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May consider banning right wing outfits, says Karnataka Dy CM

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The SIT chargesheet in Gauri Lankesh murder case names extreme right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha 

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said today (Saturday, Nov 24) that the state government would soon take a call on banning the extreme right-wing outfit Sanatan Sanstha, the organisation.

The statement came a day after a Special Investigating team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police, probing the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, filed an additional chargesheet naming the outfit as being behind the murder.

“No discussions have taken place regarding the organisations involved in the crime, but shortly we will take a decision on that,” Parmeshwara was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

The SIT has sought time from the court to investigate the case further. It had named 18 persons, including shooter Parashuram Waghmare and masterminds Amol Kale, Sujith Kumar alias Praveen and Amit Degwekar in the 9,235-page chargesheet on Friday.

The gang is suspected to be involved in the killing of three other rationalists MM Kalburgi, Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare. The chargesheet also explains that the larger conspiracy was to strategically eliminate 43 other liberals and rationalists in Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, some of whom survived murder attempts.

The chargesheet filed Friday is the second in the case after the SIT on May 30 filed a preliminary chargesheet against KT Naveen Kumar, the first suspect who was arrested on March 2.

In its first chargesheet, the SIT quoted Kumar as saying that Lankesh was killed for her “anti-Hindu views”. Kumar, 37, a member of the Hindu Yuva Sena, was allegedly told of the murder plot after he attended a convention of the Sanatan Sanstha and HJS in Goa in June 2017.

Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning and strong anti-Hindutva views, was shot dead in front of her house in Bengaluru on September 5 last year, triggering nationwide outrage.

In the additional charge sheet filed in the Principal Civil and Sessions court in Bengaluru on Friday, the SIT stated that the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was an “organised crime” and a network within Sanatan Sanstha targeted her for no personal reasons. It also said the planning to kill her Lankesh took place for almost five years.

“The killer and the killed have no personal or any other enmity. Why she was killed? Because she believed in certain ideology, she wrote and spoke on that. So, it must be an ideology and it must be an organisation,” Special Public Prosecutor S Balan told PTI.

The chargesheet named 18 persons as accused, of whom sixteen named as primary perpetrators have been arrested while two are absconding.

The chargesheet has named Amol Kale, 37, a former Pune convenor of the Sanstha-affiliated Hindu Janajagruti Samiti as the prime accused in the murder plot allegedly executed by Parashuram Waghmare, 26, a member of the Sri Rama Sena. It states that Waghmare was recruited, trained and funded by Kale with the assistance of a secretive group linked to the Sanstha.

“It is an act of organised crime. The Sanatan Sanstha has been named in the chargesheet as the group that carried out the killing with the help of members of other fringe groups. The murder was planned by a group involved in such killings for five years,’’ special public prosecutor S Balan said after the chargesheet was presented to the court of the principal sessions judge in Bengaluru.

The chargesheet also explained the larger conspiracy was to strategically eliminate 43 other liberals and rationalists in Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra, some of whom survived murder attempts.

The SIT observed that the accused allegedly had links with a Goa-based right-wing organisation. “Maharashtra based men like Amol Kale and Amit Digwekar had a strong relationship with the organisation,” the chargesheet said.

“We have sought permission to investigate further,’’ the SIT’s chief investigating officer MN Anucheth said.

Eight of the accused in the second chargesheet are from Maharashtra, including four — Shrikant Pangarkar, Sharad Kalaskar, Sudhanva Gondhalekar and Vasudev Suryavanshi — who were arrested in August by the Maharashtra ATS for alleged links to a right-wing terror plot in the state. The two persons yet to be arrested are Vikas Patil alias Nihal alias Dada and Murali alias Shiva who are accused of supporting the plot to murder Lankesh.

The case against the 18 persons named in the chargesheet is based on forensic findings, including ballistics and DNA evidence, and digital evidence, including CCTV footage and gait analysis. The SIT has obtained confession statements from several of the arrested persons which are valid as evidence under the Karnataka Control of Organized Crime Act, 2000.

The second chargesheet was filed on Friday since the mandated 180 day period for filing the chargesheet against four persons arrested on May 31 by the SIT — Amol Kale, Amit Degwekar, Manohar Edave and Sujeet Kumar — is set to lapse on November 30, the SPP Balan said.

Lankesh was killed on the evening of September 5, 2017 by Waghmare who fired four bullets at her while she was opening the gate to her home to park her car after returning from work, the SIT has said.

In its preliminary chargesheet, the SIT enclosed a ballistics report from the Karnataka Forensic Science Laboratory stating that Lankesh was killed with the same 7.65 mm country-made gun that was used to kill the Kannada scholar M M Kalburgi in Dharwad in Karnataka on August 30, 2015.

Forensic analysis conducted in 2015 by the Karnataka FSL of bullets and cartridges in the Kalburgi case, with those recovered from the scene of the shooting of the Leftist thinker Govind Pansare, 81, and his wife in Kolhapur on February 16, 2015, showed that one of two 7.65 mm country-made guns was used in both cases.

