A day after a car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort claimed 13 lives, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported that a cache of explosives was seized from a house in Faridabad’s Sector 56 area amid an ongoing probe to track down the perpetrators. (Archive)
After the explosion rocked the national capital, the police filed charges under Sections 16 and 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), and Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act. The Ministry of Home Affairs also handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on November 11. The following day, the government officially labelled the blast a ‘terrorist incident’.
VIDEO | Faridabad, Haryana: A day after 12 people were killed in the Delhi blast, a massive cache of explosives has been seized from a rented house in Sector 56. Authorities have launched a detailed investigation into the matter.
After PTI’s X post, News18 also published a video report that the police recovered 50-60 kgs of explosives, and the crime branch arrested two persons from Sector 56 of Faridabad in Haryana. The video also showed footage of a police officer examining packages. (Archive)
The same day as PTI’s X post, the Faridabad police’s official handle clarified that reports claiming 50-60 kgs explosives were found are false. They said that the material found was firecrackers used for celebratory occasions. People’s Police – Faridabad Police (@FBDPolice) wrote on X: “A misleading news story is being circulated in the media that explosive material has been found in the Sector 56 Faridabad area. This material is firecrackers used in weddings and marriages, and their raw material; it has no connection with terrorist activities. The Faridabad Police refutes this, do not spread misleading propaganda”.
मीडिया में एक भ्रामक खबर प्रचारित हो रही है कि से० 56 फरी० क्षेत्र में विस्फोटक सामग्री मिली है
यह सामग्री शादी विवाह में चलने वाले पटाखे व उसका रॉ मैटेरियल है, इसका आतंकवादी गतिविधियों से कोई संबंध नहीं है। फरीदाबाद पुलिस इसका खंडन करती है, भ्रामक प्रचार ना करें@police_haryana
Hours before the November 10 Delhi blast, the Jammu & Kashmir police had made seven arrests, busting an “inter-State and transnational terror module” linked with terror groups Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH). The J&K police also seized 2,900 kilograms of improvised explosive device (IED) making material in the past 15 days. At present, investigators are looking into possible links between this ‘terror module’ and the Delhi blast.
Among those arrested by the J&K police were two doctors — Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie, also known as Musaib, a resident of Koil, Pulwama, and Adeel, a resident of Wanpora, Kulgam. The other accused are Arif Nisar Dar, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar, all residents of Nowgam, Srinagar; Zameer Ahmad Ahanger, alias Mutlasha, of Ganderbal; and Irfan Ahmad, a maulvi from Shopian. Further, on November 11, a woman identified as Shaheen Saeed was arrested.
Ganaie was the first to be arrested in this case; he taught at the Al Falah Hospital in Faridabad and was apprehended in a joint operation between the J&K and Faridabad police 12 days ago. Police said they seized 358 kg of explosives from his rented home in Faridabad’s Dhauj village.
The connection to Faridabad in the ‘terror module’ bust may have led to confusion when a large quantity of materials required for making fireworks was recovered from another area in Faridabad. However, it was debunked by the Faridabad police that this recovery was completely independent of the investigation regarding the blast or the ‘terror module’ bust.
Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn into office by House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, fifty days after winning her seat in Congress. Grijalva won a special election to fill the seat left vacant when her father, longtime Congressmember Raúl Grijalva, died in March. Up until yesterday, Johnson had refused to swear in Grijalva in an effort to block her from submitting the final signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on the Justice Department’s full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. We air Grijalva’s first House speech and speak to her from Capitol Hill on her first full day in office.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn into office by House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, fifty days after winning her seat in Congress. Grijalva won a special election to fill the seat left vacant when her father, longtime Congressmember Raúl Grijalva, died in March. Up until yesterday, Johnson had refused to swear in Grijalva in an effort to block her from submitting the final signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on the Justice Department’s full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. We air Grijalva’s first House speech and speak to her from Capitol Hill on her first full day in office.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn into office by House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, fifty days after winning her seat in Congress. Grijalva won a special election to fill the seat left vacant when her father, longtime Congressmember Raúl Grijalva, died in March. Up until yesterday, Johnson had refused to swear in Grijalva in an effort to block her from submitting the final signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on the Justice Department’s full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. We air Grijalva’s first House speech and speak to her from Capitol Hill on her first full day in office.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
Arizona Democrat Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn into office by House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, fifty days after winning her seat in Congress. Grijalva won a special election to fill the seat left vacant when her father, longtime Congressmember Raúl Grijalva, died in March. Up until yesterday, Johnson had refused to swear in Grijalva in an effort to block her from submitting the final signature on a discharge petition to force a vote on the Justice Department’s full release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. We air Grijalva’s first House speech and speak to her from Capitol Hill on her first full day in office.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
