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In its 116-page order dismissing the complaints against the former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chief, the Lokpal said they were based “more on presumptions and assumptions.

Dismissing all allegations against former SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, the Lokpal had also pulled up the complainants for approaching it with “unclean hands” and for purely political reasons. The anti-corruption body also warned that the complainants’ conduct trivialised the process and amounted to “vexatious proceedings”, which is potentially punishable under Section 46 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

The complaints had been filed by Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan and former IPS officer Amitabh Thakur.

In its 116-page order dismissing the complaints against the former Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chief, the Lokpal said they were based “more on presumptions and assumptions and not supported by any verifiable material and do not attract the ingredients of the offences… so as to direct an investigation.”

Warning that such conduct trivialised the process, the Lokpal said it amounted to vexatious proceedings which could be punishable. Section 46 of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act provides for the prosecution of individuals who file false or frivolous complaints, with penalties including imprisonment of up to a year and a fine of up to Rs 1 lakh

Ms Buch had been accused of having investments linked to the Adani Group, quid pro quo disguised as consultancy fees and rental income, undue gains from ICICI Bank employee stock options and a “pretence of recusal” from certain cases.

The Lokpal noted that the complaints, which were filed last year, were essentially based on the report “by a known short seller trader (Hindenburg Research) whose focus was to expose or corner Adani Group of Companies”.

The Lokpal order said, “The effectiveness of the investigations and action taken by SEBI against the Adani Group of companies has commended to the Supreme Court. That cannot be reopened directly or indirectly…”

It also said that the Hindenburg report by itself cannot be made the sole basis to escalate action against Ms Buch.

“The complainant(s) being conscious of this position advisedly attempted to articulate allegations independent of the stated report but the analysis of the allegations by us, ended with a finding that the same are untenable, unsubstantiated and bordering on frivolity,” it noted.

“The complainant (s) by making such unverified and flimsy or fragile allegations, only to sensationalise or so to say politicise the matter, has inevitably trivialised the process before the Lokpal,” the anti-corruption body added.

‘Generating Publicity’

The Lokpal also expressed concern over the decision of one complainant decision to publicise the filing of the complaint on social media. This, the order noted, was in clear breach of the confidentiality requirements enshrined in the Lokpal Act and showed that the complaints were filed not with a bona fide intention of seeking justice, but rather to generate publicity.

It was noted that when the media campaign fizzled out due to a lack of interest, the complainants turned to the Lokpal in what appeared to be an attempt to ‘keep the issue alive’.

The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief will likely make his Rajya Sabha debut next month with support from the ruling DMK.

Tamil Nadu actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Friday refused to apologise for his comment that the Kannada language was “born out of” Tamil, a remark that triggered a furious civil and political row between two states who hold their languages close to their hearts.

The Makkal Needhi Maiam chief, who will likely make his Rajya Sabha debut next month with support from the ruling DMK, said he would have apologised if he felt his remarks were wrong.

“I’ve been threatened before… but love will always triumph. My love for Karnataka, Andhra (Pradesh), and Kerala is true. Only those with an agenda would suspect otherwise,” he said.

The popular actor also said, “This is a democracy and I believe in law and justice.”

On his being named to the Rajya Sabha, as part of a deal with the DMK for his party’s support in the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Kamal Haasan said he would raise his voice in Parliament for the people of Tamil Nadu. “Joining hands with the DMK was the need of the hour,” he said.

The “born out of Tamil” controversy broke earlier this week when Kamal Haasan was speaking at an event in Chennai ahead of the launch of his new film, ‘Thug Life’. He began his speech with the phrase ‘uyire urave Tamizhe‘, meaning ‘my life and my family is (the) Tamil language’

Then pivoting to Shiva Rajkumar, a Kannada actor also at the event, he said, “This is my family in that place. That’s why he (Rajkumar) has come… that’s why I began saying ‘life, relationship and Tamil’. Your language (Kannada) was born out of Tamil, so you too are included…”

The comment drew predictably sharp reactions, with the BJP, the main opposition party in Karnataka and allied with the main opposition in Tamil Nadu (the AIADMK) slammed the actor.

