhajan Singh, Swati Maliwal, Rajinder Gupta and Vikram Sahney will join the BJP later. Chadha, Mittal and Pathak, received bouquets from Nabin and greeted other BJP leaders present at the party office.

Amritsar Rural Police have formally arrested Khadoor Sahib MP and ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh in connection with the Ajnala violence case, following the expiry of his detention under the National Security Act. According to a police statement, the arrest was carried out immediately after the NSA detention period lapsed. Singh was produced before a sub-divisional court in Ajnala via video conferencing from Dibrugarh Central Jail in Assam, where he remains lodged. Police told the court they require extended custody to continue their investigation, including recovery of weapons and

At least 21 people were killed and about 45 others injured after a passenger bus veered off a mountainous highway and plunged down a steep slope in Indian-administered Kashmir on Monday, according to local authorities. Civil administrator Prem Singh said the 42-seat bus was carrying more than 60 passengers from Ramnagar to Udhampur when it collided with an auto-rickshaw at a sharp curve. The impact caused the bus to lose control and fall approximately 30 metres onto a lower road. Officials said 19 people died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries after being transported to