The Observer Post

Independent media organisation for marginalised people.

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The Union government has spent ₹557.5 crore on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits since 2021, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

The details were shared in a written reply by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in response to questions from MPs Sanjay Singh and V. Sivadasan regarding the cost of the Prime Minister’s overseas visits, agreements signed during the tours and foreign investment received.

According to the government, ₹36.1 crore was spent on Modi’s foreign visits in 2021, followed by ₹55.8 crore in 2022. Expenditure rose to ₹93.6 crore in 2023, ₹109.5 crore in 2024 and ₹187.8 crore in 2025.

So far in 2026, the government has spent ₹74.5 crore on six foreign visits covering 13 countries.

US Trip in 2025 Most Expensive

The MEA said Modi’s visit to the United States in February 2025 was the costliest foreign trip during the period, with an expenditure of more than ₹25.5 crore.

Read the full report on https://t.co/sxATfrm14G

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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said that students protesting over issues such as examination irregularities should not be labelled “anti-national”, describing their grievances as genuine and calling protest a legitimate way of expressing concerns in a democracy.

Addressing more than 2,000 students at an event in Mumbai, Bhagwat said the younger generation deserves to be heard.

“If Gen Z is protesting, they’re not anti-national. They’re our own people. They’re our next generation,” Bhagwat said. “I won’t say that Gen Z should not protest, but in a democracy there are ways of going about it. Protest is a way of dialogue.”

‘Gen Z Wants Logical Answers’

Bhagwat said today’s youth are different from previous generations because they seek reasoned explanations instead of simply accepting authority.

“Gen Z and Gen Alpha want logical answers,” he said, adding that their concerns reflect shortcomings in the country’s education system.

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Responding to a question from Gen Z about the student protests in Jharkhand, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi said India's education system has been "ruined" and called on all governments to listen to students and bring reforms. He said the responsibility lies with every government, including the Congress, the Centre, and the Jharkhand government, to improve the education system.

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Aban Ahmed, the youngest son of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed, died in a road accident in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi on Thursday while travelling to meet his elder brother, Ali Ahmed, who is lodged in the district jail.

Another person travelling in the vehicle, identified as Sonu, also died in the accident, while three others sustained injuries and were admitted to a medical college for treatment.

Car Crashes Into Highway Divider

According to police, Aban was travelling from Prayagraj to Jhansi in a white Hyundai Creta with four others when the driver allegedly lost control of the vehicle. The SUV crashed into a highway divider, leaving its front portion badly damaged.

Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy said police received information about the accident at around 10.30 am.

“Two people died in the accident, while three others sustained injuries. The injured are undergoing treatment at the medical college,” Murthy told reporters.

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Mohammad Junaid, who gained attention for arranging food and drinking water during the NEET protest at Jantar Mantar, has arrived in Ranchi to support students protesting alleged irregularities in JPSC and JSSC recruitment exams. At the protest site, he met students, including six on an indefinite hunger strike. Junaid said he would extend similar support in Ranchi after assessing the situation.

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As devastating floods continue to affect Assam, several Muslim volunteers have joined relief efforts to help stranded families. A video circulating on social media identifies one volunteer as Mohammad Kaif, with the caption, "This is Mohammad Kaif, he hasn't seen Hindu Muslim." Meanwhile, the flood situation remains critical, with the death toll rising to 95 and over 1.22 lakh people affected across several districts.

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Barely a fortnight after its inauguration, parts of the Lucknow-Kanpur Expressway reportedly developed damage, prompting repair work. Videos circulating on social media show pedestal fans being used to dry patched sections of the road during the repairs. The expressway project has drawn criticism over the quality of construction, while allegations of corruption have also been raised.

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The Mutahida Majlis-e-Ulema (MMU) Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday expressed strong objection after screenshots allegedly showed pork products listed for sale on the online delivery platform Blinkit in Kashmir. The religious body urged the company to immediately remove the products and ensure they are not stocked or sold in the region.

Calls for Investigation

In a statement, the MMU said it was “outraged and shocked” after people shared screenshots showing pork products being listed on the platform.

The organisation said pork sale and consumption are prohibited in Islam and that Muslims are highly sensitive about the issue. It questioned how such products were allowed to be listed for sale in Kashmir and called for a thorough investigation.