After months of delays, House Republicans have released tens of thousands of pages of documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, after Democrats earlier publicized emails suggesting that President Trump was aware that Epstein was abusing and trafficking young girls and women. In one of those emails, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls.” Trump’s allies say the larger set of documents released Wednesday afternoon provide evidence of Epstein’s later animosity towards Trump and support Trump’s claims that he was not previously aware of Epstein’s crimes. Still more evidence — namely, photographs and videos — may soon be publicized, as a petition for the House to vote on the full release of the “Epstein files” received its final signature from newly-sworn in Congressmember Adelita Grijalva. “There is a lot more to come,” says Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who represents several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and who has reviewed much of the still-unreleased evidence, which is currently under a court protection order. “The FBI does have more information that needs to be released.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
After months of delays, House Republicans have released tens of thousands of pages of documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, after Democrats earlier publicized emails suggesting that President Trump was aware that Epstein was abusing and trafficking young girls and women. In one of those emails, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls.” Trump’s allies say the larger set of documents released Wednesday afternoon provide evidence of Epstein’s later animosity towards Trump and support Trump’s claims that he was not previously aware of Epstein’s crimes. Still more evidence — namely, photographs and videos — may soon be publicized, as a petition for the House to vote on the full release of the “Epstein files” received its final signature from newly-sworn in Congressmember Adelita Grijalva. “There is a lot more to come,” says Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who represents several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and who has reviewed much of the still-unreleased evidence, which is currently under a court protection order. “The FBI does have more information that needs to be released.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
After months of delays, House Republicans have released tens of thousands of pages of documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, after Democrats earlier publicized emails suggesting that President Trump was aware that Epstein was abusing and trafficking young girls and women. In one of those emails, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls.” Trump’s allies say the larger set of documents released Wednesday afternoon provide evidence of Epstein’s later animosity towards Trump and support Trump’s claims that he was not previously aware of Epstein’s crimes. Still more evidence — namely, photographs and videos — may soon be publicized, as a petition for the House to vote on the full release of the “Epstein files” received its final signature from newly-sworn in Congressmember Adelita Grijalva. “There is a lot more to come,” says Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who represents several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and who has reviewed much of the still-unreleased evidence, which is currently under a court protection order. “The FBI does have more information that needs to be released.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
After months of delays, House Republicans have released tens of thousands of pages of documents from Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, after Democrats earlier publicized emails suggesting that President Trump was aware that Epstein was abusing and trafficking young girls and women. In one of those emails, Epstein wrote that Trump “knew about the girls.” Trump’s allies say the larger set of documents released Wednesday afternoon provide evidence of Epstein’s later animosity towards Trump and support Trump’s claims that he was not previously aware of Epstein’s crimes. Still more evidence — namely, photographs and videos — may soon be publicized, as a petition for the House to vote on the full release of the “Epstein files” received its final signature from newly-sworn in Congressmember Adelita Grijalva. “There is a lot more to come,” says Spencer Kuvin, a lawyer who represents several survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse and who has reviewed much of the still-unreleased evidence, which is currently under a court protection order. “The FBI does have more information that needs to be released.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
A day after a car-bomb explosion killed at least 13 people in the heart of the national capital, anti-Muslim graffiti saying “Muslims and dogs should not enter the premises” and “No dogs and Muslims” was found at the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) campus in Kolkata.
The graffiti was found at the main boys’ hostel in the institute’s CV Raman Hall, which houses those pursuing graduation and postgraduation courses at ISI and is situated in Baranagar, about 30 km north of Kolkata. Founded by Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in Kolkata in 1931, ISI is among the premier higher education centres in the country and has been an ‘Institution of National Importance’ since 1959. It has branches in Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Tezpur.
On Tuesday, November 11, boarders woke up in the morning to find hateful graffiti targeting Muslims written on both sides of the main entrance door of the hostel. On one side of the door, the words “dogs should not enter the premises” were already written with black paint for years. Someone had added “Muslims &” on top of it with a white chalk. On the other side of the door, “No Muslim allowed” was written twice and just “No Muslim” once.
The words “the only place for Muslims” were found written on a dustbin kept on the north east corner of the second floor of the hostel.
That’s not all. The railing of the hostel’s east-wing staircase was defaced with the words, “No Dogs and Muslims”.
As is often the case with such incidents, various sketchy details about the blast trickled in till late on Monday night, triggering conflicting reports.
