BJP MP and actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday expressed deep concern over allegations that Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi objected to the full rendition of Vande Mataram at the AICC headquarters.

Her remarks came after an alleged dramatic episode at the Congress headquarters, Indira Bhavan, on Saturday, where the full version of Vande Mataram was sung despite the party’s position that only its first two stanzas would be rendered.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge unfurled the Tricolour at the party headquarters during the Independence Day celebrations, following which singers began rendering Vande Mataram.

However, the singing continued through the full version of the national song despite the party’s stand to restrict the rendition to its first two stanzas.

Sonia Gandhi was reportedly the first to notice that the singers were continuing with the full version. She allegedly gestured towards Kharge and later appeared to communicate with the singers, asking them to stop.

Speaking to IANS, Kangana Ranaut said, “Vande Mataram represents the consciousness of India. As an artist, I understand the impact that art and poetry can have on people. The level of opposition and hatred shown towards it, and the efforts made to stop its rendition, are deeply concerning.”

“I will say that Congress is not only becoming anti-BJP, but also against the country,” she claimed.

Kangana Ranaut further said that the BJP has strengthened its team to address the challenges facing the country.

“Siddhivinayak and the other temples are among the protectors of our Mumbai region, and whenever we come here, we are fortunate to seek their blessings. Today is especially significant as BJP workers here presented me with a Ganpati idol,” she said.

“The BJP has strengthened its team to address the challenges we face today, including the spread of Naxal ideology and the narratives being promoted. Today, social media and reel culture have a greater influence on young people than newspapers, textbooks and parental guidance,” she added.

“To address these challenges, women and youth have been included in the team. With renewed energy, the team will work towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for India by 2047,” she said.

Kolkata: A sudden fire incident in the early hours of Tuesday caused widespread panic at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Kolkata.

It is learnt that the fire broke out on the second floor of the Air Traffic Control (ATC) building at Kolkata Airport. However, due to the swift response of the firefighters and airport authorities, the fire was brought under control very quickly. At the same time, flight operations remained unaffected. The situation at present is completely normal.

According to airport staff, the security guards and other staff on duty suddenly saw flames coming out of the second floor of the ATC building at around 4 a.m.

Before they knew it, the fire started spreading to a specific part of the building in a matter of moments. The area was covered in black smoke.

As soon as the news was received, the fire station’s engines adjacent to the airport rushed to the scene. The firefighters started extinguishing the fire quickly. Since the ATC building is a sensitive and important part of the airport, no risks were taken. Several more fire engines arrived at the spot to bring the situation under control. Soon, the fire was completely brought under control within a short time due to the efforts of the firefighters. Later, cooling down work was also done so that there was no new danger from the pocket fire.

An airport official said, “The fire was mostly confined to an open area. There has been no major disruption of work or damage to ATC. There was no need to evacuate the entire building as the firefighters were quick to identify the source and contain the fire.”

An investigation has already started into the exact reason why such a fire broke out in such a secure and important high-rise building. Firefighters suspect that some decoration work was recently done on the second floor of the ATC building on Independence Day and small decorative lights were installed there.

It is suspected that the fire broke out due to the decorative lights being on for a long time or due to a short circuit in the weak wire of the decorations. However, a probe is underway to find out whether there is any other electrical or mechanical malfunction or negligence in maintenance behind this fire.

New Delhi, Aug 18: Israel expects two more rounds of negotiations with India on the proposed free trade agreement, with the two sides likely to have greater clarity on the pact by February 2027, Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar said.

In an interaction with media, Azar said the second round of negotiations was held last month, following an agreement on the terms of reference reached at the end of last year.

“We expect to have two more rounds, one in October and probably the last one by February and I think that by then we will know exactly where we stand,” he said.

Asked about the potential benefits of the FTA for both countries, Azar said discussions have so far focused on traditional market access issues, but the negotiations also cover areas such as reciprocal buybacks and cooperation.

He said bridging the gap in market access could be challenging because Israel has already lowered its tariffs and the two markets differ considerably in size.

However, the Israeli envoy identified high-tech cooperation as an area with significant potential for expanding bilateral economic ties.

“The greatest potential, I think, lies in high-tech cooperation,” he told media.

Azar further noted that greater innovation cooperation between the two countries could encourage Israeli companies to operate more freely in the Indian market.

The envoy’s comments come amid efforts by India and Israel to deepen their economic and technology partnership.

Earlier in May, Azar highlighted six core values underpinning the bilateral relationship — civilisational resilience, the fight against terrorism, democratic values, innovation & competitiveness, religious tolerance, and inclusive development.

India and Israel share a special and unique relationship and stressed the need to translate their common values into greater cooperation and investment, according to his video shared on X.