Connect with us
Sunday,12-July-2026
Breaking News

National News

True companion of BJP: Cong as Owaisi declares alliance with Humayun Kabir for West Bengal polls

Published

on

New Delhi, March 23: As AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi declared that his party will contest the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal in alliance with former Trinamool Congress leader Humayun Kabir’s newly-formed Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), the Congress on Monday launched a sharp attack and said that “thank you, Asaduddin Owaisi. You have removed your mask — the mask of secularism — and shown the world your true communal face”. It called the AIMIM leader the “true companion” of the BJP.

The party further alleged that Owaisi has exposed himself as the “B-team” of the BJP but has also proven to be its “true companion.”

Speaking to media, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput criticised the AIMIM-AJUP alliance, reiterating, “Thank you, Asaduddin Owaisi. You have removed your mask — the mask of secularism — and shown the world your true communal face.”

“You have not only shown that you are the B-team of the BJP, but also that you are a true companion of the BJP. People are accusing Humayun Kabir of taking money to form a party. So, are you getting funds from Delhi? The people are very clear that they will show your position in West Bengal as well as in Hyderabad elections,” he told media.

Congress MP Sukhdeo Bhagat also weighed in on the development, stating, “Where there is a division of secular votes, it invariably benefits the Bharatiya Janata Party. Owaisi is known for this, and allegations are often made against him. He certainly employs such tactics to ensure votes are divided. That is why we say he works as the B-team of the BJP.”

JMM spokesperson Manoj Pandey echoed similar sentiments and said, “I feel that now Owaisi has achieved some success in one or two states. He has strengthened the BJP and worked to weaken secular parties and forces, which has boosted their morale. However, I believe he will not fit in anywhere in the context of Bengal’s political situation.”

JD(U) National Spokesperson, Rajeev Ranjan, also took a dig at the political developments, saying, “Whether it’s Humayun Kabir or Owaisi, the truth is that the poison sown by Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal’s politics has created many such characters who emerge to cultivate that poison. But when there is a natural alternative, such elements will have no significance, and their existence will not matter in these elections.”

Meanwhile, Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav offered a more neutral perspective, saying, “It is Owaisi’s party, and if he is preparing to contest elections, the decision is independent. The party aims to expand its organisation and has a presence in many places. Owaisi has decided to contest, and as it is a democratic party, its leaders carry out their work accordingly.”

Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly will be held in two phases — the first on April 23 and the second on April 29. The counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.

The alliance between AIMIM and AJUP is expected to influence the vote share in Muslim-dominated seats in the forthcoming elections, which are widely seen as a primarily two-sided contest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Opposition BJP.

Business

Piyush Goyal to lead business delegation to Spain, Belgium and Finland to deepen trade, investment ties

Published

on

New Delhi, July 12: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead a high-level Indian business delegation on a five-day visit to Spain, Belgium and Finland from July 13 to 17, as India seeks to deepen its economic engagement with Europe through enhanced cooperation in trade, investment, technology, innovation and sustainability, it was announced on Sunday.

The delegation will include leading Indian companies from sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital technologies, gems and jewellery, food processing, healthcare and design. The visit is aimed at expanding business-to-business partnerships and exploring new opportunities for collaboration with European industries, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.

The visit will begin in Spain on July 13, where Goyal will participate in a business roundtable jointly organised by the Chamber of Commerce of Spain, CEOE and ICEX Spain Trade & Investment. The discussions are expected to focus on sectors including automotive, renewable energy, railways, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, food processing and tourism.

The meeting will bring together industry leaders from both countries at a time when India and Spain are celebrating the Spain-India Dual Year 2026, marking 70 years of diplomatic relations. Several Spanish companies, including Iberdrola, Acciona, CAF, Talgo, Gestamp and Indra, have already established a strong presence in India, while Indian technology and engineering firms such as TCS, Infosys, Wipro, Tech Mahindra and Larsen & Toubro are expanding their operations in Spain to support digital transformation and Industry 4.0 initiatives.