ISI hostel boarders Alt News spoke to said the graffiti on the main door was written some time between 6.30 and 7.30 am on Tuesday. “Our friends who went out for tea around 6.30 am did not notice the words. Many of us study all night before exams and go out for tea very early. However, those who got out a little late, around 7.30 in the morning, noticed the writings on the door.”
The images were posted on a common WhatsApp group (where students across disciplines and batches are members) on Tuesday morning itself. “Whoever did this was requested to own up and apologize. However, no one responded,” a student said.
Institute’s Response
Later in the day, students approached the administration with a verbal complaint. ISI Kolkata director Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay, dean Biswabrata Pradhan and hostel warden Subhamoy Maitra, accompanied by a handful of students from the general affairs committee, inspected the graffiti. The director condemned the act publicly, students told Alt News.
The general affairs or GA committee of a hostel is the closest thing to a students’ body on the campus. There is no practice of student-union election at ISIs. Members of the GA committee are generally selected from the senior-most batch.
Later, a written complaint was also filed with the institute administration.
“We sought an investigation to find out who was behind the incident. There is a CCTV camera near the hostel gate which might have captured the perpetrator. We wanted to see the footage. This was denied by the administration, though they promised to look into the matter. They also said a sensitization programme could be organized with compulsory attendance for students,” a student told Alt News.
Alt News has also learnt from its sources that the director wanted the objectionable graffiti to be erased after the inspection, to which students objected.
On November 12, a group of 10 students comprising research scholars and UG-PG students met the dean, Biswabrata Pradhan, and sought an official response on the matter. “He spoke about holding seminars to sensitize students some time in January. And he also stressed that a guard had been placed at the hostel gate. This was all the steps the institute thought of taking in 36 hours following the inicident. When asked about a proper inquiry, he said only the director could take a call on that,” a student who was part of the team told Alt News.
The dean also promised that the institute would issue a statement. However, no such official statement was issued till the late evening of November 12.
When contacted by Alt News, Pradhan refused to comment on the matter. “Only the institute head can speak on this,” he said. Calls to director Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay went unanswered.
Alt News also spoke to Muslim students on the campus. All of them said they had never felt any discrimination at ISI on the basis of their faith. “There might be one or two who would pass an occasional comment, but that’s just a reflection of what is happening all over the country. But no collective feeling of hate. Never,” said one of them. While most of them sought the perpetrator to be punished, some said whoever did it needed to be counselled.
Alumni React with Shock
Reacting to the news with shock, ISI Kolkata alumnus and CPI(ML) Liberation leader Dipankar Bhattacharyya said, “Even the government did not seem to be sure if the Lal Qila blast was an accident or an act of terror, and here is an institution of higher education and research linking the blast to a religious community. I know ISI is having to fight for its own autonomy, but these are disturbing signs of decay of a reputed organisation. I hope the ISI community takes note and overcomes it before it is too late.”
Srijan Sengupta, another ex-student who is an associate professor of statistics at North Carolina State University, said, “I am deeply shocked and horrified to see these hateful words defacing the walls of the ISI boys’ hostel. To me, this incident is a tragic reflection of how divisive and toxic narratives circulating in society are seeping into the minds of the young and bright, those from whom we expect intellectual curiosity, empathy, and critical thought.”
Sengupta urged the authorities to “respond with both seriousness and sensitivity. While identifying those responsible is important and necessary, in my opinion it is even more important to understand and address the social environment within the hostel that allowed such hatred to take root.”
The graffiti fiasco comes amidst a raging debate on the campus over the proposed ISI Bill, which has been seen by many as an attempt to curb the institute’s administrative and academic autonomy. On Wednesday, a meeting was held just outside the main gate of the campus in protest against the proposed Bill.
ISI Kolkata students and research scholars organized a meeting in protest against the proposed ISI Bill, outside the campus on B T Road on Wednesday. Photo: Special Arrangements
Jelani Cobb, the acclaimed journalist and dean of the Columbia Journalism School, has just published a new collection of essays, “Three or More Is a Riot: Notes on How We Got Here.” The book collects essays beginning in 2012 with the killing of Travyon Martin in Florida. It traces the rise of Donald Trump and the right’s growing embrace of white nationalism as well as the historic racial justice protests after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. “What we’re seeing is a kind reactionary push to try to return the nation to the status quo ante, to undo the kind of demographic change, literally at gunpoint, as we are pushing people of color out of the country by force,” says Cobb.