Karnataka BJP chief V Yediyurappa accused him of insulting Kannada.

Demanding an apology the BKJP leader said the comment reflected “uncultured behaviour” and the “height of arrogance”. Artists, he said, must be “cultured” enough to respect all languages.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also had to speak out, but his criticism was softer and more sarcastic; the Congress leader said Kamal Haasan was “unaware” of Kannada’s history.

READ | “Kamal Haasan Unaware Of Kannada History”: Siddaramaiah On Row

“Kannada has a long-standing history. Poor Kamal Haasan, he is unaware of it,” he said.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Rakshana Vedike, a pro-Kannada organisation, lodged a police complaint and staged demonstrations across the state, including in Belagavi and Mysuru.

Days later, faced with backlash, Kamal Haasan issued a clarification. “What I said was said out of love, and a lot of historians have taught me language history. I didn’t mean anything,” he said.

“Politicians not qualified to talk about language, including me,” Kamal Haasan had said.

Pro-Kannada groups have also called for a ban on Kamal Haasan’s new film, which releases June 5.

The Muhammad Yunus government had lifted a ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami soon after taking charge in Bangladesh last year.

amaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and its student wing Chatra Shibpur have regained their political status, with the Supreme Court restoring their registration and allowing them to be listed with the Election Commission for fighting future elections.

This follows the Muhammad Yunus government lifting a ban on the organisation soon after taking charge last year.

The Jamaat has remained active in Bangladesh despite losing its registration in 2013 and being barred from elections. It is now trying to rebrand itself ahead of national elections after being accused of being involved in attacks on Hindus in the aftermath of Sheikh Hasina’s ouster.

Mr Yunus’s critics have accused him of clinging to power with the Jamaat’s support, which has used the students’ movement in the country as a front to gnaw its way back into politics.

Earlier, the court had overturned the conviction of ATM Azharul Islam, a key leader of the organisation who was sentenced to death in 2014 for rape, murder and genocide during the 1971 war for the liberation of Bangladesh.

Jamaat’s Support For Pakistan

The Jamaat-e-Islami had supported Pakistan during the 1971 war – despite the torture and genocide that marred the erstwhile East Pakistan’s history. The Pakistan Army, on the orders of the Pakistan government, had committed severe atrocities on citizens of Bangladesh during their liberation struggle, including mass rape and murder.

Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had cracked down on the Jamaat-e-Islami for their involvement in terror activities. But with Jamaat clawing its way back into Bangladesh’s political space, there are severe implications for the neighbourhood, especially India, which shares the longest border with Bangladesh.

With Pakistan trying to regain space in Bangladesh, the resurgence of the Jamaat gives it the necessary political space to find a way back in. The Jamaat-e-Islami’s pro-Pakistan stand is in tune with Muhammad Yunus’s assertion to build “stronger ties with Pakistan.

This is why political analysts in Bangladesh imply that Yunus came to power with the support of the Jamaat, which was the force behind the students’ uprising, while his critics argue that he wants to extend his stay in power with the backing of the Jamaat.

There are other geo-political implications of the Jamaat’s stand on various issues. For example, last month, Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami proposed the creation of an independent Rohingya state in a meeting with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) representatives in Dhaka. The delegation was led by Peng Jiubin, the Director-General of the Southeast and South Asian Affairs Bureau under the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. This comes amid a surge of Rohingyas into Bangladesh as Ethnic Armed Organisations (EAOs) seize power along Myanmar’s international borders, especially the Arakan Army, an EAO operating in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.

What If Jamaat Succeeds?

If the Jamaat is successful in convincing other countries and cobbling together some consensus, it would impact India’s geo-political interest in the region.

India has invested in the Sittwe Port and the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), India’s flagship connectivity initiative in Myanmar, which aims to enhance road and maritime links with Southeast Asia. It will also provide an alternative access route to India’s northeastern region, contributing to economic development there. The project connects Sittwe Port in Myanmar to the India-Myanmar border via a 225-kilometre waterway to Paletwa, where an IWT terminal is being set up, followed by a road from there to the border in Zorinpui in South Mizoram.

