West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya rejected preacher Dhirendra Shastri’s appeal for Bengalis to avoid non-vegetarian food during Durga Puja. Shastri, known as Bageshwar Baba, urged people to abstain from meat and called those continuing their regular diet heretics. Bhattacharya defended Bengal’s longstanding culinary and religious traditions, citing goat meat offerings to Goddess Kali and customary dishes such as luchi on Ashtami and goat meat on Navami. He said individuals may offer personal dietary advice, but such views cannot be imposed as societal rules. Bhattacharya also invoked Swami Vivekananda’s legacy and said Shastri’s remarks were not the BJP’s stance. The state BJP unit, he said, does not support a blanket vegetarian mandate.

Cockroach Janta Party leader Saurav Das criticised the Delhi government after the Satya Niketan building collapse that killed seven people, including five students. He demanded an independent criminal probe into the building owner and the alleged PG mafia. Das also called for structural safety audits of schools, colleges and student housing. He asked the government to publish records of 13 district committees formed after the Hauz Rani incident. He demanded a public database showing whether student accommodations are safe and legal. Das also sought new student hostels, ₹1 crore compensation for each victim’s family and ₹20 lakh for injured people.  

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has been fined 10% of her match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the Women’s Asia Cup match against India. The incident happened after Sana dismissed India opener Shafali Verma. Sana made a gesture towards the pavilion after the dismissal. The ICC said the action could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter. Sana admitted the offence and accepted the punishment. She also received one demerit point. This takes her total to two points in 24 months. Sana had received her first demerit point during a T20I match against Ireland in August 2025.  

A Jeddah-bound Malaysia Airlines flight with 186 passengers was diverted to Chennai on Monday after an engine problem was detected during the flight. Flight MH156 was flying from Kuala Lumpur to Jeddah when an issue developed in its No. 2 engine. The pilot contacted Chennai air traffic control and requested an emergency landing. Airport officials declared a full emergency and deployed fire tenders, ambulances and CISF personnel. The aircraft landed safely and all passengers were evacuated. Their baggage was also removed. No injuries were reported. Airline and technical teams are investigating the problem. Airport operations continued normally after the incident. (PC: Reuters)  

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced new rules for this year’s Durga Puja celebrations. All liquor shops and bars across the state will remain closed on Maha Ashtami. DJ music will also be banned during Puja celebrations and immersion processions. Adhikari said the measures aim to keep the festivities peaceful. He also asked Puja committees to choose their themes carefully. He said idols, pandals and themes should not hurt religious sentiments or disrespect Sanatan traditions. However, theme-based pandals will still be allowed. The announcement was made during a coordination meeting with Durga Puja committees in Kolkata on Monday.  

The 72nd National Film Awards are likely to be held in Gujarat this year. The ceremony may take place in Ekta Nagar, near the Statue of Unity. This would be the first time the prestigious awards ceremony is held outside New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu is expected to present the awards during her Gujarat visit later this month. The awards were announced in July. 'Article 370' won Best Feature Film, while Yami Gautam was named Best Actress. Mammootty and Kartik Aaryan shared the Best Actor award. The move marks a major change from the ceremony’s long-held tradition in the national capital.  

An Indian engineer from Noida has been detained by Russian police in Moscow, with his wife alleging that he was pressured to join the Russian military to fight in Ukraine. Indian government sources said the Indian Embassy in Moscow is in contact with Russian authorities and has sought his release and consular access. The engineer, identified as Chandan Gupta, was reportedly detained along with a friend on September 5 over allegations of drunkenness and damaging public property near Moscow’s Red Square. His wife, Sneha Gupta, appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for help. The military recruitment allegation has not been independently confirmed. (PC: NDTV)

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has issued guidelines for Durga Puja organisers in Bengal, covering who can participate, the appearance of idols, food and religious practices. The recommendations have sparked criticism and concern among organisers and others who say Durga Puja is known for its inclusive and creative character. The guidelines reportedly call for excluding non-Hindus from certain roles and discouraging non-vegetarian food at puja venues. The issue has added to an ongoing debate in West Bengal over religion, culture and the character of the festival. Durga Puja is one of Bengal’s biggest cultural celebrations, drawing millions of people each year. (PC: X)

Nepal observed a national day of mourning on Monday for victims of a devastating flash flood believed to have been triggered by a glacial collapse. At least 1,287 people have died, while more than 5,000 remain missing nearly two weeks after the disaster swept through villages in a Himalayan valley near the Nepal-Tibet border. Government offices and missions abroad lowered national flags to half-mast, while public commemorations were limited as rescue operations continued. Army teams are searching on the ground, by air and inside tunnels. Four people have been rescued in recent days, including a 64-year-old woman found alive after more than 10 days. (PC: BBC)

The Indian government has rejected speculation that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) could be privatised or lose its importance. ISRO will remain central to advanced space research, strategic missions, exploration and the development of new technologies. The government said growing private-sector participation is intended to expand India’s overall space ecosystem, not reduce ISRO’s role. Under the reforms, private companies and public-sector firms can increasingly scale mature technologies and routinely manufactured systems, while ISRO focuses on frontier research, human spaceflight, next-generation launch systems and deep-space missions. The agency said the goal is an ISRO-led national space ecosystem.