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
An analysis of Meta ad spending by political parties in Bihar ahead of the elections throws up a surprise: Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraj Party, a political newbie which is fighting elections for the first time, has spent more money on digital ads than Congress, JD(U) and RJD taken together. BJP remains the top spender.
While BJP’s large digital advertising budget reflects its strong political position and robust public presence, Jan Suraj Party, established just a year back, surpassing other major parties to become the second-largest advertiser on digital platforms goes to show Prashant Kishor’s all-out efforts to make a mark in its first electoral foray.
After professionally leading successful election campaigns for several parties in multiple states, political strategist Prashant Kishor took the plunge into electoral politics in 2024 by founding the Jan Suraj Party on October 2, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. Before that, he spent almost two years connecting with people by walking through villages across Bihar.
The first phase of voting for the Bihar assembly elections was held on November 6. The second and last phase is on the 11th instant.
According to a report by the Google Ads Transparency Center, the BJP spent approximately ₹ 6.75 crore on political advertising in Bihar through Google and YouTube in October. The Jan Suraj Party spent approximately ₹1.10 crore through SIMPLESENSE ANALYTICS PRIVATE LIMITED. The Janata Dal (United) spent approximately ₹28 Lakh, while Congress spent only ₹17,250.
(This data covers advertisements run by political parties through Google and YouTube from October 1 to October 31.)
According to the data available in the ad library of Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, BJP spent around Rs 1.77 crore on Facebook, Instagram etc., Jan Suraj Party spent around Rs 1.21 crore, Janata Dal (United) spent around Rs 63 Lakh, Congress spent around Rs 7.41 Lakh, while RJD spent around Rs 6.16 Lakh.
(This data is from the top 100 pages spending the most on political ads on Facebook and Instagram between October 2 and October 31 (30 days of October) via Meta. The full data for the state of Bihar between these dates can be downloaded from the Meta Ad Library at the link provided here.)
Here are the names and expenditure data of the Facebook pages through which political parties ran advertisements on Facebook and Instagram:
BJP
Page name
Disclaimer
Amount spent (INR)
BJP Bihar
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
17700407
Jan Suraaj
Page name
Disclaimer
Amount spent (INR)
Baat Bihar Ki
Baat Bihar Ki
4653096
Jan Suraaj
Jan Suraaj
3927798
Bihar Badlav Abhiyan
Jansuraaj
1820221
PK for CM
PK for CM
477417
JS Digital Yoddha
SIMPLESENSE ANALYTICS PRIVATE LIMITED
452443
JS Digital Yoddha
JS Digital Yoddha
451558
जन सुराज चर्चा
Jan Suraaj
333950
जन सुराज इंक़लाब
जन सुराज इंक़लाब
66176
Total
12182659
Janata Dal (United)
Page name
Disclaimer
Amount spent (INR)
Janata Dal (United)
The Spectrum
2521298
Janata Dal United – Nalanda
The Spectrum
338822
Janata Dal United – Darbhanga
The Spectrum
227511
25 से 30, फिर से नीतीश
The Spectrum
201253
Janata Dal United – Madhepura
The Spectrum
189874
Janata Dal United – Samastipur
The Spectrum
168425
Janata Dal United – Bhagalpur
The Spectrum
146424
Janata Dal United – Muzaffarpur
The Spectrum
133530
Janata Dal United – Madhubani
The Spectrum
119174
Janata Dal United – Khagaria
The Spectrum
114605
Janata Dal United – Gopalganj
The Spectrum
106603
Janata Dal United – PATNA
The Spectrum
101343
Janata Dal United – Gaya Ji
The Spectrum
98672
25 Me Bhi Nitish – 25 में भी नीतीश
Summit Polcom
95785
Janata Dal United – Begusarai
The Spectrum
92902
Janata Dal United – Jehanabad
The Spectrum
89628
Nitish Cares
Summit Polcom
88061
मैं मिथिला हूँ
Summit Polcom
87507
Janata Dal United – Sitamarhi
The Spectrum
84882
Janata Dal United – Sheikhpura
The Spectrum
81600
100-बरौली विधानसभा
100-बरौली विधानसभा
77694
Janata Dal United – Rohtas
The Spectrum
77113
217-घोसी विधानसभा
217-घोसी विधानसभा
73263
213-काराकाट विधानसभा
213-काराकाट विधानसभा
72667
50- जोकीहाट विधानसभा
50- जोकीहाट विधानसभा
71913
Janata Dal United- Vaishali
The Spectrum
71522
फिर से NDA सरकार
Summit Polcom
70901
85-बहादुरपुर विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
68712
78-कुशेश्वरस्थान विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
68528
Janata Dal United – Sheohar
The Spectrum
67764
170-बरबीघा विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
67536
148-अलौली विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
67115
80-बेनीपुर विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
67011
178-मोकामा विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
66671
141-चेरिया बरियारपुर विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
66391
