India news Live Updates, 26 October 2026: BJP plans nationwide protests over Mallikarjun Kharge’s ‘offensive’ remarks against PM Modi’s father
BJP announces nationwide protests against Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over remarks targeting PM Modi's late father. Meanwhile, two bodies are recovered after an under-construction house collapses in northeast Delhi.
· The Indian Express · JoinThe Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced nationwide protests on Monday against what it described as “insulting, indecent and offensive” remarks made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father. The BJP said it would hold demonstrations at all its state headquarters, accusing Kharge of crossing the limits of political discourse with a personal attack on the Prime Minister’s family.
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BJP announces nationwide protests over Kharge’s remarks on Modi’s late father
The BJP has called for demonstrations across the country on Monday over remarks made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at an event in Patna. In a statement, the party described the comments concerning Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father as “insulting, indecent and offensive” and said its state units would stage protests at their respective headquarters. BJP leaders alleged that the remarks crossed the boundaries of political discourse and amounted to a personal attack rather than criticism of governance or policy. The controversy has intensified the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the language used by their senior leaders.
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Delhi: Two bodies recovered after under-construction house collapses in Harsh Vihar
Two bodies have been recovered after a slab of an under-construction house collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar area on Sunday evening. Rescue teams, including personnel from the Delhi Fire Service and the National Disaster Response Force, were deployed to search the debris.
How Aamir Khan’s homebody habits may have saved him from Bishnoi gang’s shooters
Investigators probing the shooting involving actor Tiger Shroff believe that Aamir Khan was allegedly the original target of the shooters linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The alleged shooters reportedly conducted reconnaissance near Khan’s residence in Mumbai but found him difficult to access because he frequently travelled for film shoots or stayed indoors for days. Investigators believe the alleged attackers subsequently shifted their focus to Shroff, who was more accessible. The probe is examining the alleged links between the shooting and threats previously directed at Khan. Read the full report.
As Siang dam protests turn violent, NHPC’s Rs 11-crore PR push faces test
Protests against the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project in Arunachal Pradesh have turned violent, putting the spotlight on NHPC’s public relations campaign aimed at building local support for the proposed hydropower project. Violence and incidents of arson and vandalism were reported during demonstrations in the region, while security restrictions remained in force in parts of East Siang district. NHPC’s outreach contract, initially valued at Rs 8.73 crore and subsequently extended, is worth approximately Rs 10.91 crore. The project continues to face opposition from sections of the indigenous Adi community over concerns about displacement, submergence of ancestral land, livelihoods and environmental damage. Read the full report on the protests and NHPC’s PR campaign.
Didn’t go to school, but took officials to Supreme Court over husband’s ‘custodial death’
Lehra Bai, a 35-year-old mother of two from Chhattisgarh who never attended school, has pursued a legal battle over the alleged custodial death of her husband, Shravan Suryavanshi Tamre. He was arrested in January 2024 on allegations of possessing mahua liquor and died days later. His postmortem recorded injuries, while the family raised concerns over the circumstances of his death and the handling of the case. The Supreme Court strongly criticised the conduct of officials, ordered interim compensation of Rs 25 lakh for the family and directed a CBI investigation, along with criminal proceedings against officials found guilty. Read the full report on Lehra Bai’s fight for justice.
Live Updates
Oct 26, 2026 11:24 AM IST
Heavy rain in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, inundates homes in Thoppikkanal
Heavy rain inundated houses in Thoppikkanal, also known as Thoppi Thookki Parai, near Moonjikal in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, leaving more than 50 families affected after rainwater entered their homes overnight.
The downpour on Sunday night flooded rooms and left residents struggling to sleep as water accumulated inside their houses.
Oct 26, 2026 11:15 AM IST
Madhya Pradesh: Four charred to death after car falls into culvert and catches fire in dhar
Four people were charred to death after a car fell into a culvert and caught fire in Madhya Pradesh’s Dhar district, police said on Monday. The vehicle reportedly caught fire after the fall, trapping the occupants inside.
