Amidst a heated debate surrounding the presence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s photo alongside Bhagat Singh and BR Ambedkar on a wall, Yadvinder Sandhu, Bhagat Singh’s grandnephew, expressed his dismay. Sandhu emphasised in a video message that nobody should liken themselves to Bhagat Singh. The controversy arose on Thursday when Sunita Kejriwal, while delivering a message from Arvind Kejriwal, revealed a photo of him behind bars on the wall. Positioned between the images of Bhagat Singh and Ambedkar, the photo sparked controversy. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju subsequently defended the sentiments of Bhagat Singh’s grandson. Dig deeper

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose party leads the 27-party opposition alliance, said on Friday that the selection of the PM candidate for the INDIA bloc will occur post the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. “INDIA is fighting an ideological election and a decision on the PM candidate will be taken after the polls,” Gandhi said at the launch programme of the party’s poll manifesto. While Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP are seeking a third consecutive term, the opposition alliance is yet to take a call on its face for the country’s top post. Dig deeper

Latest News

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India News

Lok Sabha polls much closer than predicted by media: Rahul Gandhi Dig deeper

Maharashtra speaker urges Shinde govt to rename Alibaug as ‘Maynaknagri’ Dig deeper

Global Matters

Canada’s spy agency has said that Pakistan may have been involved in foreign interference activity in the country. Pakistan was cited in a June 2019 classified briefing that was submitted to the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions, which is headed by Justice Marie-Josee Hogue, by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). The document, titled Classified Briefing to Political Parties: CSIS Mandate and Threat Landscape, contains information about the possible nature of Islamabad’s alleged foreign interference (FI) activity in Canada. The document, seen by the Hindustan Times, states, “Pakistani officials in Canada have likely tried to clandestinely influence Canadian politicians of Pakistani descent, with the aim of furthering Pakistani interests in Canada.” Dig deeper

Entertainment Focus

Actress Preity Zinta has posted a selfie with Shashank Singh, the standout player from her team Punjab Kings (PBKS) after their match on Thursday. Sharing the photo on Instagram on Friday, she also addressed the comments made about Shashank Singh, breaking her silence on the matter. According to reports, he was unintentionally selected by the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise and purchased for ₹20 lakh. In the picture, Preity is seen standing on the field in a black outfit, flashing a victory sign, while Shashank, wearing his uniform, smiles and gives a thumbs-up. Sharing the photo, Preity wrote, “Today seems like the perfect day to finally talk about things that were said in the past about us at the auction. A lot of people in similar situations would have lost confidence, buckled under pressure or become de-motivated ……. but not Shashank! He is not like a lot of people. He is truly special.” Dig deeper

Lifestyle and Health

The transition from winter to summer has led to a surge in cases of seasonal illnesses and infections nationwide. While some days bring pleasant breezes, others are unusually hot, making us more susceptible to viral and vector-borne diseases. Experts attribute this rise in cases of viral fever, dengue, typhoid, and leptospirosis to various risk factors, including consumption of contaminated food and water, and the onset of mosquito breeding season. As winter fades away, the fluctuating weather of spring brings its own set of challenges before the onset of summer and the accompanying heatwaves. Consequently, a wave of illnesses is being observed in different parts of the country. Dig deeper

Sports Goings

Ahead of the start of the IPL 2024, when the entire world believed reports of rift between Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya, the two Indian teammates quashed them when they hugged and embraced each other ahead of MI’s season opener against Gujarat Titans. Ever since, a lot has happened. MI have lost three of the bounce, Hardik has been booed incessantly, controversial videos have emerged and fans have lost it at the sight of captain Hardik telling Rohit where to go and field. All this while, visuals between Rohit and Hardik weren’t the most encouraging either. After MI lost to GT, Rohit avoided a hug from Pandya before the two engaged in an animated chat. Dig deeper

That’s all we have at this hour in our Evening briefing. Catch you tomorrow morning.