Evening briefing: BJP MLA wants Rahul to be ‘slapped’ for ‘anti-Hindu’ speech, PM invokes Raj Kapoor in Moscow; & more

Taking strong exception to Rahul Gandhi's recent ‘violent Hindu’ speech, Bharath Shetty, a BJP legislator from Karnataka, called for the senior Congress MP to be ‘slapped’ for his ‘anti-Hindu’ remarks. Shetty, who represents the Mangalore North assembly constituency, gave the ‘call’ while addressing a protest march against Gandhi in Mangaluru on Monday. Dig deeper

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday spoke about strong cultural ties between India and Russia, pointing to the enduring popularity of Indian actors Raj Kapoor and Mithun Chakraborty in Russia. Addressing the Indian diaspora, he said the India-Russia relationship is built on the strong pillar of mutual trust and respect. He praised India's ties with Russia, calling Russia an "all-weather friend" and commending President Vladimir Putin for strengthening the relationship over the past two decades. Dig deeper

Latest News

A day after the Kathua terror attack, an eyewitness said on Tuesday that only minutes before terrorists ambushed the targeted army truck, a bus full of civilians used the road on which the ambush took place. “A civil bus passed the road 10 minutes before the attack. We heard a loud explosion and initially took it as a tyre burst. But the subsequent heavy firing made us realise that an encounter has started,” Puran Chand Sharma, who runs a shop just a few metres from the site, told PTI. Dig deeper

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Nitesh Rane on Tuesday vowed strict action against the guilty in Mumbai BMW car crash, which claimed the life of a 45-year-old woman on Sunday. “No matter who is the accused, strict action will be taken. It is not an MVA government, where son of CM was accused in murder case of Sushant Singh Rajput and Disha Salian and he was saved,” Rane was quoted by PTI as saying. Dig deeper

Global Matters

Ukraine: Mourning in Kyiv as rescuers clear rubble from children's hospital. Dig deeper

4 Indians arrested in US on human trafficking charges, forced labour suspected. Dig deeper

Sports Goings

Rohit Sharma has paid a glorious tribute to Rahul Dravid as India's World Cup-winning coach embarks on a new chapter in his life. Dravid, a former India captain, became the head coach in November of 2021, his journey culminating on June 29, 2024, when India beat South Africa to win the T20 World Cup and end an agonising 11-year-long wait to lift an ICC trophy. Dravid and Rohit joined the MS Dhoni-Gary Kirsten and Dhoni-Lalchand Rajput pair to win a World Cup for India, but while the India captain will continue his duties in ODIs and Tests, he will do so with a new coach as Dravid sets his sights on a new role. Dig deeper

It's trending

Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant are all set to tie the knot on July 12. Before their big day, the couple is celebrating various ceremonies such as mameru, sangeet, graha pooja and more. On Monday, they marked their haldi ceremony in extravagant outfits. Amid the celebrations, photographer Joseph Radhik posted an insider picture of how fun the haldi was. For the unversed, during haldi, a mix of turmeric, water and oil is applied to the bride and the groom. Dig deeper

(That’s all we have at this hour in our evening briefing. Catch you tomorrow morning)