"50-60 Died..." Siddaramaiah's Kumbh Reference After Bengaluru Stampede

Following the stampede near the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that he would not justify the mishap by drawing comparisons with similar tragedies elsewhere, like in Kumbh Mela.

Speaking to the media, Siddaramaiah said that he did not criticise when several people lost their lives in a stampede at the Mahakumbh.

"Such incidents happened in so many places. I am not going to defend this by comparing it with them now by saying it happened here and there. In Kumbh Mela, 50-60 people died, I didn't criticise it," he said.

"If Congress criticises, then that is a different matter. Did I or the Karnataka government criticise?" CM Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing a press conference, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured.

"A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured," the CM said.

Expressing deep sorrow over the incident, CM Siddaramaiah said, "11 died and 33 were injured in the stampede. This tragedy should not have happened. The government expresses deep sorrow over this incident."

The Karnataka CM further asserted that he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter.

"I don't want to defend this incident. Our government will not do politics on this. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry and given 15 days' time. People even broke the gates of the stadium. There was a stampede. No one expected such a huge crowd. The stadium has a capacity of only 35,000 people, but 2-3 lakh people came," CM Siddaramaiah said.

Fans in thousands gathered outside the Stadium in Bengaluru to catch a glimpse of their champion team.

RCB finally ended an 18-year wait for the coveted IPL trophy, defeating Punjab Kings by six wickets in the finals of IPL 2025, held on Tuesday at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed his deep sorrow over the incident, describing it as "absolutely heartrending".

In a statement by the Prime Minister's Office, the Prime Minister extended his thoughts to the families of the deceased while praying for the speedy recovery of those injured.

"The mishap in Bengaluru is absolutely heartrending. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. I pray that those who are injured have a speedy recovery: PM Narendra Modi," PMO stated on X.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Gukesh Breaks Silence On Carlsen's Post-Loss Outburst: "Also Banged..."

Following his stunning victory over former world number one Magnus Carlsen in the round six of Norway Chess, India's World Champion chess star D Gukesh spoke on how he was not pleased with his win and had a sporting reaction to Carlsen's post-match outburst, which saw him bang the table aggressively and send down some pieces falling, reported Chess.com. Gukesh pulled off a stunning victory against the former world number one in Round 6 of the ongoing Norway Chess 2025 tournament, turning the game around from a losing position on Sunday.

This marked Gukesh's first-ever classical win over the Norwegian grandmaster. The 19-year-old also became the second Indian player to beat Carlsen in the competition's history after Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa.

That moment when World Champion @DGukesh won his game against World no.1 Magnus Carlsen!

Video: @adityasurroy21/ ChessBase India#chess #chessbaseindia #norwaychess #gukesh pic.twitter.com/9YQhHYlia0

— ChessBase India (@ChessbaseIndia) June 1, 2025

Speaking after the match as quoted by Chess.com, Gukesh said about his win, "I mean, [it was] not the way I wanted it to be, but okay, I will take it."

He also took Carlsen's outburst in a sporting manner, understanding the frustration he must have faced, saying, "I have also banged a lot of tables in my career."

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In the video now posted on the official X handle of Norway Chess, just after the win was sealed by Gukesh, Carlsen let out his emotions by banging the table, sending some pieces falling on the board and down on the floor too. While he did not forget to shake Gukesh's hand and give him a pat on his back as the Indian star tried collecting himself emotionally after a stunning win, Carlsen's frustration with his performance was visible.

Gukesh was still in shock after his win and the way he pulled it off from behind, saying, "99 out of 100 times I would lose," but it was just a lucky day."

Carlsen had an upper hand over Gukesh for most of the time in the match, but in the end, he couldn't control his nerves, and the teenager turned the tables around and went on to win the match. With this win, D Gukesh jumped to third spot in the Norway Chess 2025 points table with 8.5 points, and now he is just one point behind Carlsen and American Fabiano Caruana.

Earlier on May 27, the marquee clash of Round One at Norway Chess 2025 lived up to expectations as Carlsen launched a classic king hunt to defeat reigning World Champion D Gukesh in a thrilling encounter. This was their first classical match since Gukesh won the world title, and it also marked Carlsen's return to individual classical chess after nearly a year.

Reacting to the upset victory, Gukesh's coach, Grandmaster Vishnu Prasanna, praised the teenager's resilience and fighting spirit."We have to give a lot of credit to Gukesh for his stubbornness and his resourcefulness because I think he was aware that he was dead lost for so long, yet he kept kicking, he kept kicking, and the time went lower, the more chances he had to actually do something with the position. I do not think he intended to win that, but I am sure he is happy," Vishnu Prasanna said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Aamir Khan On Junaid's Dyslexia Struggle: "I Used To Scold Him"

Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan has broken silence about his son, actor Junaid Khan's struggle with dyslexia.

