BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has claimed that his mother was seriously injured after being struck by a car in an alleged hit-and-run incident in Pune. The accused reportedly fled the spot after the incident, leaving her critically injured.

According to Poonawalla, the incident occurred a few hours earlier and his mother is scheduled to undergo surgery. He appealed to authorities to identify and arrest the person responsible at the earliest.

Sharing details on social media, Poonawalla said an unidentified individual ran a car over his mother and escaped from the scene. He requested prayers for her recovery and expressed anguish over the incident, describing his mother as a compassionate person whose injury had deeply shaken him.

He also tagged Pune City Police, senior police officials, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, urging strict legal action against the accused and ensuring that the person does not evade accountability.

CCTV footage surfaces, police complaint to be filed

In a related development, Poonawalla’s brother and political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla shared CCTV footage on social media that allegedly shows the moment their mother was hit by the vehicle.

Tehseen stated that his mother, a senior citizen, had stepped out of the car while it was being refuelled when the incident occurred. He alleged that the act appeared deliberate and said efforts were underway to identify the vehicle involved.

He further confirmed that a police complaint would be filed and questioned how the vehicle could have hit his mother when she was standing at a distance from the car.

Fractured hip, surgery planned

Providing an update on her medical condition, Tehseen said their mother had suffered a fractured hip and would require surgical intervention. She has been admitted to hospital and doctors are monitoring her vitals ahead of surgery.

He described the incident as infuriating and heartbreaking, adding that his mother would need a rod implant following the hip surgery. He also said he had spoken to senior police officials and expressed hope that swift action would be taken.

Authorities have not yet issued an official statement on the incident. Further details are awaited as investigations continue.

Three minor sisters died after jumping from the ninth floor of their apartment building in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, allegedly following objections by their parents to their online gaming habits.

The incident occurred at Bharat City, a residential township in Ghaziabad, at around 2 am on Wednesday. The girls were found dead at the spot.

The sisters have been identified as Pakhi, aged 12, Prachi, 14, and Vishika, 16.

According to police, the three siblings were extremely close and spent most of their time together. They reportedly followed the same daily routine, including bathing, eating, attending school, and sleeping together.

Preliminary findings suggest the girls had become addicted to online gaming during the COVID-19 pandemic. They were reportedly playing an online task-based game referred to as a ‘Korean love game’. Police also said the sisters were not attending school regularly.

Investigators said the parents had objected to the girls’ excessive gaming, following which the incident allegedly took place. Police teams reached the spot soon after and have begun an investigation to ascertain the exact sequence of events.

Further details are awaited as the probe continues.

Chaos engulfed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday as tensions between the opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party intensified over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attempt to raise the issue of the India-China military standoff in Ladakh. The disruption eventually led to the suspension of eight Congress MPs for the remainder of the parliamentary session.

The confrontation unfolded after the Leader of the Opposition tried, for the second consecutive day, to read out excerpts from an unpublished book by former Army chief General M.M. Naravane that refer to the 2020 Ladakh crisis. The Speaker denied permission, citing procedural rules, triggering protests from opposition members.

Several MPs protested by refusing to speak when called upon, expressing solidarity with Gandhi. The uproar forced repeated adjournments of the House and, according to reports, involved members throwing pieces of paper towards the Chair.

Following the disorder, eight Congress MPs — including Hibi Eden, Amarinder Raja Warring and Manickam Tagor — were suspended. Warring later questioned the action, saying the protests were in response to Gandhi being denied the opportunity to speak despite having authenticated the document and submitted it to the House.

The BJP strongly criticised the Congress leadership. Party MP Anurag Thakur accused Rahul Gandhi of undermining Parliament and insulting the armed forces, alleging that the opposition was attempting to distract from recent government actions, including the presentation of the Union Budget. He also said the BJP would move a formal complaint seeking strict action against the suspended MPs.

Outside Parliament, Gandhi accused the ruling party of trying to silence him, saying he was prevented from speaking on the sensitive issue of the India-China border. He argued that he had followed procedure by authenticating the content he wished to quote but was still denied permission.

What happened a day earlier

On Monday, the Speaker had also disallowed Gandhi from reading the excerpts, with senior ministers countering his remarks during the debate. Government sources later maintained that the Congress leader violated House rules by attempting to introduce unpublished material into the official record without prior approval.

When proceedings resumed on Tuesday, Gandhi again raised the matter, insisting that the information had been authenticated. As the Speaker moved on to other members, two opposition MPs from the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress declined to speak, signalling their support for him.

Rahul Gandhi targets India-US trade deal

Separately, Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over what he described as a lack of transparency surrounding the India-US trade deal. He questioned how negotiations that had reportedly remained unresolved for months were concluded overnight and alleged that the agreement compromised the interests of Indian farmers, particularly in agriculture and dairy.

Government sources, however, rejected these claims, stating that sensitive sectors would remain protected and that the deal does not undermine farmers’ interests. They said contentious issues, including market access, had been carefully handled.

The opposition has demanded full disclosure of the terms of the agreement, even as both sides continue to trade sharp political accusations inside and outside Parliament.