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Rahul responds to BJP’s ‘Muslim party’ hype: …I love all living beings. I am the Congress

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Rahul responds to BJP’s ‘Muslim party’ hype: …I love all living beings. I am the Congress

Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself took up the BJP hype about his Gandhi’s alleged – and since refuted by many – “Congress is party of Muslims” remark, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, July 17, responded by saying Congress stands for the exploited, marginalised and the persecuted, and does not discriminate on the basis of caste, religion or belief.

“I stand with the last person in the line. The exploited, marginalised and the persecuted. Their religion, caste or beliefs matter little to me. I seek out those in pain and embrace them. I erase hatred and fear. I love all living beings. I am the Congress,” he said in the tweet.

PM Modi had questioned the Congress whether it worked only for the interests of Muslim men. “All I want to ask is, is the party only for Muslim men or is there place for women in it too? These people block laws in Parliament and do not allow it to function,” Modi had said at a rally in Azamgarh on July 15.

Modi’s attack came ahead of the upcoming Monsoon session of Parliament and indicates the line BJP will take in the verbal battles in the country’s supreme law making institution. The triple talaq Bill has been passed by the Lok Sabha but is pending in the Rajya Sabha.

Attacking Gandhi over an alleged remark attributed to him in Urdu daily ‘Inquilaab’ during his interaction with Muslim intellectuals, Modi said, “I have read in newspapers that the Congress naamdar (dynast) has said that the Congress is a party of Muslims. This debate has been on for the last two days. I am not surprised because during the Manmohan Singh government, the prime minister himself that said that Muslims have the first claim on the country’s resources….”

The Congress slammed the BJP over the issue, accusing the ruling party of trying to create a Hindu-Muslim divide with an eye on 2019 elections.

The Congress has repeatedly denied that their president ever made the remarks at a meeting with Muslim intellectuals, as reported by the Urdu newspaper “Daily Inquilaab”. The comment was seized by the BJP and, starting with Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, one or the other BJP leader or minister has been harping on the theme every day with PM Modi himself referring to it at the rally on Saturday.

The ruling party persisted with the attack on Monday, with human resources development minister Prakash Javadekar wondering why Gandhi was “keeping mum” on the issue. “You said openly that the Congress is a party of Muslims. Your appeasement policy had damaged the country to a great extent earlier too. The whole history of partition is also a testimony of your policy of appeasement,” he said.

Muslim intellectuals at the meeting with Rahul Gandhi have denied the comments attributed to him by the Urdu daily Inquilaab.

Inquilaab reporter Mumtaz Alam Rizwi said he stood by his report, but Gandhi’s comments were nuanced.  “I never used the term Muslim party. Rahul Gandhi said Congress is a party of Muslims. He said ‘haan, (yes), because Muslims are weakened, they have become another version of Dalits in the country’,” said Rizwi.

On Sunday, the “Inquilab” published another report claiming its version has been corroborated by the Congress minority cell chief, who strongly denied it, reported NDTV.

After Rahul Gandhi’s tweet on Tuesday, BJP leader Sambit Patra said, “Rahul, You may be standing in line with people at the end, but the people are not standing with you. They know the Congress ‘family rule’ did not do anything for them.”

Patra insisted that the latter’s statement at a recent meeting of Islamic scholars was proof that the party was bent on championing the Muslim community.

“Spreading the message that it is a party for Muslims is a deliberate conspiracy by the Congress,” said Patra soon after Gandhi put up a Twitter post stating that his was a party that aims to embrace everybody regardless of religion, caste or beliefs. He also termed the Congress president’s tweet as a “confession” that his party belonged to Muslims.

He also claimed that there was “competition” between All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief Asaduddin Owaisi and Gandhi over who will play politics as per the ideology of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

“Rahul Gandhi said in his tweet that he loves all living beings. In reality, he only loves the country’s top seat of power,” Patra added.

Earlier, the Congress had attacked PM Modi for speaking “untruths” at Azamgarh rally and demanded that PM Modi apologise for calling it a party for Muslim men only, saying the remark showed his “sick mentality”.

Terming the Prime Minister a “peddler of untruths”, the Congress also challenged him to discuss his allegations against the opposition party in Parliament during the Monsoon Session beginning July 18.

“The Prime Minister has continuously hurt the dignity of his office. We strictly oppose what he said yesterday. It shows his sick mentality and twisted mindset,” senior Congress spokesperson Anand Sharma said.

“There is an attempt by him to divide society… His main opposition, the INC, led the national movement, spearheaded the fight for independence… to call it a Muslim party does not behove a PM. He should apologise for his statement. His sick mindset is an issue of national concern. The Prime Minister gives out statements which are wrong as per history and facts and he should apologise for the same,” Anand Sharma said.

The Congress appeals to the Prime Minister to desist from making “false” statements, he added.

Anand Sharma said PM Modi was the Prime Minister of the entire country and not only of the BJP. He said PM Modi had “less knowledge of history and writes his own history”.

Sharma also said that while the Congress was against triple talaq, his party wanted to follow the rules of the parliamentary system.