“This matter should be seriously investigated by the authorities and those involved should be warned,” the MMU said.

Appeal to Blinkit

The MMU asked Blinkit to immediately remove the products from its listings and ensure that pork products are neither stocked, advertised nor sold in Kashmir.

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Amid viral social media videos allegedly showing some Kanwariyas consuming alcohol, engaging in violence and creating public disturbances, All India Imam Association President Maulana Sajid Rashidi on Thursday said such individuals should not be described as devotees of Lord Shiva.

Speaking to IANS, Rashidi said people involved in violence, vandalism and disruptive behaviour do not represent genuine devotees.

“You call those who sit on roads consuming alcohol and intoxicants devotees of Lord Shiva? You call those who assault police personnel in uniform Shiv Bhakts? You call those who smash the windows of a school van and injure children Shiv Bhakts?” he said.

Referring to reported incidents involving ambulances, he added, “You even call those who stop an ambulance carrying a patient and force people to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ Shiv Bhakts? They are not Shiv Bhakts; they are terrorists.”

‘Not Speaking About All Kanwariyas’

Rashidi clarified that his remarks were not aimed at all Kanwar pilgrims and acknowledged that many undertake the yatra with sincerity and devotion.

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The Bombay High Court on Thursday convicted former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal in the 2013 rape case filed by a former junior colleague, overturning the Goa sessions court’s 2021 acquittal.

A division bench of Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar held Tejpal guilty under Sections 376(2)(f), 354A and 354B of the Indian Penal Code. The court later sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment and granted him two weeks to surrender.

The conviction came after the Goa government challenged the trial court’s acquittal, arguing that the lower court had wrongly assessed the complainant’s conduct instead of focusing on the evidence.

Court Sentences Tejpal to 10 Years

Following the conviction, Tejpal requested the court to show leniency.

“I am 62 years old today. I am a father of two daughters. I have a wife. I am a political victim,” he told the court while pleading for a lighter sentence.

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Meta has apologised for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Facebook post and for several content moderation failures, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and deepfake content, according to government sources after senior company executives met Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and IT Secretary S. Krishnan on Wednesday.

While Meta’s Global Affairs Chief Joel Kaplan said in a written statement that he apologised to the minister on behalf of the company for restricting the Prime Minister’s post, government sources claimed the apology came directly from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta has not publicly confirmed that Zuckerberg personally apologised.

PM Modi’s Facebook Post Triggered the Row

The meeting followed controversy over the temporary removal of Prime Minister Modi’s July 23 Facebook video, in which he addressed students and promised strict action against examination paper leaks.

The video was first uploaded on Instagram before being shared on Facebook, where it was briefly restricted. Meta later restored the post, saying it had been removed due to an error by its AI-powered content moderation system.

Kaplan said, “I apologised to the minister on behalf of Meta for the error restricting PM Modi’s post.”

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The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday orally observed that “heavens will not fall” if all six stanzas of Vande Mataram are sung in madrasas while hearing a petition challenging a West Bengal government notification making the practice compulsory in state-run and state-recognised madrasas.

The bench of Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen was hearing a public interest litigation against the May 19 notification issued by the state’s Minority Affairs and Madrasah Education Department.

Court Questions Objections to Singing the Song

During the hearing, Acting Chief Justice Chakraborty questioned the objections raised by the petitioners.

“Heavens will not fall. Today if I am asked to utter a quote that is not in my religion, what will happen? Will I cease to belong to that religion?” the judge orally remarked.

The court also referred to educational institutions run by other religious communities, saying students in many Christian schools participate in prayers regardless of their faith.

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Several mosque committees in West Bengal have alleged that police verbally asked them to remove loudspeakers from mosques without issuing any written order. Representatives of the committees claimed they were instructed during meetings at police stations and were not shown any government notification when they sought one. Meanwhile, ISF leader Naushad Siddique has sought clarification from the state police, while no official response has been issued so far.

