West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressing concern over the “rising impact of social media content”, which, she pointed out, was increasingly posing serious challenges to public peace.

the Chief Minister had also requested the Union Home Minister to introduce stringent legislative provisions that could act as an effective deterrent against the creation and dissemination of provocative content and acts perpetrated with criminal intent in cyberspace.

She pointed out that the current legal framework and its enforcement required further strengthening to keep pace with the rapidly-evolving digital ecosystem and the sophisticated methods employed by malicious actors.

Tripura Governor Indra Sena Reddy Nallu on Thursday administered the oath of office and secrecy to a new cabinet minister -- Kishor Barman -- at a simple ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.

Barman, 45, a first-time MLA, belongs to the ruling BJP.

In Tripura, the council of ministers comprises 12 members, including the Chief Minister. With the new minister's induction, the cabinet has reached its full strength.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, his council of ministers, and senior civil and security officials were present at the swearing-in ceremony, held at the Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan in the New Capital complex, on the outskirts of the city.

Barman, who is also the party's General Secretary, won the 2023 Assembly polls from Nalchar Assembly constituency in Sepahijala district.

After a delegation of opposition parties lodged a strong protest against the Election Commission's decision to carry out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar ahead of the Assembly elections, the NDA launched a scathing counterattack, accusing Congress MP Rahul Gandhi of undermining constitutional authorities and showing distrust towards Indian voters.

The Opposition, represented by an 18-member INDIA bloc delegation comprising 11 parties, including Congress, RJD, CPI, CPI(M-L), and Samajwadi Party, met with ECI officials at Nirvachan Sadan on Wednesday.

They alleged that the EC's move was both sudden and ill-timed, potentially impacting marginalised groups and compromising the fairness of the polls.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday launched a mega public outreach campaign in Gujarat and vowed to fight for the people's cause, while claiming that the residents of state are disgruntled and disillusioned with the BJP government and are now looking for an alternative.

Addressing a press conference, the AAP chief announced the launch of 'Gujarat Jodo Abhiyaan', a one-of-its-kind initiative which will see party workers reach out to diverse sections of people to inform them about the party's "pro-people policies and also win their support".

"Over the next two-and-a-half years, AAP workers and volunteers will visit every family in the state and seek their support," he said and also released a phone number. People will be able to connect to AAP by a missed call on this number.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised the BJP-led Maharashtra government over farmer suicides and accused the Centre of ignoring their plight. This prompted a swift response from the BJP, which cited findings and facts about farmer deaths in the state during the Congress-NCP rule to set the record straight.

The political blame game on farmer suicides began over the Fadnavis government’s admission that 767 farmers committed suicide in the state in the past three months. The state government told the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday that 767 farmer suicides were reported in the state, primarily in the Vidarbha region.

The Congress MP used the farmers' deaths to mount an attack on the Centre, accusing it of callousness and gross indifference to their plight. He said that 767 families have been devastated and shattered, but the government remains unmoved.

The Maharashtra cabinet subcommittee, headed by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Wednesday gave approval for investment proposals worth Rs 1,35,371.58 crore for the thrust sector and high technology-based projects in the state.

The move is expected to promote industries and generate one lakh direct and indirect jobs in the state. These projects will also boost technological innovation, research and development.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a court here that the Congress party wanted to usurp around Rs 2,000 crore assets of the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the ED, submitted before the Rouse Avenue Court that a conspiracy was hatched to form Young Indian Ltd -- in which Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi are majority stakeholders -- to acquire control over the newspaper's vast assets aimed at benefiting the party leadership personally.

ASG Raju added that several senior Congress leaders were involved in "fake transactions” made to Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the original publisher of the National Herald. According to the ED, individuals were making fraudulent advance rent payments over several years at the direction of senior Congress functionaries with fabricated rent receipts.

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi completed one year as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, the BJP on Wednesday sharply criticised his performance, calling it “very low” and accusing him of failing to fulfil his constitutional responsibilities.

BJP leaders alleged that LoP Rahul Gandhi was frequently absent from the House for extended periods and spent too much time abroad, undermining his ability to represent the Opposition effectively.

“In the last year, the country’s politics has changed a lot. Today, during the meetings of the INDI Bloc in the Lok Sabha, they tried to create an impression that the BJP has been defeated and that the NDA has fallen behind. But the election results over the past year have shown the people of this country the reality. There is a clear difference in the politics and ideology of both sides,” BJP leader Rohan Gupta told.

He added that this journey, which started from Haryana, shows a clear mandate from the people, from Haryana to Delhi, demonstrating that there will be no compromise on national issues.

In a step towards combating the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the second meeting of the State Convergence Committee on AMR was held in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar Joshi on Wednesday.

The meeting brought together senior officials from various departments to review Gujarat’s action plan and progress under the State Action Plan for Containment of Antimicrobial Resistance (SAPCAR-G).

During the session, the Chief Secretary launched two landmark state-level reports, the GUJSAR Surveillance Report and the Antibiotic Usage Report. These documents highlight key trends in antibiotic consumption and resistance patterns across the state and offer critical recommendations for improving AMR surveillance and responsible use of antibiotics.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Odisha on July 11, as part of the Congress party's national campaign.

The Congress leader is likely to attend a public rally titled 'Save the Constitution' to be held at the Baramunda Ground in Bhubaneswar.

The rally will also be attended by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge and party General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Tuesday shared the update, confirming the high-level participation.

Ahead of the visit, the Congress party convened an important meeting of its expanded Political Affairs Committee at the Congress Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.