Mumbai: After the rejection of the Women’s Reservation Bill by the Parliament, the Maharashtra Minister has now targeted the opposition parties including the Congress in a press conference held in Mumbai and has shown mischievousness and called them pro-Pakistan. He said that just as Sharia law is being implemented in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Islamabad, these opposition parties are depriving women of their rights here too, but the NDA and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will again present the Women’s Bill to provide justice to women. He said that in the criticism of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the opposition, he said that after the rejection of the Women’s Reservation Bill, the opposition’s veil was torn and the opposition has been completely exposed. He said that on the same lines as the fatwas were issued from mosques during the parliamentary elections, these MPs have become supporters of Sharia law. To please the father of Pakistan, these women oppose the bill. He said that Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders only speak on the Pakistani script. Rane targeted Supriya Tai Slay and said that Supriya Tai is a supporter of love jihad and the same position is also held by the Congress and its allied parties because their victory came through the mosques and fatwas were issued for them from the mosques. During the press conference, Nitesh Rane, while spewing venom against Muslims, also demanded a ban on Islamic clothing, hijab and prayers under the guise of company and corporate jihad. He said that why hijab or prayers in the company or workplace? Are Hindus allowed to do this? On the issue of Lenskart, Nitesh Rane threatened and said that now Lenskart also needs treatment for his eyes. If he does not do it, we will treat him. Targeting Uddhav Thackeray, Rane has made a serious allegation and said that it is Uddhav Thackeray’s turn that he can also stand in the Sarpanch election. Now, they will all secretly call for membership of the Legislative Council. Uddhav Thackeray has undergone a political conversion, so now he is not Uddhav Thackeray but Uddhav Khan. He said that he has also offered five daily prayers. On the honorable release of the Hindutva accused in the Malegaon bomb blasts, Nitesh Rane said that Bhagwadhari can never be a terrorist. This has now been proven. He said that opposing the Women’s Bill is Pakistan’s stance and what happens in Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi and Congress do the same in India.

Mumbai, April 22: In a significant relief to four accused in the 2006 Malegaon bomb blast case, the Bombay High Court on Wednesday quashed and set aside a special court order framing charges against them.

A division bench led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar delivered the verdict while allowing appeals filed by Rajendra Chaudhary, Lokesh Sharma, Dhan Singh and Manohar Ram Singh Narwaria.

The High Court had earlier observed that a prima facie case existed for interference with the order of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court.

The four had been charged with offences including murder and criminal conspiracy under the IPC, along with provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, following a September 30, 2025, order by the special court. Wednesday’s ruling effectively halts proceedings against them at this stage.

The case pertains to the September 8, 2006, blasts in Malegaon, where explosions near the Hamidia Masjid and adjoining areas shortly after Friday prayers left 37 people dead and over 300 injured.

The investigation has witnessed multiple twists over the years. Initially, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested nine Muslim men, who spent several years in jail before being granted bail in 2011. A special court later discharged all nine in 2016, citing insufficient evidence.

Subsequently, the probe was taken over by the NIA, which pursued a different line of investigation. The agency arrested the present four accused after alleged disclosures by Swami Aseemanand, pointing to the involvement of right-wing elements. The four were granted bail by the High Court in 2019.

The Malegaon blast probe has been marked by conflicting findings between agencies, with the NIA diverging from earlier conclusions of the ATS and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

With the High Court now setting aside the framing of charges, the case takes yet another turn in a long and complex legal trajectory.

Washington, April 22: Israel and Lebanon are expected to hold their second ambassador-level talks at the US State Department in Washington, US media reported.

Israel and Lebanon will again be represented by their ambassadors to the United States, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, respectively.

A 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into effect at midnight between Thursday and Friday, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting amid the US-Israeli war against Iran, reports Xinhua news agency.

The truce has remained fragile as tensions along Lebanon’s southern border continue. Lebanon’s official National News Agency reported that Israeli forces escalated operations across southern Lebanon at dawn on Tuesday, carrying out widespread demolitions, stepping up aerial surveillance, and issuing evacuation warnings despite the ceasefire.

Israel and Lebanon have no formal diplomatic relations, and Hezbollah has long been viewed by Israel as a “proxy” of Iran. The negotiating party with Israel is the Lebanese government, not Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched rockets and attack drones at an Israeli artillery position in the settlement of Kfar Giladi on Tuesday evening, marking an escalation despite an ongoing ceasefire.

The group said in a statement that the attack targeted the source of recent Israeli artillery fire toward the Lebanese town of Yahmar al-Shaqif, describing the strike as a response to what it called repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire since it took effect, including attacks on civilians and destruction of homes in southern Lebanon.

A US-backed 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force at midnight between Thursday and Friday, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting, although the truce has remained fragile.