Jan 19 news LIVE: CBI questions TVK chief Vijay for over 6 hours; no fresh summons
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- 19 Jan 2026 6:50 PM IST
Kejriwal says BJP has ‘ruined’ Gujarat, claims AAP will win 2027 polls
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the BJP of “ruining everything” during its 30-year rule in Gujarat, claiming farmers, youth, tribals and the poor are suffering and that people now want change.
Addressing party workers, Kejriwal alleged the BJP insulted all sections of society, mishandled the Harni lake boat tragedy, and diverted tribal welfare funds for political events, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rallies.
He claimed funds meant for tribal development were misused, accused the government of ruling through fear and humiliation, and said AAP will defeat the BJP in the 2027 Gujarat Assembly elections. Kejriwal also attacked the Congress, calling it ineffective and compromised by government contracts.
- 19 Jan 2026 6:46 PM IST
Bangladeshi Court opens trial of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das in lawyer’s murder case
A Bangladeshi court has framed murder charges against Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das and 38 others in connection with the killing of lawyer Saiful Islam Alif during violent protests in Chattogram in November 2024.
Das, arrested earlier on sedition charges, faces charges under Sections 302 and 109 of the Penal Code. Of the 39 accused, 23 are in custody while 16 remain absconding.
The case is being heard by the Chattogram Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal, with prosecutors calling it sensitive due to its implications for communal harmony and national security. Das’s arrest had earlier triggered protests and diplomatic concern from India.
- 19 Jan 2026 6:43 PM IST
Messi event organiser Satadru Dutta granted bail in Kolkata chaos case
A court in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district has granted bail to Satadru Dutta, organiser of the botched Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium in December.
Dutta, arrested on December 13 for alleged mismanagement and unauthorised contracts with vendors, was released on a ₹20,000 bond with two sureties.
What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, leaving large sections of the crowd frustrated.
Enraged fans vandalised the stadium as they couldn't see the footballer despite paying a hefty sum for the tickets.
- 19 Jan 2026 6:28 PM IST
Several people killed in Kabul hotel blast
An explosion at a hotel in downtown Kabul on Monday left a number of people killed and injured, officials said.
The cause of the blast was unclear.
Spokesman Khalid Zadran said the explosion struck at a hotel in the Shahr-e-Naw district, causing a number of casualties.
Interior Ministry spokesman Abdul Mateen Qani said the blast had caused both deaths and injuries, and that the cause was being investigated. Neither had details on the number of casualties.
Footage aired by local television station Tolo News and filmed through a car windscreen showed people in a street with smoke and dust billowing behind them. AP
- 19 Jan 2026 6:22 PM IST
Chouhan accuses Congress of ‘lies’ on VB-G RAM G, says right to work strengthened
Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday accused the Congress, including Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, of spreading misinformation about the VB-G RAM G Act, which replaces MGNREGA.
Rejecting claims that the right to work is being diluted, Chouhan said the new law extends work from 100 to 125 days, provides unemployment allowance within 15 days, and will be implemented across all panchayats, not selectively.
He claimed the NDA strengthened MGNREGA on the ground, citing ₹9 lakh crore spent and 8.5 crore of 10 crore assets created during the Modi government’s tenure.
Chouhan said the scheme remains demand-driven, with gram panchayats identifying productive works, and denied that the 60:40 funding ratio would burden states.
The Congress has launched a nationwide protest, alleging the new law weakens the rights-based framework of MGNREGA. The Centre has rejected the charge, saying the Act strengthens rural employment guarantees.
- 19 Jan 2026 6:07 PM IST
Imran Khan in solitary confinement for 3 months, his party claims
Jailed former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been denied access to his legal counsels and kept in solitary confinement for the last three months, his party PTI said on Monday (January 19).
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also said that the “prolonged solitary confinement” is viewed under international law as harmful and potentially constituting cruel, inhuman.
Khan, 73, has been incarcerated since August 2023, when he was arrested for the first time. Multiple cases have been registered against him after his government was toppled in April 2022.
The military backed Shehbaz Sharif government early last month had imposed a complete ban on Khan's all kinds of jail meetings following his statement against Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Field Marshal Asim Munir
- 19 Jan 2026 6:06 PM IST
Didn’t Speak Against Any Community, Says Channi; Calls Claims ‘False Propaganda’
Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday denied speaking against any caste or community, saying malicious propaganda was being spread against him on social media and TV channels.
The Congress MP said his remarks were being misrepresented after reports claimed he raised the issue of Dalit representation in the party during a Scheduled Caste wing meeting.
“I did not speak against anyone anywhere. I respect all religions and believe in unity,” Channi said, invoking Guru Sahib’s message of equality.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring backed Channi, saying the Dalit leader already holds key positions, including CWC member and MP, and that the Congress does not practise caste-based politics.
- 19 Jan 2026 6:00 PM IST
Congress attacks ex-CJI Chandrachud over ‘bail should be rule’ remark
The Congress on Monday (January 19) attacked former chief justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud over his remarks that "bail should be the rule and not the exception" when expeditious trial is not possible, and asked what stopped him from doing the "right thing" when he was the Chief Justice of India.
Congress spokesperson and head of the party's social media department Supriya Shrinate said the bail application of Umar Khalid was filed in 2023 but was adjourned over 10 times when Chandrachud was the CJI.
"During his own tenure as CJI, the bail plea was filed in SC in 2023, adjourned over 10 times. As master of rosters he sent this bail plea to Bela Trivedi's bench -- knowing what fate it would meet!" Shrinate said in her X post.
Slamming the Congress, BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla accused the opposition party of attacking the judiciary and other constitutional bodies. - 19 Jan 2026 5:48 PM IST
Putin receives US invitation to join Trump's Gaza Peace Board
Russian President Vladimir Putin has received an invitation to join US President Donald Trump's Gaza Peace Board, and the invitation is under consideration, the Kremlin said on Monday (January 19).
"Indeed, President Putin also received an offer through diplomatic channels to join this Peace Board," the Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We are currently studying all the details of this proposal, and we hope to contact the American side to clarify all the details," he said.
Several other countries have received offers from the US to join this body. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif have also received invitations to join the Peace Board.
The US president unveiled the board as part of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. - 19 Jan 2026 5:16 PM IST
Bengal minister Tajmul Hossain gets SIR summon over voter roll mismatch
Tajmul Hossain, a prominent minister in West Bengal’s Trinamool Congress government, has been summoned under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls underway in the state for a hearing, a senior official of the Election Commission said on Monday.
The notice for the hearing was sent to the three-time legislator because of discrepancies between his name and that of his father in the 2002 electoral roll, the official informed.
Hossain, the minister of state for micro, small & medium enterprises and textiles, has been asked to appear for the hearing at 10.30 am on January 29 with all relevant documents.
Responding to the notice, Hossain said, “It is the same Election Commission that declared me a winner of assembly polls three times and is now seeking to verify whether I am a valid voter.”
