Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Neel Garg launched a scathing attack on Congress and its Ludhiana West by-election candidate Bharat Bhushan Ashu, accusing them of resorting to sympathy-driven theatrics to mislead the public. Garg highlighted how Ashu, who is embroiled in serious corruption charges involving thousands of crores, has been exposed for attempting to manipulate public sentiment instead of focusing on genuine issues.

In a statement, Neel Garg said, “The people of Ludhiana have outrightly rejected Bharat Bhushan Ashu, as they remember his arrogant behavior during his tenure as an MLA and minister. Even prominent Congress leaders such as Sukhjinder Randhawa, Raja Warring, and Pratap Bajwa have distanced themselves from Ashu and this election. It is evident that the Congress party, under the control of its Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, is attempting to script baseless sympathy narratives, as they lack credibility and trust among the people.”

In the wake of the backlash over the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the RCB's celebrations in which 11 persons were killed, the Karnataka government on Friday sacked K. Govindaraju from the post of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's Political Secretary.

The government has not given any reason for the ouster of Govindaraju, a close confidante of Siddaramaiah and a Congress MLC. However, sources say that the move has come following severe criticism from various cabinet ministers for organising the felicitation programme for the RCB players at the Vidhana Soudha.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's security was beefed up on Friday after a caller issued a death threat by dialling up the police control room in the neighbouring city of Ghaziabad, an official said.

The caller, who made the death threat to Delhi Chief Minister, turned off his mobile phone immediately after communicating the message to the PCR at 11 p.m. on Thursday, said Ghaziabad's Deputy Commissioner of Police (City).

The inter-state coordination cell of Ghaziabad Police informed the Delhi Police about the death threat call made in connection with the Delhi CM, said an official.

The police said the SIM owner of the phone from which the death threat was issued to Delhi CM Gupta had been identified with the help of the telecom company, but the phone has remained switched off since 11 p.m. on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on Friday allowed an application filed by the National Board of Examinations (NBE) seeking permission to schedule the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET)-PG 2025 on August 3.

A Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Augustine George Masih took note of the submission that August 3 was the earliest possible available date given by its technology partner for conducting the NEET-PG 2025 examination in terms of the recent apex court order.

Allowing the application filed by the NBE to conduct the NEET-PG 2025 examination on August 3, the Justice Mishra-led Bench clarified that no further time extension will be allowed by the top court.

In an order passed on May 30, the Supreme Court deprecated the practice of conducting the NEET-PG exam in two shifts and opined that holding the examination in two shifts leads to arbitrariness and cannot give a level playing field to the candidates.

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi began his extended tour of Bihar, several leaders from the ruling NDA, including Union Ministers Jitan Ram Manjhi, Giriraj Singh, and Bihar Minister Nitin Naveen, launched a barrage of criticism aimed at him and the grand old party.

Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, in a post on social media platform X, welcomed Rahul Gandhi to what he called the "new Bihar", contrasting it with the alleged lawlessness during the RJD-Congress rule two decades ago.

“Welcome Rahul Gandhi, to the good governance in Bihar. Bihar is no longer the same that Lalu Prasad’s RJD and the Gandhi family left us 20 years ago… If Rahul Gandhi had come to Bihar during Lalu Prasad’s rule, he could have been kidnapped,” Manjhi wrote, suggesting that Sonia Gandhi would have had to negotiate with criminals through Lalu Prasad for her son's release.

Congress on Friday greeted the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian Railways, saying that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is a "powerful" example of continuity in governance, and also added that the 135 km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund had become operational by June 26, 2013.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be flagging off the Vande Bharat train service from Katra to Srinagar, and laying the foundation/inaugurating projects worth Rs 46,000, including the Chenab bridge, which is a part of USBRL.

Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, took a jibe at the Centre, stating that USBRL's success involved a great continuity which has not been realised by the current dispensation.

Taking to X, Ramesh made cryptic remarks at the Prime Minister. “Governance involves great continuity, a fact consistently denied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his perennial desire for self-glory. This is especially true when it comes to the implementation of extraordinarily challenging developmental projects.”

The Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday released the list of 40 star campaigners for the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election, including Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann.

Besides Kejriwal and Mann, the list includes AAP Punjab In-charge Manish Sisodia, former Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Sunita Kejriwal, former Delhi Minister Satyendar Jain, Rakhi Birla, AAP Punjab President Aman Arora, and Working President Amansher Singh Shery Kalsi.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, while expressing profound grief over the death of seven persons in Rewa, has announced a financial support of Rs 2 lakh each to the family of the deceased.

He has also announced financial support of Rs 50,000 to each of the injured persons in the accident.

He announced the support through his X handle, “Tragedy struck near Sohagi village in Rewa district when a truck carrying cement pillars overturned onto an auto carrying devotees from Nai Garhi, Mauganj district. The group had been returning from Prayagraj after performing a sacred Ganga bath. The devastating accident claimed seven lives and left three others injured. In response to this heart-breaking accident, the Madhya Pradesh government has extended its support to the affected families. Authorities have directed that financial aid be provided—Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained serious injuries.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) achieved another major boost before the Ludhiana West Assembly by-election today, while the Congress Party suffered a significant setback. On Thursday, about two dozen Congress families, including Independent candidate Chandan Chhanaliya, joined AAP.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann formally inducted all the leaders and families into the party in the presence of Ludhiana West AAP candidate Sanjeev Arora and party MP Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal and extended them a warm welcome.

Among those who joined the party were educationist Simmi Chopra Pashan, Vinayak Pashan, Chanderjit Karan, Ranbir Singh (retired police officer and former international volleyball player), Advocate Jeevanjot, Advocate Mamta Arora, and Manish Aggarwal.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab leader Pawan Kumar Tinu has strongly condemned the vandalism of the statue of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar near Phillaur.

Tinu said that Gurpatwant Pannun is behind this incident. He alleged that Pannun is working at the behest of foreign forces, especially the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI. Living abroad, he orchestrates such cowardly acts in Punjab by luring hired individuals with small sums of money to carry out these heinous actions.

He added that Gurpatwant is neither a Sikh nor does he have any understanding of Sikhism. If he had knowledge of Sikh teachings, he would not indulge in such acts, as the philosophy of our Gurus revolves around the welfare of all humanity.