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Yogi Adityanath’s love jihad and land jihad remarks draw sharp Akhilesh Yadav response

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s comments on ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’ have triggered a sharp political response from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav.

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Yogi Adityanath on holiday

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav engaged in a fresh war of words after the chief minister spoke about what he described as “love jihad” and “land jihad” during a public event in Lucknow.

Addressing the closing ceremony of the Ramkatha Mahotsav, Yogi Adityanath urged people to remain vigilant against attempts that he alleged were aimed at altering the country’s religious and demographic landscape. He said India could not become a refuge for those lacking loyalty to the nation and stressed the need for society to remain united against divisive forces.

The chief minister also referred to concerns about unlawful religious conversions and highlighted the Uttar Pradesh government’s anti-conversion legislation enacted in 2020. He called for greater public awareness and vigilance, arguing that society must collectively confront activities he described as threats to social harmony.

Akhilesh Yadav counters chief minister’s remarks

Responding to the statements, Akhilesh Yadav took a swipe at the chief minister, saying he “doesn’t understand love”. The Samajwadi Party leader remarked that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister appeared to have more concern for land than love.

Referring to the “land jihad” comments, Yadav questioned property ownership records in Gorakhpur and suggested they should be examined before making such allegations. He also said that Sanatan Dharma promotes love, brotherhood and truth, and accused the state government of deviating from those values.

Debate over ‘love jihad’ and ‘land jihad’

The terms “love jihad” and “land jihad” have frequently featured in political debates, particularly among right-wing groups that allege organised efforts involving religious conversion through marriage or illegal land acquisition. Critics, however, dispute these claims and argue that such terminology targets specific communities.

According to the Union Home Ministry’s earlier statements in Parliament, “love jihad” is not formally defined under Indian law. Several states, including Uttar Pradesh, have instead enacted laws dealing with religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, coercion or inducement.

The latest exchange between the two leaders adds to the continuing political rivalry between the BJP and the Samajwadi Party ahead of the next major electoral contests in Uttar Pradesh.

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PM Modi chairs high-level meeting with top bureaucrats to review governance priorities

Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting with senior bureaucrats in New Delhi to review governance priorities and policy implementation.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a high-level meeting with secretaries of various central ministries and departments in New Delhi, bringing together the government’s top bureaucrats for discussions on governance and policy priorities.

According to official sources, the meeting was attended by senior officials from across ministries and departments. While specific details of the discussions were not made public, the deliberations were expected to focus on administrative reforms, policy implementation and measures aimed at improving the ease of doing business.

Such interactions between the Prime Minister and senior bureaucrats are considered important for reviewing the progress of key government initiatives and ensuring coordination among ministries on priority programmes.

The meeting comes at a time when the Centre is continuing to push for faster decision-making, improved governance mechanisms and efficient implementation of flagship schemes across sectors. Senior officials are also expected to align their ministries’ priorities with the government’s broader development agenda.

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DK Shivakumar warns Karnataka voters: Lose voting rights, lose government benefits as electoral roll revision begins

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has asked citizens to ensure their names remain on voter rolls, warning that losing voting rights could also impact access to government benefits as the state’s electoral roll revision exercise gets underway.

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DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar has urged residents to ensure that their names remain on the electoral rolls as the state begins a large-scale revision of voter lists.

The Election Commission on Tuesday launched the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise across Karnataka, with booth-level officials set to conduct house-to-house visits until July 29 as part of the verification process.

Addressing concerns over the exercise, Shivakumar stressed the importance of retaining voting rights and warned that people who lose their eligibility as voters could also risk losing access to government welfare benefits.

“The right to vote is the right to live,” the Chief Minister said, adding that some states have already begun verifying welfare beneficiaries through similar exercises.

In a move aimed at helping residents complete the revision process, the Karnataka government has announced the issuance of permanent residential certificates. According to state authorities, these certificates can be obtained both online through the Seva Sindhu portal and offline at designated citizen service centres across the state.

State election officials said the revision exercise will cover more than 5.5 crore electors. Over 59,000 Booth Level Officers (BLOs), along with thousands of supervisors and electoral officials, have been deployed for the drive. Political parties have also appointed more than 1.1 lakh Booth Level Agents to assist in the process.

Officials clarified that BLOs will distribute enumeration forms to voters whose names were included in the electoral roll as of June 16, 2026. No documents will be collected during the initial enumeration phase, and officials have appealed to citizens to cooperate by receiving, filling and returning the forms.

The Election Commission has said the draft electoral roll will be published on August 5, after which claims and objections can be submitted until September 4. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be released on October 7.

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Haldia refinery fire leaves 15 injured after blaze erupts in naphtha pipeline

At least 15 people were injured after a fire broke out in a naphtha-carrying pipeline at Haldia Refinery in West Bengal early Tuesday morning.

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A major fire broke out at the Haldia Refinery in West Bengal early on Tuesday, injuring at least 15 people after flames engulfed a naphtha-carrying pipeline, according to reports.

The incident reportedly took place between 4 am and 5 am when flames suddenly erupted from the pipeline inside the refinery premises. Workers present near the site suffered burn injuries as the fire spread rapidly.

Visuals from the scene showed thick black smoke rising high into the sky as emergency teams and workers attempted to bring the blaze under control. Local residents and refinery authorities rushed to the spot soon after the incident was reported.

The injured were shifted to the Haldia Sub-divisional Hospital for treatment. Reports said that some of those injured were in critical condition.

Authorities have not yet revealed the exact cause of the fire. An investigation is expected to determine what triggered the blaze at the refinery.

Naphtha is a highly flammable fuel derived from crude oil and is commonly used in the production of fuels such as petrol and kerosene.

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