National News
After Ghulam Nabi Azad’s resignation, Manish Tewari slams Congress ‘coterie culture’
A day after Ghulam Nabi Azad quit the Congress blaming party leader Rahul Gandhi, another G-23 leader Manish Tewari on Saturday slammed the grand-old party for its “coterie culture”.
Talking to IANS over phone, the Anandpur Sahib MP said had the party implemented the suggestions of the G-23 group in December 2020, the current situation would not have arisen.
However, hitting out the at the ‘coterie culture’ he said: “Peons of Congress leaders are giving sermons to those who have given decades to party.” These “so-called” leaders are not capable of winning even the municipal polls.
Asserting that he is not a tenant but a shareholder in the party, the veteran leader said the very fact that Congress is losing all elections confirms that the party is not in sync with the people of the country.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, in his resignation letter, has blamed Rahul Gandhi for the destruction of the party and alleged that proxies are propped up for the president’s post, who will only be a mere puppet.
Azad alleged that the G-23 leaders were abused, humiliated, insulted and vilified in a specially summoned meeting of the extended Congress Working Committee following their letter seeking reforms in the party in 2020.
“Unfortunately, the situation in the Congress party has reached such a point of no return that now “proxies are being propped up to take over the leadership of the party. This experiment is doomed to fail because the party has been so comprehensively destroyed that the situation has become irretrievable. Moreover, the ‘chosen one’ would be nothing more than a puppet on a string,” his resignation letter read.
He said at the national level, the Congress has conceded the political space available to the BJP and state level space to regional parties.
“This all happened because the leadership in the past eight years has tried to foist a non-serious individual at the helm of the party,” he alleged without taking the name of Rahul Gandhi.
Azad alleged that in August 2020 when he and 22 other senior colleagues, including former Union Ministers and Chief Ministers wrote to Sonia Gandhi to flag the abysmal drift in the party, the “coterie” choose to “unleash its sycophants on us and got us attacked, vilified and humiliated in the most crude manner possible”.
Crime
Mumbai Airport Customs Seizes Hydroponic Weed Worth ₹12 Crore; Passenger Arrested

Mumbai: The Mumbai Airport Customs officers have arrested a passenger for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed valued at around Rs 12 crore, sourced from Bangkok.
According to the agency sources, on the basis of specific intelligence, the Customs officers at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), intercepted one passenger arriving from Bangkok on Wednesday.
During the examination of the baggage, the Customs officers recovered 11.92 kg of suspected hydroponic weed (marijuana), with an illicit market value of approximately Rs 12 crores.
The narcotic substances were concealed inside the checked-in trolley bag carried by the passenger, who was arrested under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
In his statement, the passenger told Customs officers that he was aware that smuggling of hydroponic weed and other illegal drugs into India attracts stringent punishment. However, he was getting some inducement in lieu of smuggling the contraband to India.
“The preliminary investigation carried out so far in accordance with the law and the statement given by the accused disclose involvement of other persons who are yet to be traced. The investigation in this case is at the preliminary stage and efforts are on to trace other suspects involved in the case,” said a Customs officer.
On Tuesday, Mumbai Airport Customs officers had arrested two persons – Thane resident Mohammad Irfan Khan (27) and Malwani resident Sara Bi (36) for allegedly smuggling hydroponic weed collectively valued at Rs 7.86 crore.
In the intervening night of October 19-20, on the basis of specific intelligence, the Customs officers at CSMIA intercepted one passenger arriving from Bangkok and seized hydroponic weed worth Rs 10.50 crore.
Business
Colgate-Palmolive India’s Q2 profit falls 17 pc, revenue slips over 6 pc

Mumbai, Oct 23: Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited on Thursday reported a 17 per cent drop in its net profit for the second quarter of the current financial year (Q2 FY26).
The company’s profit stood at Rs 327.50 crore for the quarter ended September 2025, compared to Rs 395.05 crore in the same period last financial year (Q2 FY25), according to its stock exchange filing.
Revenue also fell 6.15 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 1,519.50 crore, down from Rs 1,619.11 crore in the previous fiscal.
Operating income or EBITDA declined 6 per cent to Rs 465.43 crore, while the EBITDA margin was almost unchanged at 30.6 per cent, compared to 30.7 per cent last financial year.
Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive India, said the quarter’s performance reflected a temporary impact from disruptions among distributors and retailers due to the GST rate revision.
She added that the company has worked with its partners to ensure consumers benefit from the lower prices that took effect after the tax change.
“Despite the short-term challenges, we remain focused on our long-term strategic goals and will continue to invest in our brands,” Narasimhan said.
Alongside the results, the company announced a first interim dividend of Rs 24 per share for the financial year 2025–26, amounting to a total payout of Rs 652.8 crore.
The record date for the dividend has been set as November 3, and the payment will be made on or before November 19, according to the company’s exchange filing.
Colgate-Palmolive (India)’s quarterly results were released after market hours. On Thursday, its shares closed 1.16 per cent higher at Rs 2,286.90 on the NSE.
However, the stock has fallen 31.35 per cent over the past year and 14.69 per cent so far in 2025.
Crime
BSF apprehends minor with 11 gold biscuits along India-Bangladesh border

Kolkata, Oct 23: The Border Security Force (BSF) has apprehended a minor boy with 11 gold biscuits along the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) in the North 24-Parganas district of West Bengal.
The incident has brought to light how smugglers are now using minors as couriers to evade arrest.
“Troops of the 143 Bn BSF, South Bengal Frontier, deployed at the Bithari Border Outpost, had received intelligence inputs of an attempt to smuggle gold in their area of jurisdiction. During checks, they came across an Indian minor carrying a briefcase. During a search, a black packet with the 11 gold biscuits were found in his possession,” a senior BSF official said.
According to an official, the weight of the seized gold is 1,286.17 grams. It is valued at around Rs 1.64 crore.
During questioning, the boy said that he is a resident of Daharkanda village in the Swarupnagar police station area of North 24-Parganas. He also said that he had been sent by his mother to deliver the packet to a designated point.
The boy has been handed over to concerned authorities, along with the gold, for further legal processing. A search has been launched for the boy’s mother and others involved in the racket.
“This recovery once again underscores the alertness, professionalism, and commitment of BSF troops in curbing cross-border smuggling along the India–Bangladesh border, despite attempts by criminal networks to exploit minors for such illegal activities,” the official said.
While stating that the BSF personnel are fully capable of preventing all kinds of illegal activities along the border, he urged the border population to report any information regarding gold smuggling or other crimes to ensure peace in the area.
“They can call the Seema Sathi Helpline Number 14419 or send a WhatsApp text or voice message to 9903472227. Those providing credible information would be suitably rewarded and their identities kept confidential,” he said.
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