Former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday clarified that he had been absent from Wednesday’s Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting with the permission of the party high command. Channi said he had an examination at Panjab University, which prevented him from attending the meeting. He said the party high command had granted him permission to remain absent. The meeting, chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, was attended by senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, along with several other top leaders and special invitees. A

Various Sikh organisations have extended their support to the ‘Punjab Bandh’ call given by the Qaumi Insaaf Morcha for August 21. The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has also backed the bandh and decided to keep its offices and all affiliated institutions closed on August 21. Apart from the SGPC, the Shiromani Akali Dal Reunited, Akali Dal ‘Waris Punjab De’, Dal Khalsa, Hawara Committee, Mann Dal and several other Sikh organisations have announced their support for the bandh. Sikh leaders have appealed to the public to completely shut their businesses until 2 p.m. on Aug

A devastating fire broke out at a hotel in Kolkata, West Bengal, early Wednesday morning, killing around nine people, including five Bangladeshi nationals. A child was also among those who died. Police officials said the fire broke out on the second floor of the hotel at around 2:50 a.m. local time and was brought under control within about an hour. A preliminary investigation suggests that an electrical short circuit may have caused the fire. According to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, four of the five Bangladeshi nationals who died were members of the same family. Six other Bang

Farmer organizations protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border on Wednesday announced the temporary suspension of their agitation. The decision came after Haryana authorities proposed a meeting with Union Minister Manohar Lal on September 4 to discuss the farmers’ demands. The protesting farmers had been sitting at the Khanauri–Data Singh Wala border point. On August 16, Haryana Police stopped a group of 51 farmers from proceeding towards Delhi. The farmers were undertaking a 228-kilometre-long “Kisan Bachao Padyatra” (Save Farmers March) to oppose the proposed India-U.S. trade agreement

Ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, Akali Dal (Waris Punjab De) is considering fielding jailed Khadoor Sahib MP Amritpal Singh from Dhuri, the constituency represented by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. According to information, Amritpal Singh has expressed interest in contesting from Dhuri in addition to Khadoor Sahib. The party is also considering Talwandi Sabo and Rampura Phul as possible options. A party leader from Kotkapura said Amritpal Singh is interested in contesting from Dhuri. He said all options are being discussed and, based on the outcome of the meeting, a formal proposal

Ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has carried out a major organisational reshuffle, handing key responsibilities to two prominent leaders associated with Punjab. Under the new appointments announced by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, former Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal has been appointed as the party’s National Vice-President. Meanwhile, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh has been given the additional responsibility of being in charge of the party’s national headquarters. The appointments give Punjab representation at

Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has said that if he seeks a party ticket for the 2027 Punjab Assembly election, it will be only from the Dera Baba Nanak constituency. Randhawa said he has no intention of seeking a ticket from any other Assembly seat. His comments come as discussions over potential candidates and party tickets intensify ahead of the 2027 Punjab election. He said Congress should select candidates based on their eligibility and ability to win elections rather than on personal loyalty or flattery. Randhawa also said preference should be given to people who have demonstrated

A firing incident involving the vehicle of former Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib and former Head Granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib, Giani Raghbir Singh, has come to light. The incident was discovered when his driver noticed a bullet lodged in the vehicle while cleaning it and immediately informed the police. Giani Raghbir Singh said police have launched an investigation into the incident. He added that he also checked the CCTV footage outside his residence. According to the footage, a sound believed to be a gunshot was heard at around 11:04 p.m. on August 12, after which the security guard pres

Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal was discharged from a hospital in Nanded, Maharashtra, on Friday, a day after surviving a life-threatening attack. Speaking to the media for the first time since the incident, Badal said that communal and religious harmony remains the top priority for his party. Recalling his late father and former Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, Sukhbir said he had never compromised with communal forces. He always stood by the people and believed that people of all religions and communities should live together in peace and harmony. Sukhbir Badal su