Venkatesh Global School (VGS) in Rohini has received a bomb threat on Friday, a day after a low-intensity blast was reported in the Prashant Vihar area. The school building has been evacuated and an extensive search is underway. 

The school authorities have also issued a notice for the parents, requesting them to pick their children from the school. They have also suspended the online classes, and closed the school temporarily. The school in its notice sent to parents said that the situation is well under control and that there is no need to panic. 

The bomb threat follows a day after a low intensity blast near a public park in Prashant VIhar, northwest Delhi. A 25-year-old man has been injured in the incident. This blast took place less than a kilometre from the site of a similar blast reported last month. 

Reportedly, the Delhi Police has registered an FIR regarding the explosion in Prashant Vihar. An officer said that a case under Sections 326(g) (mischief with severe consequences to public safety) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and section 3 of the Explosive Substance Act was registered at the Prashant Vihar police station. 

Speaking to a news publication, the officer mentioned that the case was registered against unknown people and efforts are underway to arrest the accused who dumped or planted the explosive material at the site. He stated that more than a dozen teams of the Special Cell, the Crime Branch, and the local police have scanned the footage from the CCTV cameras of the area, but nothing suspicious has been found yet.  

Furthermore, the investigators are also probing the possibility of an accidental explosion that might have occurred due to the unextinguished beedi butt thrown by the driver of a three-wheeler parked nearby. The driver, Chetan Kushwaha sustained minor injuries in the explosion. The area where the explosion occurred remains cordoned off with round-the-clock police deployment. The police had earlier said that white powder was recovered from the blast site. 

The Congress on Thursday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s entire focus is not on reducing inflation, but on showing low inflation figures, stating that a government focused on propaganda and data manipulation cannot be trusted to work for the welfare of the people.

Congress general secretary for communications Jairam Ramesh said that India has experienced ten years of Modi-made inflation, which was due to the poor policy of the government.

“The Prime Minister’s focus is not on curbing inflation but on portraying it as low. The government is actively attempting to manipulate the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Wholesale Price Index (WPI) statistics to suggest that inflation is under control, while in reality, ordinary citizens are faced with relentless price increases,” Ramesh said in a statement shared on X.

He highlighted that the surge in prices, especially for food, fuel, and everyday necessities, has imposed a significant burden on working-class and middle-class families in India. Despite a decline in global crude oil prices, petrol and diesel remain costly in India, exacerbating transportation and service costs, Ramesh noted.

“Food inflation remains a critical issue, contributing to the overall inflation levels. The government is now considering reducing the weightage of food items in the CPI, which is a tactic to obscure the real effects of inflation, showing a preference for manipulating uncomfortable data instead of addressing the issue,” he explained.

Ramesh added that this proposed change in CPI weightage is not only dishonest but will also adversely affect the incomes of an estimated 3-4 crore individuals, including government and semi-government employees. He pointed out that dearness allowance and salary increases have already diminished compared to the period under the UPA government, and further declines are expected.

“This is not a new occurrence. The Modi government has consistently attempted to mislead the public with data manipulation. For instance, when the BJP government lagged behind the UPA in GDP growth, it sought to artificially inflate the growth figures by altering the base year,” he stated, noting similar tactics in relation to job creation promises.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that her government will go with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led central government’s decision, after the arrest of an ISKCON priest in Bangladesh in a sedition case.

Chinmoy Krishna Das Brahmachari, an ISKCON priest, was arrested after a sedition case was filed against him and 18 others on October 31. The charges were linked to the hoisting of a saffron flag above Bangladesh’s official flag during the October 25 rally at Laldighi Maidan in Chattogram.

Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Banerjee expressed concern over the developing situation in the neighbouring country. The chief minister emphasised that she preferred not to comment on the matter, as it pertains to another country.

She clarified that the issue was for the central government to address, and her state government would abide by its decision.

“Bangladesh is a different country. The government of India will look into it. It does not come under our jurisdiction. We are not supposed to talk about it or interfere. While we feel sorry inside, we follow the policies set by the Centre,” she said.

Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress supremo, also mentioned that she had spoken with representatives of ISKCON on the matter, but did not elaborate further.

Following the arrest of the priest, members of Hindu Mahasabha on Thursday staged a march towards Bangladesh’s deputy high commission protesting against the ongoing atrocities against Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh. A police personnel got injured after a scuffle broke out between the police and members of Hindu Mahasabha.

Earlier today in Kolkata, ISKCON volunteers organised a Kirtan protest against the arrest of ISKCON priest Chinmoy Das by Dhaka police.

“We want a united Bangladesh,” said the priest, arrested by Bangladeshi authorities, in a message from a prison van on Tuesday. Addressing his followers outside the Chittagong court, the ISKCON priest, who enjoys massive popularity in the country, urged his supporters to remain peaceful and avoid disrupting public order.

Communication Director, ISKCON, Vrajendra Nandan Das said: “If an institution like ISKCON is called a terrorist and radical organisation in Bangladesh, it’s a baseless thing and a lie. No one – in India and around the world will accept this. Those devotees who organised Bhandara and fed needy people – were killed. I hope that the interim govt of Bangladesh will take strict action against the culprits and I expect them to give proper security to Hindus.”

In a statement, Bangladesh ISKCON general secretary Charu Chandra Das condemned the violence that happened after Chinmoy Das’s arrest. ISKCON requests the government of Bangladesh that all the “Sanatanis should be allowed to leave peacefully and peaceful coexistence must be promoted.”

“Chinmoy Das is a Bangladeshi citizen. He has always advocated the protection of minorities in Bangladesh,” he added.

Meanwhile, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday backed the arrested Hindu leader, Chinmoy Krishna Das.

She called for the immediate release of the priest. She asked the Bangladesh government to protect religious and ethnic minorities that have braved violence since her ouster from power in August.