Oct 26, 2026 11:10 AM IST
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Brazilian President Lula da Silva on his re-election victory
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on his re-election victory, expressing his commitment to strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries.
In a post on X, Modi said he looked forward to working closely with Lula to deepen and expand the multifaceted India-Brazil Strategic Partnership, advance shared priorities of the Global South and promote a more inclusive, equitable and sustainable world.
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Oct 26, 2026 10:55 AM IST
Rahul Gandhi’s convoy meets with accident in UP's Sultanpur, Congress leader safe
Five vehicles, including an ambulance, were reportedly involved in a collision involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s convoy on the Purvanchal Expressway in Uttar Pradesh on Monday. The incident occurred while Gandhi was travelling to Sultanpur to appear before a special MP-MLA court in a defamation case. Several Congress workers and security personnel were reportedly injured in the mishap, while Gandhi was safe. Further details about the cause of the collision and the condition of those injured were awaited.
Gandhi arrived at Lucknow’s Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in the morning, where hundreds of Congress workers and local party leaders gathered to welcome the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Raebareli MP.
Oct 26, 2026 10:44 AM IST
Security tightened outside Jamia Millia Islamia
Security has been tightened outside Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi on Monday after the university ordered that student union elections be held within 15 days of approval of the union’s constitution. The university also revoked suspension and show-cause notices issued to students during the ongoing protest, according to an official order.
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Oct 26, 2026 10:36 AM IST
Mallikarjun Kharge hits back at Amit Shah’s ‘30 years’ remark
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday hit back at Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi would not come to power for the next 30 years, questioning who would live that long and saying he was 85. Speaking in Patna, Bihar, Kharge accused Shah of misleading the public and alleged fraud involving electronic voting machines (EVMs), claiming that even people within Shah’s camp had acknowledged wrongdoing. These allegations were made by Kharge in response to Shah’s remarks.
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Oct 26, 2026 10:26 AM IST
Jamia agrees to hold union elections. Issues order on students’ key demands
Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University on Monday agreed to hold students’ union elections once the union’s constitution receives official approval, ending a two-week student protest. This decision follows a meeting Sunday night between JMI officials and protesting students seeking the reinstatement of the union.
“The Jamia Millia Islamia Student’s Union Election will be held after 15 days, from the date of approval of the constitution of the student’s union of Jamia Millia Islamia,” the order issued by the registrar’s office states. However, the order does not set a fixed timeline for forming the constitution.
Oct 26, 2026 10:08 AM IST
Tamil Nadu Rain: Flash Flood in Theni’s Kottakudi River, Tourists Evacuated from Anaipillaiyar Falls
Heavy rain triggered a flash flood in the Kottakudi River in the Theni district of Tamil Nadu, prompting authorities to evacuate tourists from Anaipillaiyar Falls.
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Oct 26, 2026 09:35 AM IST
Chhattisgarh bus-truck accident: 3 killed, 8 injured in Balodabazar
Three people were killed and eight injured after a bus collided with a truck in Chhattisgarh’s Balodabazar-Bhatapara district, police said, according to news agency PTI. The injured were taken for medical treatment.
Oct 26, 2026 09:05 AM IST
Delhi: Two bodies recovered after under-construction house collapses in Harsh Vihar
Two bodies have been recovered after a slab of an under-construction house collapsed in northeast Delhi’s Harsh Vihar area on Sunday evening. Rescue teams, including personnel from the Delhi Fire Service and the National Disaster Response Force, were deployed to search the debris.
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Oct 26, 2026 09:05 AM IST
BJP announces nationwide protests over Mallikarjun Kharge’s remarks on PM Modi’s father
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced nationwide protests on Monday against what it described as “insulting, indecent and offensive” remarks made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s late father. The BJP said demonstrations would be held at all its state headquarters, accusing Kharge of crossing the limits of political discourse with a personal attack on the Prime Minister’s family.
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