The ballistics report says that the second 7.65 mm gun used in the Pansare murder was used to kill the rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, 69, in Pune on August 20, 2013.

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Dharmendra Pradhan submits resignation to PM Modi amid student protests

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hours before the third round of talks between the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party.

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3 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Dharmendra Pradhan

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major development amid the ongoing student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar.

Pradhan announced the decision through a post on X, just hours before the Centre was scheduled to hold the third round of talks with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), which has been leading the agitation over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.

The resignation of the Education Minister had remained the primary demand of the protesters, who have been camping at Jantar Mantar for more than a month seeking accountability and reforms in the examination system.

The latest development comes at a crucial time as both sides prepare for another round of discussions aimed at resolving the prolonged standoff.

As of now, there has been no official announcement from the Prime Minister’s Office on whether Pradhan’s resignation has been accepted. Further details are awaited.

Resignation comes before key Centre-CJP meeting

The announcement was made only hours before representatives of the Centre and the Cockroach Janta Party were expected to meet for the third round of negotiations.

The talks are being closely watched as the government attempts to end the month-long protest, with the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan remaining one of the protesters’ central demands.

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CJP says Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation non-negotiable ahead of third round of talks

CJP has hardened its stand before the third round of talks with the Centre, insisting that Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation remains its primary and non-negotiable demand.

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7 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has reiterated that the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remains its top demand, just hours before the third round of discussions with the Centre on Saturday.

CJP spokesperson Ashutosh Ranka said the organisation would see little purpose in continuing negotiations if the government was unwilling to remove the minister.

In a post on X, Ranka said Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation was “non-negotiable” and added that there was no point in holding further discussions if the government rejected the demand.

The third round of talks is scheduled for Saturday afternoon after Union Ministers JP Nadda and Jitendra Singh met CJP representatives for nearly two hours during the second round of discussions on Friday.

According to the CJP, it has placed three key demands before the Centre:

  • Resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
  • A guarantee that no legal action will be taken against protesting students.
  • Compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of students who allegedly died by suicide following the NEET paper leak.

During Friday’s meeting, the Centre agreed in principle to two of the demands — ensuring no legal action against protesting students and providing compensation. However, the demand for the Education Minister’s resignation remains unresolved.

Speaking after the meeting, JP Nadda said the protesters had also submitted five suggestions for reforms to the examination system. He said the government would hold internal discussions before responding during Saturday’s meeting.

Government sources, however, indicated that Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not under consideration. According to the sources, the government believes resignation is not the appropriate course of action and continues to back the minister.

Meanwhile, the Centre has announced several measures aimed at tackling examination paper leaks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the establishment of fast-track courts to hear paper leak cases, while the government is preparing amendments to strengthen the law with stricter punishments and higher fines.

The Centre has also replaced the Education Secretary and removed 47 officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA), while promising broader reforms within the examination body.

Responding to the action against NTA officials, Ashutosh Ranka said the move alone was insufficient. He maintained that accountability ultimately rests with the Education Minister and reiterated that Dharmendra Pradhan must resign.

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PM Modi’s Instagram reel on exam paper leaks crosses record 303 million views amid Jantar Mantar protests

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direct video address addressing exam paper leaks has crossed 303 million views on Instagram amid student demonstrations at Jantar Mantar.

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8 hours ago

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July 25, 2026

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has crossed a global digital milestone, with a single Instagram reel gathering over 303 million views within a 24-hour period. The massive social media turnout eclipsed the previous global record of 300 million views. The digital milestone unfolded against the backdrop of ongoing demonstrations by thousands of youth and student protesters gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding systemic reforms and accountability following examination malpractices.

Following the high engagement on his initial post, the Prime Minister released a follow-up video message titled “Thank you friends” to express gratitude to young citizens for their constructive suggestions and feedback.

Late-night message addresses student concerns

The record-breaking digital engagement began with a rare late-night selfie video posted by Prime Minister Modi. In the clip, he directly addressed public anxieties regarding examination paper leaks and promised strict executive action against offenders.

By utilizing a direct video format aimed at connecting with younger demographics, the Prime Minister emphasized that the administration treats competitive exam malpractices with extreme seriousness rather than as a minor issue.

Cabinet plans fast-track courts and strict penalties

Detailing actions undertaken over the preceding two and a half months, the Prime Minister stated that the primary objective of the administration has been protecting candidates from losing an academic year. He highlighted the extensive administrative coordination required to arrange re-examinations swiftly for affected candidates.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Modi announced that the Union Cabinet will move forward with a strict legal framework. The proposed measures include establishing fast-track courts and imposing harsh penalties on individuals or criminal syndicates involved in leaking examination papers.

The initial late-night communication generated a surge of approximately one million new followers on the Prime Minister’s profile overnight. In his follow-up statement, PM Modi appreciated the active dialogue created among the youth, remarking that citizen engagement helps strengthen governance.

“This love of yours will remain, and our bond will continue to connect with even more vibrancy,” the Prime Minister stated, thanking supporters for their active involvement.

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