The actor chronicled the challenges faced by a young boy with dyslexia named Ishaan, played by Darsheel Safary, in his 2007 directorial debut Taare Zameen Par.

Aamir's comments come days ahead of the release of Sitaare Zameen Par, a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par. The new film puts focus on specially-abled individuals.

According to a Filmfare report, the actor opened up about Junaid's dyslexia struggle at a recent event.

"Maybe this is the first time I'm saying it... The person I'm going to talk about has already spoken about this publicly. So now I can talk about it openly. I'm talking about Junaid - my son Junaid... Junaid is dyslexic," he said.

The script of Taare Zameen Par, penned by Amole Gupte, deeply impacted him, added Aamir.

"I used to scold Junaid. I was like Nandkishore Awasthi in the beginning," he said, in a reference to Ishaan's strict and frustrated father, played by Vipin Sharma.

"I would tell him, 'Junaid, how can someone write so badly? No one can even read this'. When he used to read, he would say 'from' instead of 'for'. Whenever he saw an 'F', he would just guess the word - of, from, for," Aamir recalled.

Earlier in an interview, Junaid revealed he has dyslexia, which is a learning disorder that affects reading and spelling. The Loveyapa actor said his father and mother, producer Reena Dutta discovered that he had dyslexia while listening to the script of Taare Zameen Par.

"Neither of my parents were particular (about my results)... I was also diagnosed with dyslexia very early on. So, I think they were mindful of that, especially in schooling... When they heard the script of Taare Zameen Par, they were like, 'Ek second... We have seen this in our lives'. And actually, it was at that point that they took me to a specialist, and I was diagnosed with dyslexia," he had said.

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Amid Hera Pheri 3 Row, Himesh's Shout Out To Paresh: "He Was Fantastic"

Singer Himesh Reshammiya made a surprise mention of actor Paresh Rawal and the Hera Pheri films during his concert in Mumbai on Saturday. 

What

• While performing, Himesh Reshammiya briefly paused to praise Paresh Rawal's performances in the first two films of the franchise. 
• Though he did not directly comment on Rawal's exit from the third film, many saw the moment as his subtle reaction to the ongoing controversy.
• He said, "Hera Pheri 1, he was fantastic, Hera Pheri 2, he was fantastic, he was also great in" - before breaking into the song Jumme Raat from Phir Hera Pheri, which featured Rawal with Suniel Shetty and Akshay Kumar.
• The concert, which drew a large crowd, was also attended by several Bollywood celebrities, including Farah Khan, Sajid Khan, Veer Pahariya, Saqib Saleem and Zaheer Iqbal.

Background

The moment comes amid a dispute between Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar's production company, Cape of Good Films, following Rawal's exit from Hera Pheri 3. 

Reports say the production house has filed a Rs 25 crore lawsuit against Rawal. The actor reportedly returned the Rs 11 lakh signing fee along with 15% annual interest and additional compensation. 

A source said, "Paresh Rawal has returned the amount with added interest and a little more as goodwill."

Rawal later addressed the issue on X, saying, "My lawyer, Ameet Naik, has sent an appropriate response regarding my rightful termination and exit. Once they read my response, all issues will be laid to rest."

At the Housefull 5 trailer launch, Akshay Kumar was asked about the situation. He said, "I've worked with him for 32 years. He's a great actor and a good friend. This is a serious matter and will be handled legally. I won't speak about it here."

Meanwhile, reports suggest that actor Pankaj Tripathi may be considered for the role of Baburao in Hera Pheri 3.

In A Nutshell

At a recent concert in Mumbai, Himesh Reshammiya praised Paresh Rawal's performances in the Hera Pheri films. The ongoing legal dispute between Rawal and Akshay Kumar's production house continues, with reports suggesting Pankaj Tripathi may replace him as Baburao.
 

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Drone Finds Body of Missing Tourist in Meghalaya, Police Suspect Murder

After an intensive eight-day search operation, the East Khasi Hills police on Monday confirmed the recovery of the body of Raja Raghuvanshi, one of the two tourists reported missing since May 23. The grim discovery was made by a drone and the body was found in a deep gorge below the Weisawdong Parking Lot at Riat Arliang. The whereabouts of Raja Raghuvanshi's wife, Sonam Raghuvanshi, remain unknown. The authorities are continuing the search in the difficult terrain amid inclement weather. The couple were on their honeymoon. 

In an official statement, East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police Vivek Syiem said at 11:48 am, a police drone located the body during a coordinated search involving the Police Department, State Disaster Response Force, Special Operations Team, and the West Jaintia Hills District Adventure Mountaineering Club.

