A delegation from the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) said it was attacked while visiting a government school allegedly operating in a cowshed in Rampura Kanwarpura village, Jaipur, Rajasthan, on August 21. Led by joint convenor Ashutosh Ranka, the group was conducting an inspection under its “Fix Schools” campaign, which examines conditions and shortages at government schools across India.

CJP alleged that its vehicle was stopped before entering the village and that residents later blocked members walking toward the school. The party said stones and bricks were thrown and sticks were used during clashes, leaving several people injured. It alleged that representative Sanju Verma suffered a broken hand, Salman was seriously injured and hospitalised, and Rekha Sharma was attacked with dust thrown into her eyes.

Police registered a case against CJP representatives following a complaint by villager Bhagwan Sahay Dhanka. He alleged that Ranka arrived with 50 to 60 people on Friday morning, abused residents and women, initiated violence, and made casteist remarks. CJP also filed a counter-complaint, on which police registered another FIR.

India’s capital Delhi was hit by persistent heavy rain beginning early Monday, prompting the weather department to issue a red alert over concerns that conditions could worsen. Waterlogging was reported in several areas, while 15 flights unable to land at Delhi airport were diverted to alternative airports.

More than 250 flights could not land in Delhi on schedule because water had accumulated on the runway, and several departures were also delayed, increasing difficulties for passengers. Severe traffic congestion developed on roads across the capital, including MB Road near Sangam Vihar, airport-bound roads and roads around Saket Court.

After humid and uncomfortable weather on Sunday, rain began across Delhi from early Monday. Between 18 and 28 millimetres of rainfall was recorded in different parts of the capital by 11:30am, with Chhatarpur receiving the highest rainfall. The forecast said moderate to heavy rain, lightning and gusty winds could continue through Monday. Orange alerts were also issued for neighbouring Gurugram and Faridabad.

Amnesty International says Indian police and paramilitary forces used pellet-firing shotguns, tear gas grenades, batons and electric shock devices against demonstrators during Gen Z protests in New Delhi on July 20. Thousands had blocked Parliament Street while demanding then-Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation over examination-paper leaks and other alleged irregularities. More than 100 students were injured, according to the report, which cited verified videos, photographs, witness accounts and hospital records.

Amnesty’s Evidence Lab said it verified footage of a Rapid Action Force officer firing a shotgun toward crowds near Connaught Place and Parliament Street. The group said the use of birdshot was inherently inaccurate and dangerous, and alleged that police gave no public warning before firing pellet guns. It also said tear gas grenades were launched directly at protesters, and verified claims that lathis were used to beat demonstrators.

Delhi Police rejected reports of pellet injuries as false, while the Modi government said security forces acted with restraint. Amnesty said its evidence contradicted those denials, and an internal paramilitary inquiry reportedly found personnel fired at least seven rounds containing metal pellets. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi demanded Home Minister Amit Shah answer questions, while injured student Sahil Lochab filed a complaint after a sit-in by Gandhi.

Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary asked West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari to open all gates of the Farakka Barrage as Ganges water levels rise and flooding affects Bihar. Choudhary said he made the request during a telephone conversation with Adhikari on Sunday, according to a post on X.

Choudhary said opening the barrage gates would help normalize the Ganges flow and assist efforts to control Bihar’s flood situation. He said Adhikari assured him that prompt action would be taken, adding that Bihar’s safety was the state government’s highest priority.

Separately, JDU MP Sanjay Jha called for Bihar’s interests to be considered before renewal of the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganges water-sharing treaty, which he said completes 30 years in December. The treaty governs dry-season water distribution at Farakka. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, while negotiations over Teesta water sharing have yet to produce an agreement.

India’s Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has called for a peaceful protest march on September 5 from India Gate to Delhi Police headquarters, alleging that the government has betrayed young people and affected families. In a statement, the party said it was compelled to return to the streets because of what it described as the government’s attitude toward its commitments.

CJP spokesperson Saurabh Das announced the protest on X, saying marchers would question whether the central government intends to implement promises made on July 25. The march will be led by family members of students who died by suicide in connection with question-paper leak incidents and relatives of people allegedly subjected to police abuse during the July 20 movement.

The party said its national working committee reviewed progress on commitments made to young people on July 25, 2026, by the Indian government and BJP/NDA-ruled states. It said a nationwide youth movement had been withdrawn on the basis of those assurances. CJP alleged that the government has delayed implementation for a month and has not provided written assurances. It also claimed the Supreme Court repeatedly sought a nationwide list of FIRs for possible collective cancellation.