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क्या आप अपने बच्चे को ऐसा खाना खिलाएंगे? सरकारी स्कूल के मिड-डे मील का सच

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BJP leader Sambit Patra said Rahul Gandhi should also meet students in Jharkhand and understand their concerns. Referring to a protester, he claimed that despite being a gold medalist, she was feeling depressed and wanted to quit her studies. Patra alleged she was suffering from panic attacks, felt like a burden on her family, and was facing taunts from relatives.

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Several mosque committees in West Bengal on Wednesday alleged that police officials have been verbally directing them to remove loudspeakers from mosques without issuing any written order. The administration, however, has not officially confirmed the allegations.

According to a mosque committee, representatives of several religious institutions were called to a meeting at the Parnasree Police Station in Kolkata on Monday night. They alleged that police officials instructed mosque authorities to remove loudspeakers installed at mosques by August 4. A representative of the Garagachha Jama Masjid, located on Kazi Para Road under the jurisdiction of Parnasree Police Station, claimed that representatives of eight mosque committees and one shrine committee attended the meeting, along with members of around 12 temple committees.

According to the committee member, police officials told those present that loudspeakers at mosques should be removed within the stipulated deadline. The committee further alleged that when mosque representatives requested a copy of the relevant government notification or written order authorising such action, no written directive was produced and the instructions were conveyed verbally. Attempts to obtain a response from the Officer-in-Charge of Parnasree Police Station regarding the allegations did not yield any immediate comment.

Similar Allegations Surface From Other Districts

Similar allegations have also surfaced from other parts of the state. According to local residents, meetings were reportedly held with imams of several mosques in different districts, during which they were allegedly advised to remove loudspeakers. However, these claims could not be independently verified. One local resident said that mosque authorities had previously complied with government guidelines regarding permissible sound levels and had allowed officials to inspect the sound systems. “We have been following all the prescribed rules regarding noise levels. We do not understand why there is now a sudden instruction to remove the loudspeakers,” the resident said.

Read the full report by Kibria Ansary on https://t.co/sxATfrm14G

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Speaking alongside Rahul Gandhi at a press conference, Riya Ahir said she was the same woman who had stopped a police van in Mumbai to prevent the alleged illegal detention of 20 children. She claimed that false narratives were being spread about her and alleged she was now facing harassment. Ahir also said she filed a police complaint on July 27, but no FIR had been registered as of August 5, adding that the youth she had supported were now standing with her.

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Meta's global team met officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Tuesday to discuss the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post and other content moderation issues. According to sources, the government directed Meta's executives to comply with Indian laws during the meeting. The Meta delegation is also expected to meet the Union IT Minister later in the day.

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Vinayak Damodar Savarkar viewed the cow as a “useful animal” and opposed the practice of worshipping it as a deity, his grandnephew Satyaki Savarkar told a special MP/MLA court in Pune during the ongoing criminal defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Satyaki Savarkar made the remarks on Tuesday while being cross-examined by Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, in the case related to Gandhi’s alleged comments about Savarkar during a speech in London in 2023.

Satyaki Admits Contents of Savarkar’s Book

During the hearing, Gandhi’s counsel produced Vigyan-Nishtha Nibandha (Essays Based on Scientific Reasoning), a book written by V.D. Savarkar. Satyaki Savarkar acknowledged that the book was authored by his granduncle and accepted its contents.

According to the book, Savarkar believed that a cow should be protected because it is useful to humanity, but should not be treated as a goddess.

He wrote, “The cow is plainly an animal. To regard as a deity an animal… is an insult not merely to humanity but to the very concept of divinity.”

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh have witnessed “wide-ranging transformation” since the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A seven years ago, describing the constitutional change as the beginning of a “new chapter” for the two Union Territories.

Marking the seventh anniversary of the Centre’s August 5, 2019 decision, Modi said the region has seen significant progress in infrastructure, education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and sports.

“Seven years ago, on this day, Articles 370 and 35(A) became history, marking a decisive new chapter in the journey of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh,” the Prime Minister said in a post on X.

‘Constitutional Rights Reached Every Citizen’

Modi said the full application of the Constitution has empowered women and marginalised communities who, according to him, had been denied their constitutional rights for decades.

“Since then, the lives of the people of J&K and Ladakh have witnessed wide-ranging transformation. Infrastructure has expanded, opportunities in areas such as education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and sports have grown,” he said.

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