New Delhi : Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, reflecting on her equation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, also her “biggest” political adversary, in her biography, said that there has been “no real contact with him”. “Narendra Damodardas Modi has been the Prime Minister of India for more than twelve years as of this writing and is now in his third term in office. To this day, I’ve had practically no real contact with him,” the former Congress President penned in the book. The Congress leader goes on to say that they have met on multiple occasions, greeting each other with a formal “namaste”, but the cordiality and bonhomie that existed in the political milieu all along remained missing among them because “he tends to look away”. The disclosures on their “uneasy” relationship came in “Belonging: A Journey of Love”, Gandhi’s 544-page memoir, which hit the shelves on Tuesday. The book has been published by HarperCollins India.

“We meet at semi-official gatherings — for instance, at the end of every Parliament session. It’s a very small room, and usually many people are present, but when he comes face-to-face with me, we greet each other with a formal namaste. This is different from the past, when leaders across party divides would treat one another with cordiality. He tends to look away, avoiding eye contact,” she wrote. Sonia Gandhi also highlights in the book that she and PM Modi hail from different ideological worlds, and the latter’s idea of India was very different from hers. “Apart from such brief exchanges, we have never really conversed, though we’ve exchanged formal birthday and New Year greetings over the years,” she further wrote. She has also documented the incidents when the Prime Minister enquired about her health after her discharge from hospital.

The book recalling one such moment says, PM Modi asked: “Theek hain aap? (Are you alright?)”, to which she replied, “Ji, ab main theek hoon, shukriya (Yes, thank you… I am okay now)”. In her memoir, the veteran Congress leader has also objected to name-calling and coarse language used by no less than the serving Prime Minister against India’s first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, adding that this was the result of his “conditioning” by the RSS – BJP’s ideological parent. Drawing a sharp contrast in their style of functioning, she says that he was “fighting for his vision of India, and I for mine: an India against hegemony, an India that stands for inclusiveness, secularism, and social justice.” The memoirs by Sonia Gandhi, giving insight on many political issues, are set to create political ripple and uproar. The BJP has already mounted scathing criticism, calling it an attempt to “whitewash the history”.

Mumbai : A case of alleged religious conversion on the pretext of marriage has come to light in Mumbai, where a 22-year-old woman was allegedly persuaded to convert from Hinduism to Islam after being promised marriage and financial assistance, officials said on Tuesday. The Meghwadi Police have registered an FIR against the accused, identified as Faiz Akbar Khan, under the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. The incident occurred in the Amina Nagar area of Mumbai’s Jogeshwari East. According to the police, the complaint was filed by the mother of the woman. In her complaint, she alleged that Faiz Akbar Khan befriended her daughter and convinced her to change her religion by assuring her that he would marry her and provide financial support.

The complainant further alleged that the accused had told her daughter, “If you change your religion, I will marry you.” On October 18, the 22-year-old reportedly went missing from her residence, following which a kidnapping complaint was lodged at the Virar Police Station.Two days later, on October 20, the woman allegedly sent her mother a certificate of a court marriage solemnised at the Bandra Court, adding another development to the case. The matter took a further turn on October 24, when the accused allegedly sent a wedding invitation card to the WhatsApp number of the woman’s brother.

The invitation carried the names “Mohammad Faiz weds Shravani (Ayesha)” and mentioned November 6, 2026, as the scheduled date of the wedding. Citing the wedding invitation as evidence, the woman’s mother alleged that her daughter had been subjected to religious conversion under the pretext of marriage. She approached the police with her complaint, following which the Meghwadi Police registered a case against the accused under Section 9(1) of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. The police have initiated an investigation to examine the allegations and establish the circumstances surrounding the alleged conversion and marriage. The case has been registered as FIR No. 0587/2026 at the Meghwadi Police Station. Sub-Inspector Indrajit Nemane has been assigned to the investigation and is currently probing the matter.

Further details are awaited.

Mumbai : A 16-year-old boy died after a fire broke out at a firecracker shop in Mumbai’s Malvani area late Monday night, triggering an explosion that led to the collapse of the shop’s slab, officials said.

The incident took place at around 9.56 p.m. on November 9 at a ground-floor shop near Gate No. 8 on Abdul Hamid Marg in Malad West. Six fire brigade vehicles were rushed to the spot after information about the blaze was received, and firefighting operations were launched.

According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the fire was confined to firecrackers, electrical wiring and electrical installations inside the shop, which measured approximately 20 feet by 30 feet.

The situation worsened following an explosion of firecrackers, which caused the slab of the shop to collapse.

During the incident, a 16-year-old boy, who had initially been reported missing, was subsequently found dead inside the shop. His body was severely charred due to the fire.

The deceased was identified as Shanwaz Niyaz Khan, aged 16. He was taken to BMC’s Shatabdi Hospital in an ambulance. According to information received from the concerned Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of BDBA Hospital, Kandivali, he had suffered 100 per cent burns and was declared brought dead.

The fire was successfully extinguished at 10.36 p.m. on November 9, according to the fire brigade’s incident update issued at 1.22 a.m. on Tuesday.

Teams from the Mumbai Fire Brigade, police, the concerned electricity distribution company, 108 ambulance services and BMC ward staff were mobilised to manage the situation and carry out the necessary operations.

The incident comes amid heightened concerns over fire safety during the festive season, particularly in areas where firecrackers are stored and sold.

Earlier, fire services in Pune and Mumbai were stretched during Diwali celebrations, with both cities reporting a large number of fire incidents.

Pune recorded 94 fire incidents during Laxmipujan, while Mumbai reported 142 blazes during Diwali, of which 137 were attributed to firecrackers, according to figures released by the respective fire departments.

In Pune, fires were reported from several locations, including Satara Road, Mangalwar Peth and Range Hills. A major fire broke out at a printing shop on Satara Road, while a godown caught fire in Mangalwar Peth. Another fire was reported in a residential flat in Range Hills, prompting a response from fire brigade teams and police personnel.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s 142 fire incidents were reported from different parts of the city during Diwali. Despite the large number of fire-related emergency calls, no injuries were reported in those incidents, according to the Mumbai Fire Brigade.