“The Congress does not need certification of nationalism from somebody who are the descendants of not only non-participants of the freedom movement but also active collaborators of the British,” he said.

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Security tightened across Delhi metro stations after bomb threat emails

Delhi is on high alert after bomb threat emails targeted metro stations, the Red Fort and the Assembly. Authorities confirmed the threats were hoaxes but tightened security as a precaution.

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Delhi Metro

Security has been intensified across all metro stations and major installations in the national capital after a series of bomb threat emails were received on Monday. Authorities later confirmed that the threats were hoaxes following detailed inspections by security agencies.

According to officials, several key institutions — including the Delhi Secretariat, Delhi Assembly, the Red Fort and two schools — received threatening emails earlier in the day. Extensive searches were carried out at all the locations mentioned in the messages, but nothing suspicious was found.

A senior police officer said cyber teams are working to trace the origin of the emails. Preliminary findings suggest that the senders may have used Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) in an attempt to conceal their identities and mislead investigators. Officials expressed confidence that those responsible would be identified.

Metro stations under heightened surveillance

Following specific references to metro services in the emails, security arrangements were strengthened across the entire network of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. Additional personnel have been deployed at stations, and anti-sabotage checks are being conducted.

Police said random frisking of passengers and intensified CCTV surveillance are being carried out as part of precautionary measures. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads were stationed at sensitive sites, including the Red Fort, Delhi Secretariat and the Assembly complex.

The threatening emails reportedly included the slogan “Delhi banega Khalistan” and warned of explosions at an Army school, the Assembly and the Red Fort at specific times during the day. Officials stated that all mentioned locations were thoroughly checked and declared safe.

Authorities also coordinated with counterparts in neighbouring states to enhance security at metro stations falling under their jurisdictions.

While no explosives were found, officials said the tightened security arrangements will remain in place as a precaution. Cyber teams continue efforts to trace the IP addresses and identify those behind the threat emails.

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JNU protest turns violent as Left and Right student groups trade charges

A late-night protest at JNU turned violent as Left and ABVP student groups accused each other of stone-throwing and attacks near the East Gate.

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JNU Protest

Tension gripped the campus of Jawaharlal Nehru University in the early hours of Monday after a protest march allegedly spiralled into violence, with rival student groups accusing each other of triggering the unrest.

Students claimed that the incident occurred around 1.30 am when a confrontation broke out during a march called by the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union. The protest, named “Samta Juloos”, was headed towards the East Gate and was organised to demand the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit and the withdrawal of a rustication order.

According to protesters, several students were injured after alleged stone-throwing during the clash. They alleged that the university administration did not intervene during the march and instead permitted members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to confront demonstrators.

However, the ABVP denied the allegations and countered that Left-affiliated organisations instigated the confrontation and were spreading misinformation about the events.

Left-backed groups, including the All India Students’ Association, claimed that ABVP activists targeted the JNUSU encampment and hurled stones at “unarmed students”, leading to multiple injuries.

Videos shared by students on social media reportedly showed chaotic scenes near the protest site, with members of rival groups engaged in heated exchanges and physical scuffles.

University authorities did not immediately respond to queries regarding the incident. Students said the situation on campus remained tense following the overnight clashes.

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World praised India’s AI potential at AI Impact Summit, says PM Modi

PM Modi said the world praised India’s AI potential at the AI Impact Summit 2026, where 89 countries endorsed the New Delhi Declaration on artificial intelligence.

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pm modi speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the world wholeheartedly praised India’s potential during the recently concluded AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, highlighting the growing global confidence in the country’s young technology talent.

In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the summit demonstrated how the mindset of India’s youth in the field of technology would serve humanity at large. He described the event as historic and underlined the positive global response to India’s AI capabilities.

The AI Impact Summit 2026, organised in New Delhi last week, concluded with the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact. The declaration has been endorsed by 89 countries and international organisations, signalling broad global agreement on promoting artificial intelligence for economic growth and social welfare.

Broad global participation

The summit saw the participation of several prominent world leaders and top technology executives. Among those present were UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, French President Emmanuel Macron, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and Swiss President Guy Parmelin.

Other leaders attending the summit included Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Mauritius Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Croatia Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Serbia President Aleksandar Vucic, Seychelles Vice President Sebastien Pillay, Estonia President Alar Karis, and Finland Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.

Chief executives and senior leaders from major global technology firms were also part of the gathering.

Focus on inclusive AI growth

Held under the theme ‘Sarvajan Hitay, Sarvajan Sukhay’ (welfare for all, happiness of all), the summit aimed to position India as a global leader in artificial intelligence while ensuring that AI development remains inclusive and sustainable.

The event brought together more than 500 international AI leaders. This included around 100 CEOs and founders, 150 academicians and researchers, and 400 CTOs, vice presidents and philanthropists. Additionally, over 100 government representatives and nearly 60 ministers and vice ministers participated in discussions.

The New Delhi Declaration seeks to strengthen international cooperation and ensure that AI technologies contribute to economic progress, social good and environmental protection.

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