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PM Modi asked his Council of Ministers to aim high and work in overdrive to achieve the goals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asserted that indigenous weapons have proved their might and showed that they were second to none as he chaired a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, sources said.

He highlighted the changing nature of warfare, an apparent reference to the large-scale deployment of drones in the recent conflict with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, and said ‘Make in India’ weapons and platforms will be a priority for the government, they said.

PM Modi asked his Council of Ministers to aim high and work in overdrive to achieve the goals.

The meeting witnessed a presentation that asserted India’s strength in the conflict against Pakistan.

It was also highlighted, a source said, that Pakistan itself acknowledged the extensive damage inflicted on it during Operation Sindoor.

Another presentation highlighted “standout achievements” of different ministries. These achievements are likely to be taken to the masses as the Modi government celebrates the first anniversary of its third term on June 9.

This was the first Union Council of Ministers meeting after Operation Sindoor.

Sources said condolences were extended to the kin of the victims of the Bengaluru stampede, which left at least 11 dead.

The cabinet secretary made a presentation on the achievements of the Modi government in its 11 years.

Ministries of commerce and industry, and jal shakti were among the departments that made a presentation on Vision 2047.

The health ministry spoke about the problem of obesity and the need for a healthy lifestyle in the meeting that lasted for over three and a half hours.

Modi lay a stress on improving the quality of services and ramping up manufacturing.

The PM, sources said, also asked ministers to communicate the government’s achievements to the public.

A source said Modi noted that earlier conflicts saw tanks rolling out through Punjab, but the changing warfare has changed things.

PM Modi asked his Council of Ministers to aim high and work in overdrive to achieve the goals.

The meeting witnessed a presentation that asserted India’s strength in the conflict against Pakistan.

It was also highlighted, a source said, that Pakistan itself acknowledged the extensive damage inflicted on it during Operation Sindoor.

Another presentation highlighted “standout achievements” of different ministries. These achievements are likely to be taken to the masses as the Modi government celebrates the first anniversary of its third term on June 9.

This was the first Union Council of Ministers meeting after Operation Sindoor.

Sources said condolences were extended to the kin of the victims of the Bengaluru stampede, which left at least 11 dead.

The cabinet secretary made a presentation on the achievements of the Modi government in its 11 years.

Ministries of commerce and industry, and jal shakti were among the departments that made a presentation on Vision 2047.

The health ministry spoke about the problem of obesity and the need for a healthy lifestyle in the meeting that lasted for over three and a half hours.

Modi lay a stress on improving the quality of services and ramping up manufacturing.

The PM, sources said, also asked ministers to communicate the government’s achievements to the public.

A source said Modi noted that earlier conflicts saw tanks rolling out through Punjab, but the changing warfare has changed things.

Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said that he did not criticise when several people lost their lives in a stampede at the Mahakumbh.

Following the stampede near the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he would not justify the mishap by drawing comparisons with similar tragedies elsewhere, like in Kumbh Mela.

Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said that he did not criticise when several people lost their lives in a stampede at the Mahakumbh.

“Such incidents happened in so many places. I am not going to defend this by comparing it with them now by saying it happened here and there. In Kumbh Mela, 50-60 people died, I didn’t criticise it,” he said.

“If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?” CM Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured.

“A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured,” the CM said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, “11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident.”

The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

“I don’t want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days’ time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came,” CM Siddaramaiah said.

Fans in thousands gathered outside the Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of their champion team.

RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his deep sorrow over the incident, describing it as “absolutely heartrending”.

In a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Prime Minister extended his thoughts to the families of the deceased while praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.

“The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery: PM Narendra Modi,” PMO stated on X.

The accused, Wajahat Khan, is on the run after both the Assam Police and the Kolkata Police filed cases against him over posts on social media that contained hate speech and derogatory remarks, which hurt religious sentiments

An Assam Police team has reached Kolkata with an arrest warrant for Wajahat Khan, on whose complaint social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli was arrested.

The accused is on the run, the police said.

Mr Khan faces arrest over posts on social media that contained hate speech and derogatory remarks, which hurt religious sentiments, the police said.

The Assam Police filed a case against him earlier this week.

The Kolkata Police, too, filed a case against him based on a complaint by a trust, Shri Ram Swabhiman Parishad, news agency PTI reported.

He was not found at his Kolkata house when the police team went there. Mr Khan also faces many cases in other states.

He had accused Ms Panoli, who is pursuing law, of sharing a video on social media that allegedly contained hate speech and hurt religious sentiments.

Ms Panoli was arrested in a “harakiri” manner and the police have bypassed the basic rules of arrest, her lawyer Mohammed Shamimuddin has said.

“They went to her house. But there was no one at home so the police sought a warrant from a magistrate and arrested her. They didn’t attempt to contact her on the phone either. This shows how the police acted in a harakiri manner and the ground on which the Kolkata Police custody was denied,” the lawyer told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

The 22-year-old was arrested from Gurugram last week after her Instagram post drew protests.