Due to the steep and inaccessible terrain, the body was retrieved and brought up to the Weisawdong parking lot. 

The man was identified by his relatives through a distinctive tattoo on his right hand bearing the name "Raja."

A magisterial inquest was conducted on-site by Executive Magistrate Adiel R. Kyntan, in presence of independent local witnesses. 

Items recovered from the scene include a woman's white shirt, a strip of Pentra 40 medication, a part of an LCD screen from a Vivo mobile phone, and a smartwatch that was on the man's wrist. The body has been sent to NEIGRIHMS, Shillong, for a postmortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.

The police have not ruled out foul play and are treating the case as a suspected murder. A Special Investigation Team is being constituted to lead the probe.
 

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India's Fight Against Maoism: Visualised In Graphics

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly said that the government is committed to eradicating Maoism from India by March 2026, and the goal got a fillip when at least 27 Maoists -  including top leader Nambala Keshavrao alias Basavaraju, who carried a bounty of Rs 1.5 crore - were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh earlier this month.

Data accessed by NDTV shows that the government and the security forces are inching closer towards the target of ending the Maoist movement, which began in 1967. 

Home ministry data reveals that there were 1,936 incidents of Maoist violence in 2010, which came down to just 374 in 2024 - a drop of 81%. 

The number of Maoist-affected districts has also seen a steep fall, going from 126 in 2013 to 70 in 2021 and just 18 as of April this year. 

Death Count Decreasing Too

In terms of civilian deaths in Maoist violence, the number was 720 in 2010, came down to 150 in 2019 and stood at 131 last year, up from 106 in 2023. There have been 19 such deaths until March this year. 

When the aggregate of deaths of civilians and security forces' personnel is taken into account, the figure was 1,005 in 2010 and went down by 85% to 150 last year. 

Infrastructure Targeting

Over the years, Maoists have been targeting infrastructure such as railway property, public and private sector units, telephone exchanges, mobile towers, roads and schools. These incidents have also decreased from 365 in 2010 to 75 in 2017, and just 25 in 2024.

Naxals Killed

According to reports, over 150 Maoists have been killed in just the first few months of this year. The figure was 136 in 2017, went up to 380 in 2023 and stood at 290 last year. 

After the encounter in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur earlier this month, Home Minister Shah had said it was the first time in three decades that a general secretary of the CPI-Maoist had been killed.

"Also glad to share that after the completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026," he had said.

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India Star Wears Jersey No. 18 After Kohli's Retirement, Scalps 3 In England

Pacer Mukesh Kumar struck three quick blows as India A staged a fine comeback despite Max Holden's eighth first-class hundred, as England Lions stumbled to 333 for five at lunch on the penultimate day of the four-day Unofficial Test here on Sunday. Overnight centurion Tom Haines (142, 208 balls) is still out there and Dan Mousley (2) is keeping him company at the break. The Lions are now trailing by 224 runs.

Mukesh bowled with a lot more venom in this session, getting his lengths correct and he was rewarded with three wickets of Holden (101, 101b), Lions' skipper James Rew (8) and Rehan Ahmed (3).

Interestingly, Mukesh was wearing a jersey number 18, which earlier belonged to Virat Kohli.  

Mukesh Kumar is wearing Virat's No 18 Jersey pic.twitter.com/V8jIxRaUhr

— Sohel. (@SohelVkf) May 31, 2025

Jersey number of Mukesh Kumar pic.twitter.com/kdILZ2pnVg

— (@imAnthoni_) June 1, 2025

The word hesitate doesn't exist in the dictionary of Lord Mukesh Kumar pic.twitter.com/5KJHwYcuBT

— Dinda Academy (@academy_dinda) June 1, 2025

It's official Mukesh Kumar is India's new number 18 after Virat Kohli pic.twitter.com/PG00kccjQV

— Crayon (@Crayon_475) May 31, 2025

Holden hung his bat outside the off-stump to be caught behind by Dhruv Jurel, while Rew was trapped leg-before by a deliverer that was straightened up.

Ahmed's cavalier waft outside ended in the hands of Sarfaraz Khan at second slip.

England Lions lost three wickets inside 14 runs to give away the advantage handed to them by Haines and Holden during their 181-run partnership for the third wicket.

Holden, a former England U19 skipper and a prodigy of former pacer Angus Fraser, was quite impressive while bringing up his hundred off 99 balls.

The 26-year-old left-hander reached the landmark after seven first-class innings without even a fifty, flicking pacer Shardul Thakur for a single to fine leg.

Haines, a protege of former India coach Gary Kirsten, however, held his ground and ensured that the Lions will not suffer further damage.

Brief scores: India A: 557 vs England A: 333/5 in 75 overs (Tom Haines 142 batting, Max Holden 101; Mukesh Kumar 3/56).

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