National News
Row of saffron hijabs herald Shiv Sena’s ‘maiden’ Muslim Sarpanch
The sleepy Apta village erupted into celebrations when a demure, house-wife-turned politician Nazneen K. Patel, was unanimously elected the Sarpanch on Thursday.
She has created history of sorts — becoming the first ever Muslim woman Sarpanch of Shiv Sena in the state, and a first for the party in the past six decades since the Apta Village Panchayat came into being where the Peasants & Workers Party enjoyed unbroken control of its bastion.
The village had elected 11 members, including two from the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, in the 2021 Panchayat polls, swept by the Maha Vikas Aghadi, with Patel now getting the top post — reserved for women — in rotation from the PWP’s outgoing Sarpanch, Nikita D. Bhoir.
Scores of Muslim women Sainiks, sporting dazzling saffron-black ‘hijabs’ turned out to celebrate Patel’s election, who accepted and acknowledged their greetings and wishes, distributed sweets and goodness all around.
Taking charge on Friday, Patel said that her entire focus would be on developmental issues for which the entire village — with a population of around 10,000 comprising a mix of tribals, Marathas, Kolis, Brahmins, Muslims, etc., — has wholeheartedly supported the MVA.
“There are 14 tribal hamlets (wadis) which require several amenities, aanganwadis to be improved, maternity hospital where services have to be strengthened, and improving the conditions of several roads in and around Apta,” Patel told IANS.
Apta is a coastal village nestling on the banks of the Patalganga River where the PWP has held sway for past six decades, but now it has come under Shiv Sena’s control, said her husband, Khalil Patel.
Nazneen Patel’s elevation has charged the MVA allies — Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress — symbolising a whiff of fresh air in the toxicity of the so-called ‘hijab row’ affecting different parts of India.
Sena’s farmer face and MoS Kishore Tiwari said Patel’s election shows the “benign face of Shiv Sena under the leadership of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray” despite attempts by the Opposition to portray it otherwise.
“No matter how vitiated the religious scenario in the country, in Apta there is complete communal camaraderie, and it is with the full support of the three allies this ‘change’ was possible,” Panvel Congress Working President Abhijit Patil said.
Eminent lawyer and NCP former MP Majeed Memon said while the BJP is busy in toppling the MVA, the three parties are making “perceptible changes” at all levels in the polity with long-term implications.
“The BJP is unable to digest all the good work done by MVA and is hounding us with misuse of Central probe agencies, the Governor’s post and other forms of harassment… But developments like Apta village prove that the MVA is on the right track,” Memon asserted.
The Patel couple said with pride that Apta is an example of “how India lives harmoniously in the villages,” untouched by the communal monsters unleashed in many areas.
“We all celebrate Ganeshotsav, Eid, Diwali and other festivals of all religions joyfully together… Nobody talks of religious politics… The masses are only concerned with developmental issues,” smiled Nazneen Patel, with her 19-year old daughter Rukhsar and 16-year-old son Saad standing beside.
National News
Woman cop goes undercover at Hyderabad bus stand at night, 40 men approached her

In a late-night undercover operation aimed at assessing women’s safety on the streets, Malkajgiri Commissioner of Police V Sumathi, posed as a regular commuter at a bus stop in Dilsukhnagar between 12.30 am and 3.30 am.
According to police sources, the Indian Police Service (IPS) officer remained alone at the location to observe ground conditions faced by women travelling during late hours.
What followed painted a troubling reality. During the three-hour operation, nearly 40 men allegedly approached her. Several of them were suspected to be under the influence of alcohol or ganja, officials said. The group included young men, some identified as students and private employees.
Plainclothes police teams, already stationed nearby as part of the operation, intervened and detained individuals found behaving in a suspicious or inappropriate manner. Police said action was taken against those who were allegedly involved in harassment or causing disturbance around the bus stop.
The initiative was reportedly conducted to evaluate night patrolling effectiveness, identify vulnerable public spaces, and examine the risks faced by women commuting alone during late hours.
In a parallel account of the operation, it was stated that the commissioner was approached by multiple individuals within minutes of her arrival, following which enforcement teams moved in and detained those suspected of misconduct. Police also carried out counselling sessions as part of a broader women’s safety awareness drive.
Further official details regarding the identities and legal status of those detained are awaited from the police department.
International News
Operation Sindoor: Pakistan’s fake victory spectacle couldn’t hide crisis within terror groups