Her arrest sparked a political row, with the BJP and its allies targeting the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal. She was produced in court and sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

Ms Panoli even received support from nearly 7,000 km away. Geert Wilders, a member of the Dutch Parliament and the leader of the right-wing Party for Freedom, has said the influencer’s arrest is a “disgrace for freedom of speech” and urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure she is freed.

The army top brass now leads the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which gives it more control over the economic policy.

India has expressed deep concerns over the potential misuse of the $800 million ADB aid package to Pakistan as the country is increasing its defence expenditure, despite the poor fiscal position, with the army exercising de facto control over the government in Islamabad.

The army top brass now leads the Special Investment Facilitation Council, which gives it more control over the economic policy. India has warned that this entrenched military role poses serious risks of policy reversal and poor reform implementation, according to reliable sources.

Pakistan’s tax-GDP ratio has been declining, with the country going through an economic crisis. The foreign exchange reserves have hit rock bottom, and inflation has soared to double-digit figures. However, despite the dire economic situation, the military-driven government has gone for increasing expenditure on defence.

India has also pointed out that Pakistan has a very poor track record in implementing the economic reforms that are mandatory with these aid packages from multilateral institutions.

India’s concern is that these funds can be diverted for defence expenditure. The fighter jets purchased from China and the large number of drones used by Pakistan in the wake of Operation Sindoor reflect the increased spending on military hardware, an official said.

It pointed out that Pakistan recently approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the 24th bailout, indicating policy ineffectiveness. This further shows that the previous ADB and IMF-supported programmes have failed to create sustainable macroeconomic stability.

India has also highlighted that Pakistan’s policy of promoting cross-border terrorism has led to a worsening of the security situation in the region.

It pointed out that Pakistan recently approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the 24th bailout, indicating policy ineffectiveness. This further shows that the previous ADB and IMF-supported programmes have failed to create sustainable macroeconomic stability.

India has also highlighted that Pakistan’s policy of promoting cross-border terrorism has led to a worsening of the security situation in the region.

It pointed out that Pakistan recently approached the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for the 24th bailout, indicating policy ineffectiveness. This further shows that the previous ADB and IMF-supported programmes have failed to create sustainable macroeconomic stability.

India has also highlighted that Pakistan’s policy of promoting cross-border terrorism has led to a worsening of the security situation in the region.

It has further pointed out that Islamabad’s track record on implementation of the FATF action points related to terrorist financing investigations and prosecution of leaders of UN-designated terrorist groups and freezing and confiscation of criminal assets is also highly unsatisfactory.

“Our responsibility was to put forward in front of all these four countries that terrorism survives on this ideology of which even devil would be shy of accepting it. And secondly, by legal money,” Asaduddin Owaisi said

Asaduddin Owaisi, MP from Hyderabad and member of the government’s all-party global outreach delegation on Operation Sindoor, told NDTV today that all four nations he visited have had a taste of terrorism and have close relations not just with Pakistan but India as well. Mr Owaisi was part of Jay Panda’s team that went to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria and Bahrain.  

Asked about all four nations standing by Pakistan earlier in terms of funding and OIC (the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) vis-a-vis efforts to place Pakistan in the FATF grey list, in an exclusive interview to NDTV, Mr Owaisi said the government would know better regarding that.

“Our responsibility was to put forward in front of all these four countries that terrorism survives on this ideology of which even devil would be shy of accepting it. And secondly, by legal money,” he said. 

Giving a checklist of the legal funds Pakistan is receiving, which was also placed before the interlocutors from the four nations, Mr Owaisi  said Pakistan is getting $2 billion loan from the IMF, and “40 billion they are trying from the World Bank”.

“When we went to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, we had reminded them that the kingdom had given some 2 billion and now they have extended a loan of 12 billion,” he said, questioning where all this money is going.

“Our presentation in front of our interlocutors was that this money is not being monitored. It is going into these core commanders, from core commanders to these terrorist groups, which in turn are killing Indians,” he said.

His team, he added, had sought help bringing Pakistan under the FATF grey list as happened in 2018 and 2019. 

In this connection, he said he had also recounted Pakistan’s U-turn on terrorist Sajid Mir, the main planner of 26/11 attack in Mumbai.

Pakistan had repeatedly claimed that Sajid Mir is dead. But “when this FATF meeting was being held in Germany, immediately Pakistan came up and to the surprise of everyone, not to the Indians, they said, oh, Sajid Mir is alive and he was later convicted,” Mr Owaisi said.

“We also reminded them that from 2018 onwards, till 22, Pakistan was on FATF (grey list) and there was a close monitoring on their finances and all the neighboring countries were safe,” he said.

“We told them all of us are victims of this terrorism and the best you can do is to ensure Pakistan is brought in FATF. We have nothing against the Pakistani people, but it is the deep state, it is the military and these terror groups who are thriving and being aided and promoted by the Pakistani army over there. They should be controlled,” he added.

The ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task Force, a global anti-terror funding agency, includes nations that have fallen short of sticking to key parameters that include combating terror. 

New Delhi had earlier expressed disappointment that international agencies transferred billions in “aid” to Islamabad in the aftermath of the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam and the subsequent military escalation by the Pakistan Army.

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