189-मसौढ़ी विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
66275
135-मोरवा विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
65596
133-समस्तीपुर विधानसभा
UMB Star Consultancy
65570
Total
6340141
RJD
Page name
Disclaimer
Amount spent (INR)
युवा राजद
युवा राजद
219696
RJD Saran Division
RJD Saran Division
97976
RJD Tirhut Division
RJD Tirhut Division
82421
RJD Patna Division
RJD Patna Division
77327
RJD Bhagalpur Division
RJD Bhagalpur Division
72364
युवा सोच
युवा सोच
67100
Total
616884
Congress
Page name
Disclaimer
Amount spent (INR)
Rahul Gandhi Team
Rahul Gandhi Team
163666
दलित का बेटा, बिहार का नेता
Devout Growth
101151
Voice Of Benipur
Minds Media
96982
Voice Of Kutumba
Minds Media
85552
Voice Of Jale
Minds Media
74683
Voice Of Nalanda
Minds Media
74621
Voice Of Bahadurganj
Minds Media
72915
Voice Of Patna Sahib
Minds Media
72426
Total
741996
According to combined data from Meta and Google’s Ad Library, the BJP was the highest spender on political advertising in Bihar in October, spending approximately ₹8.52 crore. The Jan Suraj Party (JSP) came in second, spending approximately ₹2.32 crore. The Janata Dal (United) came in third, spending approximately ₹92 Lakh. Congress was the fourth highest spender at approximately ₹7.59 Lakh. RJD came in fifth, spending approximately ₹6.16 Lakh.
This shows that the Jan Suraaj Party, contesting elections for the first time in Bihar, has not only emerged as the second-largest digital advertising spender, but the amount spent by the party in digital campaign is higher than all other parties taken together, except BJP.
Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, September 3, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Iraqi Kurdish authorities to swiftly investigate the motive behind the shooting of journalist Hemn Mamand in Sulaymaniyah on Tuesday.
Mamand was shot while leaving a restaurant, hours after broadcasting his talk show “Sarinj – Comment” on Sterk TV, where he discusses human rights, including Turkish military operations in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region.
“Two men on a motorcycle opened fire on him before fleeing the scene,” his Sterk TV colleague Barham Latif, told CPJ. “The gunmen fired five shots. One bullet struck his arm, and shrapnel from another hit his abdomen.”
“The targeted shooting of Mamand in the center of Sulaymaniyah appears to be an attempted assassination, and we are investigating whether it was connected with his political reporting, said CPJ Regional Director Sara Qudah. “Authorities must transparently investigate, hold the perpetrators accountable, and ensure that journalists are safe.”
Sterk TV is funded by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been embroiled in a decades-long conflict with Turkey. It has been designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. Iraq’s National Security Council banned the group in 2024.
In July, the PKK — which has long been targeted by Turkish forces in Iraq — began to lay down arms in Sulaymaniyah on the orders of PKK leader Abdullah Ojalan.
Hours after the September 2 shooting, Mamand posted on Facebook that he had “repeatedly asked” the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, which governs Sulaymaniyah, “to provide me with protection because of the threats to my life over my work and activism against Turkey’s racist policies” — a reference to Turkey’s treatment of its Kurdish minority.
Mamand has participated in protests in Sulaymaniyah against Turkish military operations in Kurdistan, press freedom violations, and delays to civil service pay, according to CPJ research.
A person at the hospital, who declined to be named, citing fear of retaliation, told CPJ Mamand had undergone surgery and was stable.
Salam Abdulkhaliq, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Security Agency, responsible for Sulaymaniyah’s security, told CPJ via messaging app on September 3 that no one had yet been arrested over Mamand’s shooting and “the investigation to locate the perpetrators is still ongoing.”
Democrats and Republicans are locked in a historic battle over congressional representation as Texas Republicans gerrymander the state’s district maps to flip five Democratic seats, at the request of President Trump. California Governor Gavin Newsom says he is fighting “fire with fire,” signing legislation to hold special elections for the public to approve a new gerrymandered map of their own. David Daley, a voting rights expert and the author of Antidemocratic: Inside the Right’s 50-Year Plot to Control American Elections, calls this a “gerrymandering Armageddon” that threatens to spread nationwide. “Donald Trump does not want to have an election fair and square,” says Texas state legislator Trey Martinez Fischer, a Democrat representing San Antonio. “He wants to be the 'commander-in-cheat.' He wants to cheat on America, cheat on democracy, steal these congressional seats.”
