Highlights: PM Modi addresses rally in Bengal, gives 5 guarantees to the state

Latest LIVE updates: Catch all the latest updates related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally in Bengal here

9:28 PM

Mani Shankar Aiyar has said that Pakistan has an atom bomb, but how will you believe it, asks Assam CM Sarma

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma says, "Mani Shankar Aiyar has said that Pakistan has an atom bomb, but how will you believe it? As the country does not have money to pay salaries, buy petrol, buy food grains. Pakistan may have had an atom bomb at one time, but it may not have been maintained, so who knows whether the bomb will work now or not?"

9:08 PM

Kanhaiya Kumar meets CM Kejriwal, discusses INDIA bloc's strategy for LS polls in Delhi

Congress' North East Delhi candidate Kanhaiya Kumar on Sunday met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and discussed the strategy of the INDIA bloc for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in the national capital. The people of Delhi are "eager to take revenge of jail through their votes", Kumar said on X after his meeting with Kejriwal, who was released from Tihar jail on interim bail two days ago. "Met Delhi Chief Minister and INDI Alliance colleague Arvind Kejriwal and apprised him of the election activities of North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency and discussed the upcoming strategy of the alliance," the Congress leader said in his post in Hindi. "Together we are going to overthrow the dictatorship and establish a just government in the country," he added. The Supreme Court on May 10 granted interim bail to Kejriwal till June 1 for campaigning in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. Polling for seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi will be held in the sixth phase on May 25.

7:57 PM

This shows that you are afraid: Congress MP Digvijaya Singh on PM Modi's 'Adani-Ambani' remark

"In Telangana, he (PM Modi) said that the Congress received loads of money from Adani and Ambani. If that is true, then what is your ED, CBI and Income Tax Department doing? This shows that you are afraid. You have made 22 people 'kharabpati', but we will make crore of people 'lakhpati' under Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge's leadership, and this is our guarantee," says former Madhya Pradesh CM and senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on PM Modi's 'Adani-Ambani' remark.

 

7:40 PM

Home Minister Amit Shah poses 5 questions before Rahul Gandhi, asks him to make his stand clear

In an apparent bid to corner Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his family stronghold of Rae Bareli, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday posed five questions before him and asked him to make his stand clear on those questions. "I want to ask five questions publicly - triple talaq, which was abolished by Modi ji... Was it good or bad? Rahul baba, answer the people of Rae Bareli whether you want to bring back triple talaq? They were saying that they will bring it back. Today, I want to ask in the presence of the public of Rae Bareli to make (your stand) clear," Shah said. "Instead of Muslim personal law, should there be a Uniform Civil Code or not? They say that they will bring (back) the Muslim personal law," he said. On surgical strikes, Shah said, "Modi ji conducted the surgical strikes, was it good or bad? Rahul baba raises questions on surgical strikes. (I) want to ask him, do you support the surgical strikes or not? "I also want to ask him why you did not go to the Ram temple in Ayodhya (after 'Pran Pratishtha'). Give an answer," Shah said.

6:55 PM

If ideology is same, why remain separate? Tharoor on merger of smaller parties into Congress

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday appeared amenable to views expressed in certain sections on the potential merger of smaller parties into the Grand Old Party. "As far as smaller parties aligning or merging with Congress is concerned, I feel if the ideology is the same then what is the need to be separate? Let's see what happens,' Tharoor said while addressing a press conference in Mumbai. Notably, veteran politician Sharad Pawar has predicted that in the next couple of years, several regional parties will associate more closely with the Congress, or even merge with it. He spoke about the future political landscape during an interview with The Indian Express. Tharoor described as "meaningless" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray wherein he has asked them to join Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, respectively.

6:37 PM

Dalits, tribals to become slaves again if Modi, Shah get third term: Congress President Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday asked people to vote for his party, claiming that a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah would mean that the poor, Dalits and tribals would be “treated like slaves”. Addressing a rally in Maharashtra's Dhule constituency, where the Congress has fielded former MLA Shobha Bachhav, Kharge appealed to voters to choose his party to save democracy and the Constitution. “Before Independence, the poor, Dalits and tribals were treated like slaves. If you give a third term to Modi and Shah, the same situation will repeat. We will become slaves again,” he said. Dhule in north Maharashtra will go to polls in the fifth phase of the general elections on May 20. Here, the BJP has nominated former Union minister Subhash Bhamre. “You have to vote for your own sake and your own people. We need to save the Constitution. This election will shape the future of the country, thus it is an important election,” he said.

