Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over alleged protocol lapses during President Droupadi Murmu’s visit to the state.   Murmu earlier said neither the Chief Minister nor any state minister received her at the airport. She also alleged that the venue of the International Santhal Conclave was changed at the last moment.   Calling the incident “shameful and unprecedented”, Modi said it had saddened people across the country.   “The pain and anguish expressed by Rashtrapati Ji… has caused immense sadness in the minds of the people of India,” he wrote on X.   Union Home Minister Amit Shah also attacked the state government and called the episode an insult to the President.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not speaking about the sinking of the Iranian warship IRIS Dena. The ship was hit by a US submarine torpedo in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka during the ongoing conflict involving the United States and Iran. Gandhi said the incident shows the conflict has moved closer to India. “The conflict has reached our backyard, with an Iranian warship sunk in the Indian Ocean,” he wrote on X. He questioned why the prime minister had not commented on the issue. Gandhi said India needed “a steady hand at the wheel” at such a time. (PC: HT)

Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday questioned the government’s silence over the West Asia conflict. He asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi supports “the assassination of a head of state”. Gandhi said rising tensions between the US, Israel and Iran were pushing the region towards wider conflict. “Crores of people, including nearly a crore Indians, face uncertainty,” he said. He said attacks that violate sovereignty must be condemned. “Violence begets violence. Dialogue and restraint remain the only path to peace,” he added. Gandhi said India “must be morally clear” and speak in defence of international law and human lives. (PC: The Indian Express)

Opposition parties attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not speaking publicly on the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Congress leader Pawan Khera called it a “betrayal” of India’s values. Akhilesh Yadav and other leaders asked the government to clarify its stand. The MEA said India is deeply concerned and urged restraint and dialogue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to leaders in the Gulf region. Protests were held in Delhi, Lucknow, Kashmir and Hyderabad. Shia groups observed mourning and raised slogans against the US and Israel. The Cabinet Committee on Security will meet tonight. (PC: PMO/ANI)

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal broke down emotionally before cameras after a Delhi court ordered former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia's discharge in the Delhi excise policy scam case. Struggling to speak, Kejriwal removed his glasses and wept, saying the verdict proved his honesty and that "truth always wins." He urged PM Narendra Modi to govern through public service rather than toppling elected governments. The court flagged a lack of evidence against Kejriwal, stating serious allegations require material proof. While discharging Sisodia, the court found no criminal intent, noting that documents and witness statements reflected administrative deliberations rather than wrongdoing, effectively dismantling the prosecution's central conspiracy argument.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor criticised the Centre after it approved the renaming of Kerala to “Keralam”. He said the focus should be on development projects. “The government has not given us an AIIMS or any new institutions. They have given us no projects in the Union Budget. But when it comes to a name change, they are willing to authorise it,” he said.   Tharoor noted that Kerala is already called “Keralam” in Malayalam. He also asked what residents would now be called. On X, he said “Keralamite” sounds like a microbe and “Keralamian” like a mineral. The state assembly had earlier passed a resolution supporting the change. (PC: X)

The India-US trade deal sparked major political controversy at Congress' Kisan Maha Chaupal in Bhopal, with Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launching a sharp attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Gandhi alleged the agreement was pushed through under American pressure, bypassing key Cabinet ministers including Rajnath Singh, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Nitin Gadkari. He linked the deal to Donald Trump, the Epstein files, and Gautam Adani's legal troubles abroad. Gandhi warned that cheap US imports of soybean, cotton, maize and pulses would devastate Indian farmers and flood domestic markets. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge echoed concerns, calling the deal fundamentally imbalanced and harmful to farmers, labourers and small businesses across India. (PC: PTI)

Mukul Roy, widely regarded as the "Chanakya of Bengal politics" and former Trinamool Congress national general secretary, passed away at 71 following a massive cardiac arrest at Apollo Hospital, Salt Lake, Kolkata, at 1:30 am on Sunday. Roy, who had been battling dementia and multiple ailments, had been in a coma days prior. A co-founder of Trinamool Congress alongside Mamata Banerjee in 1998, Roy later defected to BJP in 2017, proving instrumental in the party winning 18 Lok Sabha seats in 2019. He rejoined TMC in 2021 but was disqualified as MLA by the Calcutta High Court in 2025 under the anti-defection law. His last rites will be performed Monday. (PC: India Today)

Senior Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar has said Mamata Banerjee should lead the INDIA bloc and advised Rahul Gandhi to step aside.   Speaking in Kolkata, Aiyar said, “Mamata Banerjee is the leader of this alliance.” He added that without her, the alliance would lose its identity. He said Rahul Gandhi should allow regional leaders like M K Stalin, Akhilesh Yadav and Tejashwi Yadav to handle the bloc.   Bengal Congress leaders criticised his remarks. State leader Suman Roy Chowdhury said Aiyar is no longer active in party work. Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh declined detailed comment, citing the ongoing Bengal election campaign. (PC: NDTV)

Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief and ally of the opposition INDIA bloc, criticised the shirtless protest by Indian Youth Congress workers at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, calling it inappropriate and shameful in front of foreign delegates and world leaders. The demonstration, aimed at protesting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and an India-US trade deal, sparked a political row with harsh reactions from several parties. BJP leaders labelled it damaging to India’s global image, while clashes occurred between party workers in multiple cities. (PC: X)