This content originally appeared on Democracy Now! and was authored by Democracy Now!.
At least three instances of Hindutva groups barging into gatherings and accusing those congregating of religious conversions have emerged so far in August. Videos from each of these instances — in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, Raipur, Chhattisgarh and Balasore, Odisha — show pro-Right activists taking matters into their own hands, with little regard for law and thrceatening and harassing citizens.
These instances come after two Catholic nuns from Kerala and a man from Chhattisgarh were arrested in Durg, Chhattisgarh, last month, over allegations by members of the Bajrang Dal that they were coercing three tribal women into conversion and taking them to different parts of the country against their will. Videos even showed a woman associated with Durga Vahini, the women’s equivalent of Bajrang Dal, checking their documents and questioning them in police presence. The three tribal women and their families later clarified that they were already Christians and were travelling with the nuns willingly. The women also alleged that members of Hindutva groups linked to the Vishva Hindu Parishad slapped and touched them inappropriately. The nuns — Sisters Vandana Francis and Preethi Mary — and the man, Sukhman Mandavi, who was a cousin of one of the three women, were granted bail on August 2 after spending nearly a week in judicial custody.
Alt News documents the three cases in this report, which follow a similar narrative to what happened in Durg.
1. Sehore, Madhya Pradesh
On August 17, Instagram user @royal_kanha_dhangar posted a video showing men entering a house and recording those inside. The video also showed a Bible there. The post was in collaboration with the account of Bajrang Dal Sehore and had the watermark ‘Bajrang Dal Sehore’. The caption accompanying the video said, “…On Sunday, acting on information of a religious conversion racket in Sehore, police raided a house in Housing Board Colony. The information was first given to the police by Bajrang Dal workers… In this conversion racket, a police officer named Ahirwar was also involved…Those present at the spot, during questioning, expressed support for Christianity…”
In the background of the video, the official track of the Bajrang Dal by YouTube channel Vyshakh Achappa played on.
Alt News managed to locate a longer version of the above video without the added background music on Facebook, posted by a user named Jai Rai. In the video, which is over seven minutes long, the person recording it states that the house shown in the clip hosts prayer meetings where religious conversions happen every Sunday.
On entering the said house, the person recording says, “There is a whole system installed (referring to an audio player), there is ‘Kitaab-e-maqsad’ and Bible here”. The titles of two holy books appear at the 1:11-minute mark of the video. These are ‘Kitaab-e-mukhhas’, the Urdu name for the Holy Bible, and ‘Sampurn Adhyayan Bible’ or the complete study Bible. He then asks the man standing at the podium his name, why so many people were gathered there, which god they were praying to and if they were all Christians.
सीहोर नगर के हाउसिंग बोर्ड कॉलोनी में धर्मांतरण का बड़ा मामला
बजरंग दल के कार्यकर्ताओ द्वारा कार्यवाही
The man says his name is Jabbar Khan and the house belongs to him. He adds that those gathered were praying to god and had been meeting for two years. He adds that everyone present belonged to different religions and no one preached any particular religion; they gathered to talk about ‘Parmatma’ (God).
The person recording the video then asks individuals present there, including minors, their names and why they were listening to Khan reciting the Bible. He also asks if they converted to Christianity. None of the attendees indicated they were coerced.
At the 4:16-minute mark, one of the activists who barged in threatens one of the attendees, Biren Ahirwar, saying, “Chappal utaar ke maarunga” (Will hit you with my shoe).
Around the 6:36-minute mark, the situation becomes heated, and Biren Ahirwar gets into a verbal confrontation with the Bajrang Dal members outside the house. One of the activists tells Ahirwar, “Bheek mein saari cheez Hindu ke naam le liya, SC/ST ke naam, aur yahan tu maa ch*** raha hain” (You took everything as charity in the name of Hinduism and SC/ST, and here you are messing around [expletive]). Towards the end of the video, Bajrang Dal members are seen threatening the women and men inside.
We then found another video on Facebook showing police officials at the scene. As they escort Jabbar Khan out, one of the Bajrang Dal members calls him ‘Katua’ (a derogatory term for Muslim men) and says that he conducts religious conversions. The others also repeat that the people there were caught converting people and point out that Biren Ahirwar is a police official.