The Jamaat has also established a network through South Asian immigrant communities. Its stated motive of establishing an Islamic state goes against the ethos of pluralism, which seems to be receding from the ideological space in Bangladesh. A hardline Islamic state, if the Jamaat has its way, with close links to Pakistan on the eastern side, could lead to huge security worries for India.

‘A Red Flag For India’

Priyadarshini Baruah, Research Associate, Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi, credited the political vacuum that emerged after the Awami League’s fall and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)’s weakening for the Jamaat’s return. The rise of such a radical outfit is a red flag, she said.

“Knowing the Jamaat’s history of opposing Bangladesh’s liberation and their alleged ties to Pakistan-backed terrorism, the Jamaat’s growing influence in Bangladesh is a red flag for India, especially due to their anti-India sentiments. It is feared that their growing influence could destabilise the region, and this fear remains tall, especially with regard to India’s North Eastern (NE) region since it shares a geographical boundary with Bangladesh,” she said.

The Jamaat’s return also exacerbates the concerns of minorities in Bangladesh.

“We have seen how the minorities are being treated in Bangladesh under the influence of Jamaat. The non-Muslim population, mainly Hindus, dropped from 13.5% in 1974 to 7.95% in 2022. And their suffering is likely to exacerbate as Jamaat tentacles grip on the Yunus regime,” said Ms Baruah.

That the Jamaat has now secured the status of a political party under the Yunus regime would also reflect their stand on minorities, giving India greater traction in policy making, she added.

Jamaat, BNP Not Always On Same Page

The Jamaat-E-Islami, while holding a pro-Pakistan stance, however, so far never won a majority but has played the role of Kingmaker. It has earlier been an ally of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which was the main opposition party in Bangladesh during the Sheikh Hasina regime.

Of late, there have been issues where the BNP leadership and the Jamaat have disagreed. Among those is conducting elections by December 2025. The BNP has been firm on this demand, while the Jamaat has been comfortable with Yunus holding on for longer, as it gives the organisation more time to mobilise for elections.

The Jamaat also has a larger motive in downplaying Bangladesh’s freedom struggle and India’s role in the 1971 war.

The Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami that was one of the main players in the 2024 uprising against Sheikh Hasina, faced massive backlash for an article in its magazine Chhatra Sangbad for describing Muslim participation in the Liberation War as “a failure” and a “lack of foresight”.

It apologised later amid pressure, but the BNP students’ wing condemned this line of thought and openly took a stance diametrically opposite to the Jamaat, which has always harboured pro-Pakistan sentiments. Many saw it as the Jamaat testing the waters over its effort to create an Islamic brotherhood.

Mr Khurshid is part of a delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha that has visited South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, and Japan, and is presently in Indonesia.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid – a member of a cross-party delegation travelling to partner nations as part of an outreach after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor – has slammed critics, including those from his party, questioning opposition MPs’ participation in these missions.

“When on a mission against terrorism, to carry India’s message to the world, it is distressing that people at home are calculating political allegiances… is it so difficult to be patriotic?” he asked on X.

The sharp remark follows praise days earlier for the BJP-led federal government’s August 2019 decision to scrap Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Mr Khurshid told Indonesia think tanks abrogation of a law that “gave the impression Kashmir was separate” from India resulted in prosperity for J&K.

Mr Khurshid is part of a delegation led by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha that has visited South Korea, Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia, and is presently in Malaysia.

Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, he explained his X post was meant to call out people who “are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation”.

“People keep saying, ‘what are you doing in a delegation where there are people from the BJP’. What we are doing is what is needed for the country. No matter which party you are from, today what is needed is a single voice to speak for the nation… the question is to be asked of those saying these things I believe are not very encouraging when you want to do something for the nation.”

“People are also saying ‘he (referring to himself) is supporting so-and-so and is not supporting so-and-so’. But if I wanted to oppose the government I would stay at home. I have come to speak for India… whoever speaks for India, and in whichever way they speak, we are here to support them.”

“… we are here for India first… India and only India,” Mr Khurshid told news agency ANI.

