𝐔𝐏 𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐭 '𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬' 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞, 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝟏𝟖 A Bareilly village #panchayat# allegedly pushed the families of a 16-year-old girl and the minor accused towards a marriage settlement after a rape complaint. The move has put the panchayat's role under scrutiny even as police pursue the case and question the boy. Read more:

#WATCH# | Punjab: On Sangrur youth Jagga Singh consuming poison outside DC office, SSP Sangrur Ravjot Kaur Grewal says, "On 12th Sept, a video of Jagga Singh had surfaced wherein he had said that if action is not taken into his matter pertaining to the Panchayat, he will consume a poisonous substance. This is a legal offence. Action was being taken. So, he took this step yesterday. Panchayat says that Jagga Singh already has 9 FIRs registered against him under serious sections, including one for rape. Panchayat used to stop him, suspecting his involvement in unscrupulous activities. So, there was a dispute between the two parties and he filed a complaint. He is in the hospital and out of danger. His wife has filed a complaint, and FIR has been registered. But the Panchayat says that the FIR is wrong and he was politically provoked..."

#WATCH# | Punjab: SSP Sangrur Ravjot Kaur Grewal says, "Yesterday, one Jagga Singh consumed a substance at the DC office. There are 9 FIRs against Jagga Singh; he is convicted in 4 of them. These include cases of Excise and NDPS. He is undertrial in 4 other cases. There is a rape case against him. On 12th Sept, a video was found on social media wherein he had threatened Police that if no action is taken in his case, he would commit suicide...A case was registered in this regard on 12th Sept itself...Panchayat says that Jagga Singh is being provoked politically. They say that he stops whoever tries to take action in the village against drugs. Jagga Singh has a criminal history and is being provoked politically. Facts in this case are a matter of investigation..." (Video Source: Sangrur Police)

#WATCH# | South 24 Parganas, West Bengal | TMC leader Paresh Ram Das says, "I have received a summon from the CID investigating officer and have been asked to appear at the CID office in Bhawani Bhavan today... There was some issue during the 2023 panchayat elections in Canning West, under the Canning-I block. A case was registered in connection with that incident, and today I have been called for questioning. I am going with all the documents. Whatever the CID investigators ask us, I will definitely tell them whatever I know and fully cooperate with the investigation..."

India needs @Starlink • 11,256 of India’s listed villages still had no 4G coverage as of May 2026. • India had 1.093 billion internet subscriptions in March 2026, but only 440.87 million were rural. Rural subscription density was 48.31 per 100 people, compared with 126.80 in urban India. • BharatNet has laid more than 850,000 route-km of fibre and made about 221,000 Gram Panchayats service-ready. Yet its Points of Presence were reported operational at only 80,472 GPs as of June 2026. The government itself says the remaining mobile gaps are caused by difficult terrain, low commercial viability and infrastructure constraints. This is exactly where Starlink can help by reaching remote villages, mountains, islands and disaster-hit areas. Direct-to-device connectivity could also help phones stay connected beyond tower coverage. The Indian government should complete the remaining clearances, allocate spectrum and clear Starlink for commercial launch ASAP. India has already waited far too long.

It is gladdening to see Indian art and culture become popular globally. Following the ceremonial welcome this morning, PM Fico and I saw a collection of paintings created by Slovak children from across Slovakia. Drawing inspiration from the Panchatantra and Jataka tales, the artworks beautifully showcase how India’s ancient wisdom and traditions continue to resonate with younger generations around the world. @RobertFicoSVK