सीहोर में धर्मांतरण का बड़ा मामला आया सामने, घर में चल रहा धर्मांतरण का खेल, पुलिस पहुंची मौके पर, थाने पहुंचा मामला, बजरंग दल के कार्यकर्ता हुए जमा, कार्यवाही की उठी मांग
#sehore #ashta #ichavar #MadhyaPradesh #dharmantaran #babakhabrilal
Alt News reached out to a senior police officer at Sehore police station, who rubbished claims of religious conversion. “All those who were present in that room still hold their birth names; they have not converted to any other religion. They organise a prayer meet there every Sunday, and no one has complained about any forceful conversion. One of our police constables was also present in that room. We have registered the application from the complainants, and further investigation is being carried out. No one has been detained or arrested so far,” the police officer said.
2. Raipur, Chhattisgarh
According to a video shared by news outlet Maktoob on August 15, a group of VHP-Bajrang Dal members stormed into the Jehovah Nissi Church in Raipur and claimed religious conversions were taking place there. “They vandalised the church, attacked Christians who resisted, and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa while demanding action against those accused of conversion,” the caption read. In the video, some policemen are seen standing between a mob of men in saffron shirts and bandanas and another group of people. The mob also sloganeers for Bajrang Dal in the clip.
A group of VHP-Bajrang Dal members stormed the Jehovah Nissi Church in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, claiming religious conversions were happening. They vandalized the church, attacked Christians who resisted, and chanted the Hanuman Chalisa while demanding action against those accused of conversion.
Taking a cue from this, we ran a relevant keyword search in Hindi, which led us to a YouTube video by Zee Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh from August 10. In the video, the anchor speaks to one of the Bajrang Dal activists at the site, who claims they received information that women were being given Rs 200 per day to hold prayer meetings, which caused locals to be angry. “If not conducting religious conversions, then what else can they be doing in a closed room?” he asks.
At the 11:01-minute mark of the video report, a minor girl tells the channel that the house, where religious conversions were allegedly happening, would play loud music even when the neighbours would urge them not to owing to kids’ exams. She adds that she and a few others were allegedly approached by some women who said, “You will get money if you join us, get rid of Hinduism”. Others chimed in that these people were brainwashing children.
The report said that police have detained the women who were allegedly involved in religious conversions.
Christian Women Accuse Bajrang Dal of Harassment
Another video, from the same area and the same day, taken from a different angle, is circulating on social media. Here, Bajrang Dal members are seen making obscene gestures. A video by Mirror Chhattisgarh shows a journalist interviewing the Christian women, who claim they were sexually harassed by Bajrang Dal members. Before the women are interviewed, the channel plays a clip from the day of the incident, where a man from the Hindutva mob makes obscene gestures at the women. Another man is also seen making lewd hand gestures despite police presence.
During the interview, the women alleged that Bajrang Dal members pulled their clothes and touched their breasts. They claimed that the Hindutva activists also asked them, “Would you come with me for Rs 200-300?” (implying sex work). Another woman said that when she gave them her name, they called her “Chamar” (a scheduled caste) and “neech log” (lower caste). She added that the men gave them rape threats and allegedly remarked, “We will (re-)create Manipur” (a reference to the sexual assault and rape of two Kuki women by a mob of Meitei men in May 2023).
One of the women told the news outlet that they went to the Sarswati Nagar police station to complain and asked the police to register an FIR against the Bajrang Dal for harassment, but the police allegedly refused to do so.
‘No Arrests’: Police
Alt News reached out to Daulat Ram Porte, Raipur Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), who confirmed that no arrests have been made in the matter. However, when we asked him if any religious conversion was being conducted there, he declined to comment and said the matter was being investigated. He also refused to comment on whether an FIR had been registered in the matter based on complaints by either party.
It should be noted that, just a few weeks before this incident, also in Chhattisgarh, Sisters Vandana Francis and Preethi Mary were arrested after Bajrang Dal members alleged that the nuns were involved in forceful conversions.
3. Balasore, Odisha
On August 6, a group of nuns and priests travelling in a car through Gangadhar village in Odisha’s Balasore district were stopped by 70 individuals. The latter alleged that the priests and nuns were involved in forced religious conversions.
A video of the incident was shared on X by Anti Christian Tracker Watch – ACT India (@ACTWatchIndia). The caption says that the nuns and priests were brutally assaulted. In the clip, a man in a torn shirt is seen at the 00:46-minute mark; he is the same person seen in the car, travelling with the priests and nuns. The police are also present at the scene.
