President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday raised questions about the development of tribal communities in West Bengal and also expressed surprise over the absence of state government representatives during her visit to north Bengal.

Speaking at the International Santhal Conference, an event organised for the tribal community, the President wondered whether Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was upset with her, as neither the chief minister nor any minister from the state cabinet was present to receive her.

Murmu also referred to the decision to shift the venue of the conference from Bidhannagar to Goshaipur. She questioned why the programme was not allowed at the earlier venue despite adequate space being available.

Addressing the gathering, the President said she did not know whether Banerjee was upset with her and remarked that she also considers herself a daughter of Bengal. She added that Banerjee was like a younger sister to her but the reason behind shifting the programme location remained unclear.

During her speech, Murmu also raised broader concerns about the condition of tribal communities in the region. She questioned whether development and facilities intended for Santhals and other tribal groups were actually reaching them.

According to the President, the Centre has worked over the past decade to strengthen tribal identity and accelerate development for tribal communities. However, she said it did not appear that the benefits were reaching people in the region.

Murmu also suggested that some individuals might have been prevented from attending the event and said it appeared that certain groups did not want the Santhal community to unite, progress, or gain access to education and strength.

The remarks triggered a political response, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticising the situation. Sharing a video of the President’s speech, he said the incident was shameful and expressed concern over what he described as an insult to the President and to Santhal culture.

The BJP also criticised the West Bengal government, alleging that the lack of preparation and protocol during the President’s visit reflected administrative failure and disrespect for constitutional offices.

Responding to the President’s remarks, Mamata Banerjee said the statements were political in nature. Speaking during a protest in Kolkata against the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, the chief minister urged the President to avoid making remarks that could affect the dignity of the office.

Banerjee said the President had spoken about only one community and not about others in the state. She also asked her party’s MPs to seek an appointment with Rashtrapati Bhavan to present details of the state government’s work for Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste communities.

The Trinamool Congress also rejected the suggestion that there had been no development for tribal communities in the state. In a statement, the party said the President appeared to have been misinformed.

The party highlighted several welfare initiatives, including financial assistance under the Lakshmir Bhandar scheme. It said women from Scheduled Tribe communities now receive Rs 1,700 per month, amounting to Rs 20,400 annually.

The Trinamool Congress also referred to scholarships for tribal students, the establishment of schools and other development programmes aimed at improving conditions in tribal areas.

According to the party, these measures represent concrete initiatives designed to improve opportunities, dignity and development for Adivasi communities across West Bengal.

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh has been acquitted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the 2002 murder case of journalist Ram Chander Chhatrapati.

The decision comes more than seven years after the sect leader was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in the case.

According to Singh’s lawyer Jitender Khurana, the high court set aside the earlier conviction and acquitted the Dera chief in the killing of the journalist.

Ram Rahim and three others had been convicted in 2019 for the murder of Chhatrapati, who was shot outside his residence in Haryana’s Sirsa in October 2002.

The journalist had published an anonymous letter in his newspaper Poora Sach, which alleged sexual exploitation of women followers at the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa. The attack on Chhatrapati occurred after the publication of the letter.

Despite the acquittal in the murder case, Ram Rahim continues to serve a 20-year prison sentence handed down in 2017 for the rape of two of his disciples.

Following that conviction, he was lodged in Sunaria jail in Rohtak, Haryana.

Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott has said that one of the biggest mistakes made by US President Donald Trump so far has been the way he handled relations with India.

Speaking in an interview with media, Abbott said he does not fully support Trump’s foreign policy approach and highlighted several steps that, in his view, unnecessarily strained ties with New Delhi.

Abbott said these included the imposition of punitive tariffs on Indian goods, claims by Trump that he had mediated tensions between India and Pakistan, and the hosting of Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir at the White House.

According to Abbott, these actions “gratuitously alienated” India, particularly given New Delhi’s longstanding concerns about terrorism originating from Pakistan.

Tariff dispute and trade deal

Tensions between the United States and India had earlier escalated after Washington imposed 25 per cent reciprocal tariffs on several Indian products. An additional 25 per cent levy was also linked to India’s continued purchases of Russian oil.

However, a trade agreement announced by Trump in February signalled a partial easing of those tensions. Under the arrangement, the US reduced tariffs on several Indian goods.

Trump said the decision followed a commitment from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to halt purchases of oil from Russia while the war in Ukraine continued.

The agreement helped ease months of friction between the two countries over energy purchases, which Washington had argued were helping fund the ongoing conflict.

Trump has also repeatedly referred to his close personal ties with Modi, describing the Indian leader as one of his greatest friends.

Abbott comments on Middle East conflict

Abbott also spoke about the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

He said it was impossible to predict whether the situation would lead to a regime change in Tehran, noting that the current leadership still enjoys support among sections of the Iranian population.

At the same time, Abbott suggested that the weakening of Iran’s nuclear capabilities could significantly limit the country’s ability to project aggression in the future.

He also said the intensity of the conflict could gradually decline.

According to Abbott, Iranian attacks had already reduced compared to earlier phases of the conflict, while Israeli and American strikes had intensified and largely focused on regime facilities rather than civilian infrastructure.

Fresh attacks reported

In the hours following his remarks, Iran launched new missiles and drones targeting Israel and several Gulf countries hosting US military bases.

Explosions were reported inside Israel as air defence systems intercepted incoming projectiles.

Countries including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia also reported attacks.