6:26 PM

If you choose AAP on May 25, I won't have to go back to jail: CM Kejriwal at roadshow

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a roadshow in Delhi on Sunday said if people choose Aam Aadmi Party on May 25, he won't have to go back to jail.

Accompanied by his Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Kejriwal held a roadshow in Moti Nagar in support of party's New Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Somnath Bharti. "I have to go back to jail after 20 days. If you choose jhadu (AAP's symbol), I won't have to go back to jail," the chief minister said. The AAP national convenor is out on interim bail till June 1. He has to surrender on June 2. "They sent me to jail because I worked for you. The BJP does not want that work of Delhi people are done," he said. Kejriwal alleged that his insulin injections were stopped for 15 days inside TIhar jail.

"If I went back to jail, the BJP would stop your work, free electricity, degrade schools and shut down hospitals and Mohalla Clinics," he charged.

6:04 PM

No need to wait till September 2025, Modi won't be PM after poll results in June: Tharoor

Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said the country need not have to wait till September 2025 as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not remain at the helm after June 4, when results of Lok Sabha polls will be declared. Tharoor's comments come a day after AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal claimed Modi is asking for votes for Home Minister Amit Shah, who will be his successor after Modi "retires" on turning 75 in September 2025.

"A new government will come to power at the Centre in June. There is no need to wait till September 2025," Tharoor said while responding to a query on Kejriwal's remarks. Addressing a press conference in Mumbai, the Thiruvananthapuram MP alleged Modi has lowered the standard of public discourse and the language being used by him is not good for the country.

5:22 PM

PM Modi hasn't visited any village, asked any farmer about his problems in last 10 yrs: Priyanka in Raebareli

PM Modi hasn't visited any village or asked any farmer about his problems once in last 10 years, said Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Raebareli. 

5:17 PM

Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault

Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday. The intense battles have forced at least one Ukrainian unit to withdraw in the Kharkiv region, capitulating more land to Russian forces across less defended settlements in the so-called contested “gray zone" along the Russian border. Meanwhile, a 10-story apartment block collapsed in the Russian city of Belgorod, near the border, with several deaths and injuries reported. Russian authorities said the building collapsed following Ukrainian shelling. Ukraine has not commented on the incident. At least 4,000 civilians have fled the Kharkiv region since Friday, when Moscow's forces launched the operation, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said in a social media statement. Heavy fighting raged Sunday along the northeast front line, where Russian forces attacked 27 settlements in the past 24 hours, he said.

4:45 PM

Lok Sabha polls: BJP, TMC workers clash against each other in Sandeshkhali

4:26 PM

2024 election is between people who want to ‘change' Constitution and those against it: Akhilesh Yadav

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday said the ongoing Lok Sabha election is between people who want to “change the constitution” and those protecting it. Yadav took part in a rally here in support of Tanuj Punia, the INDIA bloc candidate who is contesting Barabanki Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket.

“On one side are the people who want to change the Constitution and on the other side are the people of INDIA bloc, SP and Congress who want to protect it," Yadav said while addressing the rally. “The election here has turned out to be between people of Barabanki and false guarantees,” he said. The public has taken matters into their own hands and are not going to spare those who talk about running the double engine government, Yadav said. While attacking the BJP-led central government for inflation and bringing “black farm laws”, the SP chief said, “These people brought farm laws to snatch the lands of the poor farmers and give to the big industrialists.” Yadav said that after coming to power the INDIA bloc government will ensure guaranteed minimum support price for the crops produced by farmers.

4:24 PM

Corruption common character of INDIA bloc parties, TMC has made it full-time business: PM Modi in Howrah rally

Corruption common character of INDIA bloc parties, TMC has made it full-time business, said PM Modi in Howrah.

4:00 PM

Forest conservation, management in country saw advancement over last 15 year: India to UNFF

India informed the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) that it has made significant advancements in forest conservation and management, leading to a consistent increase in forest cover over the past 15 years.

The country participated in the 19th Session of the UNFF held at the UN headquarters in New York from May 6 to 10.

3:45 PM

Israel signs emergency wheat pact with Romania

In a bid to fortify Israeli food security, Minister of Agriculture, Avi Dichter, signed a memorandum of understanding with Romanian officials in Bucharest on Sunday to provide wheat during emergencies.

The agreement marks the fourth pact in Israel's strategic initiative, "Treat the Wheat," to secure emergency wheat supplies. In exchange, Israel will provide Romania with agricultural technology and knowledge.