Jaleshwar, Balasore, OD | 6 AUG’25
CATHOLIC NUNS AND PRIESTS returning from Requiem Mass ambushed by 70 Bajrang Dal goons — brutally assaulted, Bibles thrown, phones stolen, all on baseless ‘conversion’ claims. Police escorted the victims… attackers walked free. @hrw@USCIRFpic.twitter.com/092UohkZAD
— Anti Christian Tracker Watch – ACT India (@ACTWatchIndia) August 8, 2025
According to a report by the news agency Press Trust of India from August 8, the police officials said that some ‘locals’ had stopped the group of priests and nuns, who were later ‘rescued’ by the police. The report reiterated that the group suspected them of carrying out forceful religious conversions, but individuals ‘were not harmed in any manner’.
A report by India Today, from August 6, gave more details. According to this, two Catholic priests, a catechist (Bible teacher) and two nuns were returning from a memorial service under the Jaleswar parish in Balasore district. Among the priests, Father Lijo, the parish priest of St. Thomas Church in Jaleswar, was also present. The individuals had attended a Requiem Mass (a form of the Roman Catholic Mass used in funeral rites) and a fellowship meal in the area and were returning around 9 pm when they were stopped by a large mob who allegedly harassed, abused and assaulted them. The catechist, who was driving a motorcycle ahead of the car that carried the rest, was the first to be intercepted — he was allegedly dragged from his vehicle and beaten, followed by the priests and the nun, who were also manhandled. The report also said that while this unfolded, the villagers tried to step in and stop the attack and explain that they were there for a memorial service; however, the mob continued to accuse the priests and nuns of forced religious conversions.
Some of the nuns and priests in this case, too, were from Kerala. The incident prompted a strong statement from Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. On August 8, he posted on X that Christian priests and nuns were assaulted by ‘Sangh Parivaar goons’ (referring to far-Right Hindutva groups Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh and the VHP).
Reports of an assault on Keralite Catholic priests & nuns by Sangh Parivar goons in Jaleswar, Odisha, on false charges of religious conversion, reflect the ongoing communal witch-hunt against Christians in the country, exemplified by the arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh weeks ago.…
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has alleged that apart from being assaulted and harassed by the mob, Father Lijo’s phone was taken away and the catechist’s motorcycle was damaged.
Alt News reached out to Dibakar Parichha, the public relations officer of Odisha Bishops’ Regional Council (OBRC), the Odisha wing of CBCI, who said that the mob that attacked the Christian priests and nuns included people from other villages. However, he said he was not sure if the group was specifically affiliated with any particular group. Parichha added that it is believed some members of Bajrang Dal were present there since that is the most radical group, which often causes hindrance for minorities.
While giving a run-down of the happenings of August 6, he said, “While Father Lijo, along with the catechist, nuns and another priest, were going to the location of the memorial service in Jaleswar church for someone who died, they noticed some people gathering in the area; however, nobody approached them on their way to the church. Later in the evening, while they were coming back, the mob, which was quite large, about 70-80 people, attacked them. They brutally beat up the catechist and attacked the car, which included Father Lijo, two nuns and another priest, snatched their mobile phones”.
He added that there has been a rise in attacks against the Christian communities in India, while also citing the recent case of the arrest of Sisters Preethi Mary and Vandana Francis in Chhattisgarh. Parichha mentioned that they have filed a complaint, and the police have accepted the FIR, but they have little hope that the police will take any action against the attackers.
Police Version
According to a report by TV9 Bharatvansh, after the police arrived, they took details of all those involved in the attack and let them go.
We reached out to Basta sub-divisional officer, Manas Deo, who said he was not aware of any such incident. “There hasn’t been a single complaint about any such case; it is hearsay”. When we told him that the CBCI said it filed a complaint, he said no complaints had been filed. He did say, however, that some priests and nuns had come to the area but that there was no conversion angle. He added that there was no violence or physical confrontation.
Alt News also reached out to the Basta PS inspector-in-charge Ranjit Sahu, who reiterated that there was no conversion angle. He said that he was not aware if the catechist, nuns and priests had faced any physical assault from the mob.
A Rise In Attacks Against Christians
The three incidents — in Sehore, Raipur and Balasore — point to a recurring pattern of increasing hostilities against Christian minorities and Hindutva groups taking it upon themselves to threaten and harass them. The Evangelical Fellowship of India’s Religious Liberty Commission (EFIRLC), in its 2024 annual report released in March, documented a sharp rise in attacks against Christian minorities. Out of more than 840 reported cases, the commission verified 640. This is up from 601 cases in 2023 and nearly four times the number recorded in 2014, when 147 incidents were reported.
Jaleshwar, Balasore, OD | 6 AUG’25
(@ACTWatchIndia) 