PM Narendra Modi held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of BRICS Summit in Kazan. In the bilateral meeting, the Prime Minister reiterated a peaceful solution to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. 

Mentioning that he has been in constant touch with Vladimir Putin on the subject of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, PM Narendra Modi once again reiterated that India believes that the problems should be resolved in a peaceful manner.

The Prime Minister added that they fully support the early establishment of peace and stability. He added that all their efforts give priority to humanity. He further said that India is ready to provide all possible cooperation in the times to come.

This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second visit to Russia in three months. Speaking on the same, PM Modi stated that his two visits to Russia in the last three months reflect the close coordination and deep friendship between the countries. He added that their Annual Summit in Moscow in July has strengthened cooperation in every field. He said that in 15 years, the BRICS has created its special identity and now many countries of the world want to join it. He expressed that he is looking forward to participating in the BRICS Summit tomorrow.

During the bilateral talks, Vladimir Putin also recalled PM Modi’s visit to Russia in July. Extending gratitude to PM Modi for accepting the invitation to come to Kazan, the Russian President said that they will participate in the opening ceremony of the BRICS Summit and after that, they will have a dinner. He added that Russian-Indian relations have the character of a particularly privileged strategic partnership and continue to actively develop.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, and hold bilateral talks with leaders from the other Brics member nations as well. The summit comes in the wake of ongoing global unrest, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Middle East crisis.

Nearly 30 flights faced bomb threats, mostly on international routes, from Monday night to Tuesday morning. Reportedly, the flights targeted included 10 from IndiGo, 10 from Vistara, and 10 from Air India, all of which received threats during this period. With this, incidents involving multiple hoax calls, have pushed the total number of such threats received by the airline this week to over 120.

Reportedly, the most recent threats targeted flights to major destinations such as Jeddah, Istanbul, and Riyadh. After the fresh threats, IndiGo promptly followed security protocols, ensuring that all passengers were safely disembarked, and authorities were alerted.

One of the affected flights, Flight 6E 164 from Mangaluru to Mumbai, received a security alert, disembarked the passengers, and thorough security checks were conducted. Another Flight 6E 75 from Ahmedabad to Jeddah was escorted to the isolation bay upon landing, where passengers were safely evacuated, following the standard operating procedures.

Reports stated, other flights that faced similar threats include Flight 6E 118 from Lucknow to Pune, Flight 6E 67 from Hyderabad to Jeddah, Flight 6E 18 from Istanbul to Mumbai, Flight 6E 83 from Delhi to Dammam, Flight 6E 77 from Bengaluru to Jeddah (diverted to Doha), Flight 6E 12 from Istanbul to Delhi, Flight 6E 65 from Kozhikode to Jeddah (diverted to Riyadh) and Flight 6E 63 from Delhi to Jeddah (diverted to Medina).

These fresh threats follow a day after Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that making hoax bomb threat calls to airlines will be made a cognisable offence. In the last few days, multiple carriers have received several such calls, significantly disrupting flight operations across the country.

On Saturday alone, over 30 flights received such messages. The carriers include Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air and Alliance Air. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held a meeting with CEOs and representatives of airlines in New Delhi on October 19.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister asserted that he will not apologise for his controversial remarks advocating the eradication of Sanatana Dharma, mentioning that the remarks were aimed at addressing allegedly repressive practices towards women. The DMK leader said that his words were misinterpreted, leading to the controversy that erupted in September 2023.

Addressing an event on October 21, 2024, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that he echoed the views of Dravidian leaders like Periyar, former Chief Minister CN Annadurai, and M Karunanidhi.

He added that women were not allowed to study, and were unable to leave their homes, also if their husbands died, they would have to die as well. Mentioning that Thanthai Periyar spoke against all of this, he continued that he echoed what Periyar, Anna, and Kalaignar said.

Udhayanidhi, son of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin in September 2023 sparked a massive row after he compared Sanatana Dharma with dengue and malaria and said that it should not just be opposed, but eradicated. He also argued that Sanatana Dharma is against social justice and equality. His remarks drew severe criticism and protests, especially from the BJP and Hindu organisations, leading to multiple legal cases being filed against him.

The Deputy Chief Minister claimed that his words were twisted, and cases were filed against him, not just in Tamil Nadu but in several courts across the country. Asserting that he will face all the cases, the DMK leader said that he is the grandson of Kalaignar, and will stand by what he said.

Udhayanidhi further alleged that there is an attempt to impose Hindi in the state, pointing out that recent changes to the Tamil Nadu anthem serve as evidence of these efforts. He claimed that certain words were deliberately removed from the state anthem during a recent Doordarshan Tamil program, igniting controversy.

Udhayanidhi Stalin who was the state sports minister, was made the Deputy Chief Minister on September 30. The DMK leader’s elevation was reportedly delayed due to the Sanatana controversy.