Although the Congress has publicly said it will back the government in any attempts to combat the spectre of terrorism, home and abroad, the party is believed to be unhappy over its key figures – five, including Mr Khurshid, Shashi Tharoor, and Anand Sharma – becoming de facto BJP spokespersons.

A former External Affairs Minister, he said in Malaysia that India had a key global role today and that it is not ‘greedy’ for Pakistan territory, which was a clear swipe over Pak’s illegal occupation of Kashmir.

Salman Khurshid’s responses on ‘political allegiances’ comes amid criticism of opposition MPs on these anti-terrorism delegations, particularly the Congress’ Shashi Tharoor, who faces rumours about his party future. Mr Tharoor is leading a team to the United States, Brazil, and other nations.

Those jabbing Mr Tharoor include senior Congress leaders, including party comms boss Jairam Ramesh and spokesperson Pawan Khera, who have called out what they think is the former diplomat’s unnecessary praise for the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Asked about those jabs, Mr Tharoor too said he is more focused on conveying India’s message on terrorism, and said he would only speak to his colleagues once he returns.

The seven anti-terrorism delegations are meant to carry India’s revised doctrine on terrorism after Pahalgam – an attack in which a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba killed 26 people.

India responded to that attack with precision military strikes targeting only terror camps – four in Pak and five in Pak-occupied Kashmir – but Islamabad (and Rawalpindi, the Pak Army HQ) retaliated by launching drones and missiles at military and civilian centres in western India.

The missiles and drones were neutralised or shot down by India’s air defences and, after 100 hours of military conflict, Pak sought a ceasefire. India accepted the ceasefire request but warned Pak against resuming hostilities, and said it would no longer tolerate cross-border attacks.

Pak was also told to desist from funding terrorist strikes, and dismantle terrorist infrastructure in that country, and also vacate illegally occupied regions in Kashmir.

Khan Sir’s wedding reception drew in an elite gathering of political leaders, including Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav.

Popular educator Faizal Khan, widely known as Khan Sir, hosted a grand wedding reception in Patna on Monday. It also marked the first public appearance of his wife, AS Khan. Among the key attendees was Bihar’s Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, whose brief conversation with Khan Sir became the event’s standout moment.

In a viral video from the reception, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader is seen asking Khan Sir, “Kya hua, byah kab hua?” (What happened, when did you get married?).

Khan Sir responded, “Abhi jo India-Pakistan conflict chal raha tha, usi beech” (During the recent India-Pakistan conflict).

He added he followed Tejashwi Yadav’s lead as far as keeping the wedding low-key.

“Model aap hi ka tha sir… chupchaap se karke baad main batana hai. 12-13 log the sir. Jaise aap kiye na, vaise hi. Humne socha kahan se copy karenge, aapka hi copy kar liya sir,” he said. (I followed your model, sir. Get married quietly and announce it later. Just 12-13 people were there, just like you did. I thought, whom should I copy? So, I copied you.)

Tejashwi Yadav married his long-time friend Rachel Godinho in a private ceremony on December 9, 2021, at his sister Misa Bharti’s farmhouse in Delhi’s Sainik Farms. The event was attended by approximately 50 close friends and family members, including Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and his wife Dimple Yadav.

He, at the time, explained the low-key celebration was aimed to ensure both families had ample time to connect without the distractions of a large gathering. He also cited concerns about COVID-19 and to avoid the chaos experienced during his elder brother Tej Pratap Yadav’s wedding.

Earlier, Khan Sir shared the news of his marriage with his students during a live class, saying they were the first to know. “My wedding date had already been set, but as tensions flared between India and Pakistan, we decided to keep it simple,” he told them. He also announced a special feast for his students.

Monday’s lavish reception was held at a luxury hotel in Patna and saw a distinguished turnout from both political and educational spheres. Dignitaries included Bihar Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, Education Minister Sunil Kumar, Union Minister of State Raj Bhushan Nishad, Nitish Mishra, former minister Mukesh Sahni, and renowned educators Alakh Pandey (Physics Wallah) and Neetu Ma’am. The evening also featured a performance by the famed Sabri Brothers. Khan Sir’s parents and extended family were also in attendance, making their first public appearance.

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