Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Wednesday that with the completion of the five stages of the Lok Sabha elections 2024, people across the country are confident in the outcomes on June 4 - 'Fir Ek Bar, Modi Sarkar' and 'Abki Baar 400 Par.'

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda urged his grandson, MP Prajwal Revanna, accused of sexual abuse, to return and face legal proceedings. In a stern warning, he stated awareness of the allegations and warned of familial wrath if ignored. He affirmed his commitment to truth and accountability in the matter.

The candidate selection in Uttar Pradesh reflects a shift towards Kamandal politics, with BJP-NDA and SP-Congress INDIA bloc favoring Hindu upper castes, particularly Brahmins, while Yadav candidates are notably absent. Despite welfare schemes, Hindutva prevails over social justice, revealing the enduring influence of ideological narratives in state politics.

During the election season, BJP in Odisha taps into 25 years of anti-incumbency against Naveen Patnaik's BJD government. Highlighting Jagannath temple issues and Puri temple corridor project, they contrast BJP's Hindutva politics. BJD counters with temple upgradation. In January, they inaugurate the Jagannatha Heritage Corridor, seen as a strategic move against BJP's rising influence.

The Calcutta High Court annulled 5 lakh OBC certificates issued by West Bengal since 2010, citing religion as the main criterion. It criticized the selection of 77 Muslim classes as backward, calling it political exploitation. Existing reservations and services remain unaffected by the ruling. PM Modi criticized the decision as a blow to opposition appeasement tactics.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed confidence in the BJP-led NDA securing a third term, citing public desire for stability. She highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decade-long initiatives as pivotal in winning voter trust. Sitharaman emphasized the buzz surrounding the need for a reliable and consistent government.

Police in Turkey on Sunday (May 20) said that they had arrested three Pakistanis on charges of kidnapping an Indian citizen in the city of Edirne, reported Khaama news portal.The Pakistanis had kidnapped Radhakrishnan who was employed to do the dishes at a restaurant in Istanbul.The Pakistanis lured Radhakrishnan to the western city of Edrine with a job offer and kidnapped him.They tied his hands and feet, and threatened his family by sending them a video, according to Khaama. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh from Radhakrishnan's family, based in India. In another incident two Pakistanis were arrested in Combodia for abducting indians for weeks. Both the victims had been handcuffed, beaten and blindfolded during their weeks-long confinement. After the abduction, the Pakistanis demanded a ransom of $10,000 each from their families, a total of $20,000, in exchange for their release.

For this Jhunjhunu village, in Rajasthan’s Shekhawati region, the years can be divided as before and after Agnipath — the central ‘tour of duty’ scheme to enlist jawans in India’s defence forces that was rolled out in 2022. Agniveers will be enlisted for four years, after which 25% of the recruits will be retained in the services based on merit. For Dhanuri and many other villages in the region that have for decades been sending youths in droves to the forces to earn and serve till they retire, the four-year tenure was a rude shock. Before Agnipath was rolled out, the ground teemed with teenagers and youths in their early 20s sprinting and exercising on the sand to prepare for their entrance into the services, trainers keeping a hawk eye and barking instructions, boys egging each other on. Dhanuri wears that tag ‘village of soldiers’ with pride. But for how long? This is an anxiety that has been creeping up since 2022. There are similar ‘Army villages’ across north India — in the Himalayan terrain of Uttarakhand’s Pauri Garhwal, Dehradun and Uttarkashi, the sun-baked plains of Haryana, and the sweeping expanse of Uttar Pradesh — where empty fields are a recurring sight.

On Tuesday, Israeli authorities took The Associated Press's (AP) camera and transmission equipment in southern Israel. The confiscation occurred in response to claims that the news agency broke a new media legislation by sending photographs to Al Jazeera, a Qatari satellite channel and one of AP's many clients who receive live video feeds.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra performed a traditional dance during a Lok Sabha election campaign in Ranchi, claiming the BJP-led government's efforts to change the Constitution and weaken institutions have been detrimental.