Police in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, detained cleric Tauqeer Raza Khan, the leader of the Ittehad-e-Millat Council, following a violent protest that erupted after Friday prayers. The unrest was sparked by the cancellation of a demonstration Khan had organized in support of the ‘I Love Muhammad’ campaign, with authorities alleging that he was denied permission to hold the event.
Conflict broke out between demonstrators and police, resulting in stone-pelting and vandalism. Over two dozen individuals were detained amidst the clashes. In a subsequent video, Khan claimed he was under house arrest and prevented from addressing his followers, and he praised the injured activists as “worthy of congratulations.”
In another incident, a 73-year-old Sikh woman named Harjit Kaur detailed her traumatic experience after being arrested and deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) back to India. Kaur, who had spent three decades in the United States, stated, “Their behavior was very bad. I was arrested on September 8 and taken to Bakersfield, where I stayed for 8-10 days. I was then transferred to Arizona before being sent to Delhi.”
Kaur recounted spending 60 to 70 hours in detention without a bed, forced to sleep on the floor despite having undergone double knee replacements. She expressed regret over not being able to say proper farewells to her family and friends before her deportation.
In a separate development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched BSNL’s indigenous 4G network, marking a significant milestone for India’s telecom sector. This initiative places India among a small group of countries, including Denmark and South Korea, that have developed homegrown telecom technology. Modi indicated that development in Odisha and the nation is accelerating, describing it as “advancing at the speed of a double engine.”
Further political developments included the first public appearance of former Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli since resigning amidst recent protests. After weeks out of the public eye, he addressed supporters following a meeting of his party, the CPN-UML.
In sports, former Indian spinner Sunil Joshi will assume the role of spin bowling coach at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru starting October 1. Joshi has been actively involved in training, having recently participated in events such as the Duleep Trophy and Australia A’s matches in Lucknow. His appointment will lead the Punjab Kings to seek a new assistant coach following his departure from their staff.
