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 founder Abhijeet Dipke criticised the Centre after a boys’ PG building collapsed in Delhi’s Satya Niketan on Sunday.   “Will the PM visit DU again and explain how did this happen?” Dipke asked. He said students should not have to “pay the price for failing infrastructure and neglect”.   AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj and the Congress also reacted and called for better safety and faster rescue efforts.   Around 40 to 50 students were feared trapped when the five-storey building collapsed. Several students were rescued and taken to hospital.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted Opposition leaders with his “dimagi Naxal” remark while addressing students at Shri Ram College of Commerce’s centenary celebrations in Delhi on Saturday. Referring to his recent Red Fort speech, Modi said the phrase acted like a “homeopathic pill” that exposed those promoting what he called the “illness”. His youth-focused address also highlighted crises including the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, the 2008 global financial crisis, COVID-19, the Russia-Ukraine war and West Asia tensions. Modi urged students to think about India’s future and develop an aspirational vision for a developed nation. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge criticised the address as political. (PC: NDTV)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay confronted the Opposition DMK in the Assembly on Thursday after Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin questioned the TVK government’s handling of law and order, drug proliferation and protests. Stalin also questioned why the government promoted senior police officers who had served in similar roles under the previous DMK administration. Vijay said he would provide a detailed response to every allegation on Monday and urged DMK members not to walk out during his address. The exchange triggered heated scenes, with Opposition members protesting over crime statistics and the government’s record on protests and student dissent. (PC: PTI)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced the withdrawal of cases filed against farmers and teachers for protests during the previous DMK government’s tenure between 2021 and 2026. Vijay said the pending cases had caused difficulties for those booked for protesting against projects such as SIPCOT developments and the proposed Parandur airport. He accused the previous government of treating democratic protesters “inhumanely” and said the decision would strengthen democratic rights and public trust. The CPI urged the TVK government to extend the move to NEET protesters, while the PMK sought the withdrawal of cases linked to protests against the Neyveli Lignite Corporation. (PC: X)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay’s spontaneous gesture during his visit to Mettur has gone viral on social media. The actor-turned-politician stopped his convoy to meet elderly woman Chellam and spoke with her about her health. Vijay then removed his Christian Dior sunglasses and gifted them to her. Chellam said she was surprised and delighted by the meeting, adding that Vijay “looked just like he does in his movies.” She also said the Chief Minister asked whether she had eaten. The video of their warm interaction quickly spread online, drawing widespread attention. Vijay was in Mettur to open the sluice gates of the Stanley Reservoir.  

Brishti Mukherjee, 28, daughter of Nihar Mukherjee, a cousin of former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, died by suicide at her home in Kusumba village, Birbhum, on Tuesday. Her body was found hanging on the first floor around 9 am. According to her family, Mukherjee had been suffering from depression for several years and was undergoing treatment. She had also faced allegations of securing a primary school teaching job through the teacher recruitment scam, while she and her husband had filed for divorce. Rampurhat police are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death. Her body has been sent to Rampurhat Government Medical College and Hospital for a post-mortem examination, with further findings expected from the investigation and procedural inquiries. (PC: NDTV and Loksatta)

CJP founder Abhijeet Dipke criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his recent post celebrating India’s 7.8% GDP growth. Dipke shared a photograph of a dilapidated washroom at a government-run school and captioned it, “7.8% growth sir!!!”, appearing to question the contrast between the headline economic figure and conditions in public infrastructure. Modi had congratulated Indians on the 7.8% growth rate, calling it a reflection of the country’s “collective strength”, resolve and industrious spirit. Dipke’s post came in response to the Prime Minister’s social media video discussing the latest GDP figures. The CJP founder has previously criticised the Union Government and Modi through social media posts, with his latest remark drawing attention to government-school infrastructure.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as the INDIA bloc’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Tamil Nadu Congress Legislature Party leader Tharahai Cuthbert said on Monday. She rejected speculation of a rift between the Congress and its ally, the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), over the prime ministerial race. Cuthbert said recent projections of Vijay as a future Prime Minister reflected the enthusiasm of TVK workers and were not the party leadership’s official position. She also stressed that the Congress was expanding independently in Tamil Nadu and remained an autonomous party, while maintaining its alliance with the TVK. (PC: India Today)

Congress leaders have questioned Penguin Random House India (PRHI) over the publication row surrounding Sonia Gandhi’s memoir Belonging: A Journey of Love, alleging pressure on the publisher and threats to freedom of expression. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot claimed sections concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS and China were targeted for removal, while Kamal Nath and other Congress leaders also raised concerns. Penguin denied that it rejected the memoir because Gandhi refused editorial changes, clarifying that it is not the book’s Indian publisher. PRHI said fact-checking and editorial recommendations are routine and maintained it had remained willing to publish the book. The memoir’s Indian publisher remains unclear, with international release scheduled for November. (PC: X)