A fire at a residential hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street near New Market in central Kolkata killed nine people late on 19 August, including six Bangladeshi citizens and a child, according to the article. The victims had travelled to Kolkata seeking medical treatment. The article says the blaze has raised concerns over hotel fire safety, evacuation arrangements and conditions faced by Bangladeshi visitors.

It reports that smoke rapidly engulfed the building, while narrow access routes, insufficient exits, poor ventilation and alleged fire-safety shortcomings complicated rescue efforts. An air-conditioner explosion and an electrical short circuit are being considered in the preliminary inquiry, but the cause has not been conclusively determined. The five-storey building reportedly housed multiple hotels or guesthouses on different floors.

The article calls for an impartial investigation, examination of hotel licences and safety records, preservation of CCTV footage, and sharing of forensic and post-mortem information. It urges Bangladeshi authorities to provide legal and consular assistance to affected families, including support for compensation, insurance, medical costs and repatriation of bodies. It also calls for safety audits at hotels used by Bangladeshi medical travellers.

Many Bangladeshi tourists are hurriedly leaving hotels in Kolkata and returning home after a devastating fire at Hotel Shikha Inn on Mirza Ghalib Street near New Market killed nine people, including seven Bangladeshis. The August 23 report said the deaths have created fear and anger among residents, businesses and visitors in Kolkata’s well-known hotel district.

The area, spanning Sudder Street, Marquis Street, Lindsay Street, Mirza Ghalib Street and Free School Street, is popular with Bangladeshi medical travellers because of relatively low-cost lodging and nearby money-exchange services, bus counters and food stalls. Visitors and local accounts alleged widespread illegal hotels, inadequate licensing, narrow access routes, absent fire exits, unsafe electrical wiring and a lack of fire-safety audits.

Tourists also cited visa complications, brokers and long waits at the Benapole border, with some considering Chennai, Vellore, China or Nepal for treatment instead. Authorities have formed an investigation committee to examine the legality of hotels and guesthouses in the area. Municipal, fire-service and electricity officials have begun stricter action, while owners of illegal establishments are reported to be worried.

Former Indian Air Marshal and Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force Nakesh Kapoor has questioned whether the Tejas Mk-2 will remain effective as a frontline fighter when large numbers are expected to enter service around the middle of 2030. In an NDTV interview less than two months after retirement, he said its battlefield relevance could be greatly diminished by then.

Kapoor cited China’s move toward sixth-generation aircraft and Pakistan’s plans to acquire fifth-generation fighters. He questioned the logic of confronting China’s sixth-generation aircraft in 2035 with a fourth-generation platform. The report says fifth-generation fighters such as the US F-22 and China’s J-20 feature stealth, sensor fusion and internal weapons carriage, while India currently has no fifth- or sixth-generation platform.

Kapoor nevertheless said Tejas Mk-2 aircraft would be needed to fill deployment gaps because limited numbers of advanced fighters could not be stationed everywhere across India. He also criticized Hindustan Aeronautics Limited over delays in Tejas Mk-1A deliveries. The Mk-2’s first flight is now expected between March and July 2027, while Kapoor urged consideration of participation in sixth-generation projects such as FCAS or GCAP.

Police arrested Shikha Inn owner Bireshwar Mitra on Saturday, four days after a fire at the hotel on Mirza Ghalib Street in central Kolkata killed nine people. Seven of the dead were Bangladeshi citizens. Mitra, 46, was detained at his home on Diamond Harbour Road in Behala after being missing since the fire broke out early Wednesday.

According to police sources cited by the Indian Express, Mitra left Kolkata by car after the fire and went into hiding in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. Police are examining why he returned home and whether anyone helped him hide. His two bank accounts have been frozen, stopping financial transactions, and police believe financial difficulty may have prompted his return.

Police searched two other hotels owned by Mitra in Digha and Mandarmani on Friday but did not find him. He is due in court on Sunday, when police will seek custody for questioning. The hotel’s lessee, Abu Jafar, was previously arrested. Authorities have also issued fire-safety notices to 25 hotels, inns and restaurants in central Kolkata and closed several establishments following inspections.

The Panama-flagged cargo vessel MV Ocean-Winner sank about 240 nautical miles off India’s Odisha coast, with all 24 crew members reported missing. The crew included 20 Chinese nationals, three Myanmar nationals and one Bangladeshi national. The vessel had departed Paradip port for Singapore at about 10:30pm on August 20 carrying 1,700 tonnes of iron ore.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Sri Vijaya Puram received information that contact with the ship had been lost at 11:48am on August 22. Victory Star Group Company Limited, the vessel’s operator, reported the matter and requested support for search and rescue operations.

