Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed strong condemnation regarding the alleged terror attack in New Orleans that resulted in 15 fatalities.

Taking to social media platform X, the Prime Minister strongly condemned the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. He added that his thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy, he continued.

On January 1, an army veteran with an Islamic State flag in a pickup truck drove into a crowd of New Year’s celebrants in New Orleans, claiming the lives of 15 people and injuring numerous others. The FBI identified the attacker as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, aged 42, a Texas-based American citizen. Records suggested his previous employment as a Houston real estate agent and his military service as an IT specialist.

The police superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick, called Jabbar a terrorist, while the FBI confirmed discovering an Isis flag in the vehicle. Furthermore, FBI agent Alethea Duncan said on Wednesday that investigations were underway, mentioning that authorities do not believe that Jabbar was solely responsible.

The police said the incident took place around 3:15 am (0915 GMT) near Bourbon Street in the heart of the French Quarter, packed with people celebrating the start of 2025. The FBI said that the suspect drove a white Ford F-150 electric pickup into a group of pedestrians. It added that two homemade bombs were also found and neutralized.

The police superintendent said that the accused was trying to run over as many people as he possibly could. He also noted that driving at very high speed and in a very intentional manner, he was hellbent on creating the carnage and the damage that he did.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden termed the attack despicable and revealed that Jabbar had published online videos before the incident indicating that he was inspired by Isis. The US President additionally mentioned that authorities were investigating possible connections between this incident and a subsequent explosion of a Tesla Cybertruck near a Donald Trump-owned hotel in Las Vegas on Wednesday, which led to one casualty, whilst noting no established links thus far.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has contributed to empowering small businesses and revolutionising e-commerce, thus playing a vital role in furthering growth and prosperity.

The ONDC, endorsed by the government, aims to counteract the platformisation prevalent among major tech companies by unbundling the components of product discovery, seller interactions, and logistics involved in e-commerce transactions. It has already been applied in food delivery services, e-retail ordering, and, most notably, cab and auto rides, serving as an alternative to Uber and Ola.

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal also highlighted the network’s achievements over the past three years, stating that ONDC “has not only achieved numerous milestones but also empowered businesses, especially small enterprises,” creating a level playing field within the market, which garnered Modi’s approval.

While various food delivery, e-commerce, and cab-hailing platforms have joined ONDC, alongside logistics partners and app discovery platforms, some established services like movie and event ticketing providers, such as BookMyShow and the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), have not yet participated. These platforms often maintain exclusivity over travel and event bookings, accompanied by relatively high digital service fees. A senior ONDC official noted efforts are ongoing to encourage these platforms to onboard.

The government’s objective is to transform the e-commerce market’s structure from a “platform-centric model to an open-network model.” The ONDC draws inspiration from the successful Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which enables users to send and receive money across different payment platforms. Similarly, the government aims for buyers and sellers in the e-commerce sphere to conduct transactions regardless of their registered platforms, meaning a buyer registered with Amazon could purchase goods directly from a seller using Flipkart.

To facilitate such transactions, the government has mandated that companies register on the ONDC. After launching a pilot in several major cities last year, thousands of sellers have already been onboarded onto the platform; however, Amazon and Flipkart have yet to integrate their core shopping platforms into the ONDC network.

In a major allegation, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BSF of allowing infiltration from Bangladesh to destabilise the state, terming it the Centre’s nefarious blueprint. She alleged during an administrative meeting that the BSF, which guards the Bangladesh border, was allowing infiltration into Bengal. 

Her remarks follow after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said earlier that infiltration from Bangladesh was disrupting peace in Bengal. The Chief Minister said that the BSF is allowing infiltration from different areas into Bengal and torturing women. She added that the TMC is not guarding the borders. She asserted that the border is not in their hands, so if someone accuses the Trinamool Congress of permitting infiltration, she will point out that it is the BSF’s responsibility.

She further added that the police have all the information, and the Centre has it too. She claimed that she had received information from Rajiv Kumar (DGP) and local sources, and will write a strong letter to the Centre regarding this.

Mentioning that it is important to maintain peace in West Bengal and have good relations with Bangladesh, Mamata Banerjee said that she has no enmity, but goons are being allowed here, who commit crimes and return across the border. BSF is enabling this, and the Centre has a role in it, she alleged.

Reacting to the claims made by the West Bengal Chief Minister, BJP leader and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar said that she has reached the ultimate level of delusion. The BJP West Bengal chief questioned Mamata Banerjee’s remarks and said in a post on X that despite not providing land to set up outposts for border surveillance, Mamata Banerjee used to blame the Border Security Force for illegal infiltration. 

He added that now, crossing all limits of accusations, she has started blaming her own administration’s officials. According to her, the incompetent District Magistrates (DMs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs) under her administration are allowing foreign criminals to infiltrate the border to murder the elected representatives of her party, he continued.