Op-Eds Opinion

Fake Ram Mandir CEO Video: Why Abhijeet Dipke Must Face a Legal Probe

By BPN News Desk September 9, 2026

A completely unrelated video of a man dancing at a social gathering was turned into a controversy involving the Ram Mandir this week after social-media accounts falsely identified the man as Air Marshal (Retd.) Jeetendra Mishra, the newly appointed CEO of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. The claim was demonstrably false. Mishra had […]

Op-Eds Opinion

India Never Voted for That Map. So Why Was a Controversy Manufactured?

By BPN News Desk September 9, 2026

India witnessed a manufactured controversy this week over Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin and a United Nations resolution called “Correct the Map”. The way the story was presented created an alarming impression. The United Nations had produced a world map depicting Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin between Indian and Chinese lines. India, meanwhile, had voted in […]

Op-Eds Opinion

Gadkari May Be Wrong About Educated Voters – But Right About Development Politics

By BPN News Desk September 8, 2026

Nitin Gadkari has never been known for carefully measuring every word before speaking. His public interventions are frequently blunt, colourful and occasionally capable of creating controversies that overshadow the point he was originally trying to make. His recent remarks in Nagpur were another example. Speaking about electoral behaviour, Gadkari contrasted the support he

Op-Eds Opinion

Kerala Nuns’ ‘Stand By Me’ Venture Funds Continuing Franco Mulakkal Battle

By BPN News Desk September 8, 2026

The photographs coming out of St Francis Mission Home at Kuravilangad appear, at first sight, to tell a modest story. Three nuns sit among sewing machines, fabric and clothes, producing nightwear, bags, churidar tops and home furnishings under an initiative called “Stand By Me – Survivors of Gender-Based Violence.” Those three women are Sisters Ranit […]

Op-Eds Opinion

BJP’s Ethanol Gambit: 150 Lok Sabha Seats at Stake

By BPN News Desk September 6, 2026

India’s debate over E20complain about mileage, owners of older vehicles question compatibility, automobile enthusiasts ask why consumers should bear the consequences of a fuel their cars were never optimised to use, while the government points towards lower crude-oil imports, reduced foreign-exchange expenditure and cleaner fuel. All of those arguments matter. But they

Op-Eds Opinion

Question an MLA, Face Police at Midnight? The Santosh Pandit Arrest Raises Disturbing Questions

By BPN News Desk September 3, 2026

There are moments when the legality of an individual allegation becomes almost secondary to a much larger question: how is the coercive power of the state being exercised, and against whom? The arrest of Pune-based activist and social-media influencer Santosh Pandit is rapidly becoming one such case. Pandit has built his public profile around confronting […]

Op-Eds Opinion

Nepal’s Gen Z Government Risks Turning Crisis Into Isolation

By BPN News Desk September 2, 2026

Nepal is living through a catastrophe of almost unimaginable proportions. More than 1,100 people have been confirmed dead following the Himalayan disaster of August 26, thousands remain missing, communities have been devastated, hydropower installations and bridges have been destroyed, and families across Nepal and several other countries are still desperately waiting for

Op-Eds Opinion

Gyirong’s Missing: What If No Bodies Are Found?

By BPN News Desk September 2, 2026

Before discussing anything else, we extend our deepest condolences to every family that has lost someone in the catastrophe at Gyirong Port, and our support to those still living through the agony of not knowing what happened to a loved one. We would also respectfully advise families whose relatives remain missing to consider not reading […]

Op-Eds Opinion

MMDR Amendment Bill: India’s Mineral Future Cannot Be Left to State Politics

By BPN News Desk August 31, 2026

The political argument surrounding the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026 is being presented as another familiar Centre-versus-states confrontation. Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik has warned that the legislation undermines Odisha’s fiscal autonomy. Opposition has also emerged from other states and political parties concerned

Op-Eds Opinion

Pune’s DJ Debate Must Rise Above Religion and Politics

By BPN News Desk August 31, 2026

Pune is once again approaching Ganeshotsav with an argument that has become almost as predictable as the festival calendar itself. On one side are Ganesh mandals and organisers who want the freedom to celebrate with elaborate sound systems. On the other are residents who say that what is described as celebration increasingly means hours of […]