India’s Coast Guard and Navy have launched a joint operation to locate the vessel and rescue its crew. Officials had not confirmed how many crew members, if any, had been rescued. A senior IPS officer told PTI that authorities were unsure of the number of crew members recovered. Other ships near the accident site have been alerted and asked to assist the rescue effort.

West Bengal Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari said people living in the state must sing “Vande Mataram,” declaring that his government would not compromise on nationalism and patriotism. He made the remarks on Saturday while addressing a rally in his Bhabanipur constituency, according to the report published on August 23, 2026.

Adhikari alleged that the national flag had not been hoisted at Jadavpur University, that the state education department had not been allowed to enter, and that CCTV cameras had not been permitted on campus. He blamed what he called the “tukde-tukde gang” and “jihadi” forces for opposing the singing of “Vande Mataram” and celebrations of Republic Day and Independence Day at the university.

He said his government would establish nationalism inside and outside Jadavpur despite what he described as supportive media coverage for anti-national forces. Adhikari also said the university should reflect nationalism, Indian culture and “Sanatan” culture, citing the goal of realizing Shyama Prasad Mukherjee’s dream. He criticized left parties and claimed their candidates lost deposits in assembly elections held earlier this year.

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said the central government aims to complete within six months the process of granting Indian citizenship to eligible Hindu, Sikh and Jain refugees who came from Bangladesh. He made the announcement on Friday at an event in Kawakhali, Siliguri, in West Bengal.

Shah said the initiative covers people who entered India after facing persecution in Bangladesh and are eligible under the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA. He said they would receive citizenship with respect and dignity. The Union Home Ministry is coordinating with the West Bengal state administration on the process.

To speed up applications, the Home Ministry has given district magistrates in eight West Bengal districts the necessary authority to process citizenship cases, Shah said. India’s Parliament passed the CAA in 2019 and its rules took effect in 2024. The law provides a citizenship route, subject to conditions, for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who entered India by December 31, 2014. Shah also stressed identifying illegal migrants in West Bengal and taking action against them.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is changing his social media approach to reach younger audiences, particularly Gen Z voters, through Instagram. The shift includes more relaxed and seemingly spontaneous content on an account previously dominated by carefully curated posts, including a “Get Ready With Me” reel, selfie videos and references to young people as friends. The report was published on August 22, 2026.

The Bharatiya Janata Party became more active on the platform after the recent Cockroach Janata Party movement, which spread through memes, livestreams and Instagram reels before affecting street politics and contributing to a central minister’s resignation. More than 60 percent of India’s population is under 35, and Gen Z could become a major voting bloc in the 2029 election. BJP social media pages are also using memes, slang and pop-culture references.

Many young users have treated Modi’s new videos as humorous or “cringe” content rather than political messaging, with his first selfie video widely mocked and edited for circulation online. Analysts say Instagram’s focus on engagement, shares, comments, repeat viewing and watch time makes message control harder. They add that online popularity and electoral victory are different, while BJP’s organisation and voter base remain central to its electoral strength.

India’s Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that the government is taking all necessary measures to secure the Siliguri Corridor, a key link between Indian territory and the country’s northeastern region. Speaking in Siliguri, he announced a special triangular security grid intended to strengthen protection of the corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck.

At an event at the Sashastra Seema Bal’s North Bengal Frontier headquarters in Ranidanga, Siliguri, Shah inaugurated and laid foundation stones for several new administrative and residential projects worth about 180 crore rupees. He said the grid is based at Chopra, Kishanganj and Dhubri, increasing surveillance, military presence and administrative authority across the corridor.

Shah said the area is being protected through regular military exercises such as “Teesta Prahar.” He also referred to projects worth 6,839 crore rupees under the Vibrant Village Programme 2.0, aimed at connecting villages along the Bangladesh and Bhutan borders not only by roads but more closely with the mainland.

India’s presidential office withdrew a notice that had suggested preparations for a possible visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The notice, published on Friday, August 21, said the regular Change of Guard ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan’s forecourt would not be held on Saturday, August 22, because of a rehearsal for the formal reception of an honoured state guest.

The Press Information Bureau published the statement at 2:25pm, but it was withdrawn before the afternoon ended. Around 3pm, the presidential office issued a new message saying the press release announcing that the Change of Guard would not take place on Saturday had been withdrawn. It remains unclear whether the withdrawal signals a change in a visit schedule or a procedural problem in issuing the notice.

The report says this was expected to be Rahman’s first India visit after taking oath as Bangladesh’s prime minister, though neither Dhaka nor New Delhi had formally announced it. State or government leaders visiting India are formally received at Rashtrapati Bhavan, with a guard of honour, national anthems and the presence of the president and prime minister. A full rehearsal is generally held the previous day.