New Delhi, May 8: For Pakistan, ‘Operation Sindoor’ resulted in a loss of face. After terror infrastructure was hit hard by the Indian armed forces who were avenging the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistan set out a fake narrative of emerging victorious.
Rallies and processions were taken out to create an impression that the Pakistan Army had hit back and won the battle. While the perception was created, the reality was something different.
An official said that events were strategically planned across Pakistan to commemorate fake victory. On the other hand, social media handles run by Pakistanis worked overtime to put out false narratives.
Following the conclusion of ‘Operation Sindoor’, Pakistan’s Army chief instructed the Shehbaz Sharif government to release Rs 500 crore. This money was then distributed evenly to federal governments, business and religious groups. All were asked to organise massive rallies across Pakistan. The programme mandate by the Pakistan Army was titled ‘Ashra-e-Tashakur Fateh-E-Muneeb,’ which means ten days of gratitude for a decisive victory.
To cement the fake claim further, Asim Munir even pressured the Sharif government to make him Field Marshal.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that while these rallies took place on a grand scale for ten days, something more serious was brewing within. Some of the rallies even focussed on thanking the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba for the so-called victory.
However, within the ranks of these two terror groups something serious was simmering. Both Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar had started to question the Pakistan Army and the ISI. They wanted to know what happened to the guarantees and protection that they had been assured. These groups have been operating with ease only due to the funds and protection that the Army and the ISI offer them.
During ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Jaish-e-Mohammad lost its Bahawalpur headquarters. Its chief Masood Azhar even lost most of his family members and several other cadres. The Muridke camp, which is the Lashkar-e-Tayiba’s primary training facility was blown to pieces during the Indian operation.
Both these terror groups, which have wrecked havoc in India, had not witnessed such a huge hit. There have been encounters and terrorists have been killed on Indian soil. However never have they been struck so hard and that, too, deep inside Pakistan.
Another official said that the impression that the Pakistan establishment sought to create in the aftermath of the operation worked among a few people, but clearly their proxies were not impressed. They knew what they had lost and the fact that the Army could not even defend them is what left them completely disgruntled. The official also said that many cadres, too, had started questioning their own leadership.
Officials say that all these factors led to rifts within these two terror groups and this explains why they are taking so long to rebuild.
During the numerous processions, the Army insisted that the cadres of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad should take part. Many of them did, but in their minds, they knew what the reality was. In this desperation to show that Pakistan was victorious, the Army ended up showcasing to the world that globally banned terror groups such as the Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Tayiba are welcome within the ecosystem of the establishment, the official added.
Pakistan watchers point out that it was nothing but desperation on part of the Army. It had to indulge in this circus and claim a false victory. In reality, the Pakistan Army and its chief were the hardest hit thanks to ‘Operation Sindoor’, the experts also point out.
Business
Apple to invest Rs 100 crore in India’s renewable energy infrastructure

New Delhi, May 7: US tech giant Apple has announced an investment of Rs 100 crore to support the development of renewable energy infrastructure in India as part of its broader sustainability and carbon neutrality goals.
The company said the investment will be made in collaboration with CleanMax, one of India’s leading renewable energy developers, to help build more than 150 megawatts of new renewable energy capacity across the country.
According to the iPhone maker, the planned capacity would be enough to power nearly 1.5 lakh Indian households annually and may be expanded further in the coming years.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening renewable energy adoption across Apple’s supply chain operations in India and supports the company’s target of becoming carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030.
“At Apple, our commitment to the environment is also a driving force for innovation across the company and around the world,” said Sarah Chandler, Apple’s Vice President of Environment and Supply Chain Innovation.
“We are proud to expand our efforts to invest in India’s clean energy economy and protect the country’s precious natural resources,” she added.
Moreover, the US-headquartered firm had earlier partnered with CleanMax on rooftop solar projects to power its offices and retail stores in India with 100 per cent renewable energy.
Apart from renewable energy investments, it also announced new partnerships in India focused on reducing plastic pollution and promoting green entrepreneurship.
The company said it is working with WWF-India to support recycling and waste management initiatives to improve material recovery and reducing plastic leakage into ecosystems.
The iPhone maker is also partnering with Acumen to provide grants and mentorship support to early-stage green enterprises working in areas such as waste management, regenerative agriculture, and circular economy solutions.
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