In Belgium, where the delegation will travel on July 14 and 15, the minister will visit the Port of Antwerp to study Europe’s leading logistics hub and gain insights into multimodal connectivity, green logistics and resilient supply chains.

During the Belgium visit, Goyal will hold CEO-level meetings with senior executives of Thales Group and Silox Group.

The minister will also participate in the India-EU Business Roundtable and the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Plenary, where discussions will cover foreign direct investment, trade facilitation, sustainable technologies and resilient supply chains.

The final leg of the tour will take the delegation to Finland on July 16 and 17. Goyal will participate in the India-Finland Business Roundtable, engaging with Finnish companies across digitalisation, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and the circular economy.

Continue Reading

Crime

Speeding Ferrari crashes into apartment building in Hyderabad Jubilee Hills

Published

on

Hyderabad, July 12: A speeding Ferrari car crashed into the gate of an apartment building in Hyderabad’s Jubilee Hills area in the early hours of Sunday. There were no casualties, said officials.

The incident occurred on Road Number 5 in the upscale Jubilee Hills under the Film Nagar Police Station limits.

The occupants abandoned the heavily damaged Ferrari Roma, said to be worth more than Rs 3.50 crore, and fled before police arrived at the scene.

The gate of Fort View Apartments was completely damaged in the collision. The front portion of the luxury car was badly mangled.

The man driving the vehicle escaped after the accident. Police suspect that the person at the wheel was under the influence of alcohol and driving the vehicle at a high speed and in a rash manner.

Police registered a case and launched an investigation into the person who was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident. Police were examining the CCTV footage to ascertain if there were other persons in the vehicle.

Police shifted the damaged Ferrari to the police station with the help of a towing vehicle.

This is the second such incident in Jubilee Hills in less than a week. An SUV had crashed into Tollywood actor Dharma’s residence on the night of July 9.

A man who was under the influence of alcohol had rammed the SUV into the residence of Dharma on Road Number 10. The compound wall of the actor’s house was damaged in the incident.

The accused was identified as Karthik Kumar, who drove the SUV in a rash and negligent manner before losing control and ramming into Dharma’s house. Luckily, there were no casualties.

The actor alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and arrested the accused. A breathalyser test confirmed that the accused was drunk while driving the SUV.

Police registered a criminal case against Kartik Kumar and launched further investigation.

Continue Reading

National News

4.5 magnitude earthquake in Bay of Bengal triggers tremors in Visakhapatnam

Published

on

Visakhapatnam, July 12: A 4.5 magnitude earthquake in the Bay of Bengal triggered tremors in parts of Visakhapatnam and adjoining districts of Andhra Pradesh on Sunday.

Some areas in the coastal city of Visakhapatnam were jolted by the tremors around 5.05 a.m.

The tremors were felt in Gajuwaka, Mangalapalem, Sagar Nagar, Pedda Waltair, Arilova, MVP colony, Appughar and other areas.

According to the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a mild earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred in the Bay of Bengal early on Sunday, and mild tremors were felt in several parts of Visakhapatnam city.

National Center for Sesimology said the earthquake occurred at 5:05:46 a.m. IST at a depth of 10 km, with its epicentre located about 225 km off the Kakinada coast in the Bay of Bengal. The epicentre was located at latitude 16.805 degrees N and longitude 84.381 degrees E.

No casualties, property damage or any other loss have been reported due to the earthquake.

There are reports of tremors being felt in parts of Anakapalli, Vizianagaram, Kakinada and Konaseema districts.

Experts described it as a shallow earthquake. They said there was no need for people to be worried as the tremors were mild due to structural adjustments. They pointed out that the region is considered tectonically stable.

In November last year, Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharamaraju districts were jolted by a mild earthquake.

An earthquake of magnitude 3.7 had struck the Alluri district in north coastal Andhra on November 4, 2015. The tremors triggered panic among residents in some areas. People ran out of their houses on hearing a loud sound. However, there were no casualties or any other damage. According to the National Center of Seismology, the epicentre of the earthquake was at G. Madugula in Alluri Sitharamaraju district at a depth of 10 km. The epicentre was 110 km from the port city of Visakhapatnam.

Continue Reading

Trending