Mohan Bhagwat Says PoK Has to Be Taken Back

SATNA, Oct 5: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has called Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) a room in a house called India, but one in which strangers have moved in. The room has to be taken back, he said at an event in Madhya Pradesh's Satna, according to a news agency.

"Many Sindhi brothers are sitting here. I am very happy. They did not go to Pakistan; they went to undivided India. Circumstances have sent us here from that home because that home and this home are not different," Bhagwat, who heads the BJP's ideological mentor Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said, drawing huge applause from the audience.

"The whole of India is one home, but someone has removed one room of our house where my table, chair, and clothes used to be kept. They have occupied it. Tomorrow, I have to take it back..." he said as the audience clapped in agreement.

The RSS chief's comment comes amid tension in PoK due to locals rising up against Pakistani rule. Thousands of PoK residents rallied around the banner of the Awami Action Committee (AAC) to demand economic relief and political reforms.

Over the last three days, 10 people have been killed and more than 100 injured in PoK after Pakistani forces clashed with protesters. In Dhirkot (Bagh district) alone, four protesters were shot dead, while fatalities were also reported from PoK's Muzaffarabad, Dadyal (Mirpur), and Chamyati near Kohala.

20 Dead In Darjeeling After Heavy Rain Triggers Landslides, Sikkim Cut Off

KOLKATA, Oct 5: Twenty people have died in West Bengal's Darjeeling after heavy rain triggered landslides and cut off road connectivity on key routes. Officials have said the calamity has cut off connectivity to the Himalayan state of Sikkim.

Darjeeling in north Bengal received heavy rain last night, leading to landslides in areas such as Mirik and Sukhia Pokhari. Police and local administration have started a rescue operation. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will be visiting Darjeeling tomorrow.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said he is "deeply pained" by the loss of lives in Darjeeling. "We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected," he said on X.

Landslides have led to roadblocks on key routes, including the road connecting Bengal and Sikkim and the one linking Darjeeling and Siliguri.
A large number of tourists from Kolkata and other parts of Bengal travel to Darjeeling after the Durga Puja. So many tourists are likely to be caught in the calamity.

To prevent any untoward incident, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration has decided to shut tourist spots in Darjeeling, including the Tiger Hill and Rock Garden. The toy train services have also been suspended. North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha described the situation as "alarming". "As of now, the death count is 20. It is likely to go up," Guha said.

Internet Banned, 36-Hour Curfew In Odisha's Cuttack After Clashes

CUTTACK, Oct 5: Odisha's Cuttack, the thousand-year-old city long celebrated for its communal harmony, remained on edge on Sunday after fresh incidents of violence erupted following clashes during Durga Puja idol immersion two days earlier.

The clashes allegedly stem from disagreements over loud music during a procession in the city's Dargah Bazaar area, which have since spiralled into an internet shutdown, a bandh call, and appeals for peace from across the political spectrum. The city administration has imposed a 36-hour curfew across several areas, including the Dargah Bazaar region.

According to police and witnesses, the first outbreak of violence occurred between 1:30 am and 2 am on Saturday, when a Durga idol immersion procession passing through the Dargha Bazaar area towards the banks of the Kathajodi river was halted by a group of locals who objected to high-decibel music being played late at night.

The disagreement quickly escalated. Stones and glass bottles were allegedly thrown from rooftops as members of the procession retaliated. Several people, including Cuttack's Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo, were injured in the chaos.

The police resorted to a mild lathi charge to disperse the mob and restore order. At least six people have been arrested so far, and authorities are reviewing CCTV, drone, and mobile footage to identify others involved.

Police Commissioner S Dev Datt Singh said, "Those arrested were involved in stone pelting and were identified through CCTV footage. More arrests will follow."

Officials said one person sustained serious injuries and was admitted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital. The DCP's condition is stated to be stable.

While the city attempted to recover, tensions resurfaced on Sunday evening after the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) organised a motorcycle rally that defied the district administration's restrictions.

The rally, which began from Bidyadharpur on the eastern outskirts, passed through Dargah Bazaar -- the epicentre of the earlier clashes -- and culminated at Sector 11 of the CDA area.

Officials said CCTV cameras along the route were damaged, and several shops in the Gourishankar Park area were vandalised and allegedly set on fire.

The Commissionerate Police used mild force to disperse groups attempting to disturb the peace.

In the wake of the violence and rising tension, the Odisha government suspended internet services across areas under the Cuttack Municipal Corporation, Cuttack Development Authority (CDA), and the adjoining 42 Mauza region from 7 pm on Sunday to 7 pm on Monday.

Sonam Wangchuk's wife writes to President, PM

LEH, Oct 1: Gitanjali Angmo, Wangchuk's wife and co-founder of the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh (HIAL), has written to the President of India, Prime Minister of India, Home Minister, Law Minister of India, and the LG of Ladakh about the “detention” of her husband. In her letter, Gitanjali Angmo alleged that she has had no contact with Sonam Wangchuk since his “detention under the NSA.”

Gitanjali alleged that while being detained, Sonam Wangchuk was not permitted to take his clothes with him and it was unclear whether he has since been provided fresh clothing or basic necessities such as medicines, which he requires daily – particularly after his 15-day fast in September 2025 that left him physically weakened.

She said she was told by Insp. Rigzin Gurmet, SHO of Lich, that he would arrange a call with Sonam, but she never received it.

“Till today, Le. Ist Oct 2025, the officer has not called me or made me speak to my husband. I am completely unaware about my husband's condition. I was also told the officer would explain to me my legal rights. Even that has not been done till today.”

“I am shocked and devastated,” she said.

“While detaining him, Shri Wangchuk was not even allowed to take his clothes, I am not aware whether he has bore given fresh clothes and basic amenities including medicines that he needs san a daily basis, especially after his fast of 15 days in September 2025 that has weakened him physically.”

Gitanjali has also alleged that a “full-scale witch hunt has been unleashed for the past one month in particular, and for the past four years covertly, to kill the spirit of my husband and all the causes he stands for and espouses.”

She further asks, “Is it a crime to speak about climate change, melting glaciers, educational reforms and grassroot innovation? To raise one's voice for upliftment of a backward tribal belt which is ecologically fragile in a peaceful Gandhian manner for the last four years?” Also Read | Sonam Wangchuk's wife shares Modi's photo with Bangladesh leader Yunus: ‘Why is it problem for…’

“It certainly cannot be termed as a threat to national security.”

She said Sonam Wangchuk has been contributing by building shelters for the Indian Army to help officers and jawans stay warm and fight effectively. “To treat the son of the soil of Ladakh so shabbily is not just a SIN but a strategic error for building strong borders with solidarity and peaceful coexistence.”

“Is it a sin to espouse the cause of people and fight against reckless and unchecked development activities in a ecology fragile area of Ladakh. This country has learnt its lessons from its experiences from Uttarakhand, Himachal and the North East of late,” she said.